10 Crazy Real-Life Wonders to Add to Your Next Novel

Worldbuilding is hard. Sometimes you have too many ideas to coherently fit in one world and have to sort through them, discarding things you really like for the sake of clarity. Other times it's hard to even come up with something that makes your world different. For the second problem, I've found it helpful to take inspiration in real-world crazy stuff that almost seems like it should be in a fantasy novel itself. Here are 10 of my favorite, both the beautiful and the bizarre.

Sea Fireflies

Not actually fireflies, these crustaceans light up beaches with their beautiful glow. A lady at our church has told me stories of being out in the middle of the ocean, surrounded by these in all sorts of colors, not just blue. But blue is the most common.

Active Lunar Volcanoes

Yes, our moon used to explode. According to scientists (which... take or leave their research XD), volcanoes have been discovered on the moon that were likely erupting back in Abraham's time. Imagine looking up in the sky to see a volcano erupt on the moon.

Electric Blue Lava

Speaking of volcanoes, did you know that we have some volcanoes on Earth that erupt blue? The sulphur in the magma causes it to change colors. Also, fun theoretical thought for ya, the Bible describes hell as a lake of fire and sulphur. So... does that mean hell is blue?

Weird Colored Water

If you're not gonna change the color of your world's lava, you may as well change the color of the water. Which is entirely (and naturally) possible, by the way. Take Lake Hillier in Australia, for example. It's one of many pink - yes, pink - lakes around the world.

Underwater Oddities

Alright, alright, so you don't want to change the color of the water. You may as well put some interesting critters in there, then. Like glassfish (literally transparent - I have some and watching them eat is so strange), or barrel-fish (you can see their brain through their transparent head), or the beautiful oarfish (watch this video from Jeremy Wade - they're seriously cool and kinda weird looking to boot). The oceans and rivers and lakes of this world are full of fascinating, fantastical creatures. You just gotta do a bit of digging. ;)

Uranus' Diamond Ocean & Rain

Weird critters not your thing? Let's go back to messing with the ocean. Did you know that the planet Uranus has an ocean made of liquid diamond? Not kidding. It's complete with diamond "icebergs" and comes from diamond rain. Look it up - it's crazy cool.

Crazy Amounts of Moons

Outer space is a great place to look for out-of-this-world ideas. You thought Tatooine was cool for having two suns? Try a planet with 143 moons like Saturn, different shapes and sizes and colors and textures, and all with names. Or, if you don't want your sky that cluttered, try Jupiter's 95 and counting.

Moonbows

So maybe 95+ moons is a little too wacky (even if it's a real thing). Try something simpler and more beautiful with lots of potential for magic systems and superpowers: moonbows. They're pretty self-explanatory, really - a rainbow, just made from moonlight instead of sunlight that doesn't necessarily require rain.

Ancient Storms

Then again, if rain is your thing, pop back to Jupiter for some storm ideas. Jupiter's Great Red Spot is a gigantic storm (it would engulf the entire Earth kind of gigantic - this is no little hurricane) that's lasted for hundreds of years. Imagine a storm that massive and destructive that's been going on since the days of the Vikings. How would one survive? Sounds like a dystopian novel to me.

A Lizard that Shoots Toxic Blood Out of its Eyeballs

I can't find a way to connect this one to a practically-immortal storm on Jupiter besides the fact that the Great Red Spot is red and so is blood. So. I'm not gonna try.

But take a look at this creepy-but-cute critter. When threatened, this desert lizard will squirt streams of toxic - yes, toxic - blood out of their eyeballs, up to 5 feet away. (Just a note, they're pretty common in the south-western United States, but you can't keep it. So don't pick them up or try to keep it as a pet, even if they're ridiculously cool and creative. Unless you're looking for a fine.)

Need More Ideas?

The internet exists for a reason. Try looking up "Top 10 weirdest ocean fish" or "most surreal things in outer space" for more inspiration. ;)

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What's some of the weirdest things you've ever experienced or heard of? What is one of your favorite worldbuilding elements, from your book or others'? What was the coolest thing on this list?

Until next time,

Take courage, pursue Christ, and smile while you still have teeth!! ^_^

-Joelle