So as some of you might know if you’ve seen my other threads, I’m trying to write an urban fantasy book about the aftermath/fallout/recovery after magic is introduced to the human race in the modern day. Basically the plan is to start out with an increasingly weird but relatively stable new world, until the actions of one of the major villains result in a year-long global EMP that renders all electronics useless and obliterates modern civilization as we know it, forcing the cast into a sort of zombie apocalypse scenario, except replace the zombies with superpowered survivors fighting for resources. One of the things I really want to do with this is show the main characters’ hometown’s evolution from a modern town to a post-collapse new world city-state. But this has probably given me the most trouble of anything in the worldbuilding process, because I can’t decide how I want to build this town. I have two competing options I can see: 1: Visualize and worldbuild the post-collapse society I want it to eventually become, and work my way backward, designing the sort of place that will become it, Or: 2: Build the starting normal-world town first, and let things develop over time as they will. Does anyone have any advice over which method is preferable? From where I’m standing I’m leaning towards method 1, because since I want to make sure that this town can function post-collapse (otherwise they’d have to migrate somewhere else and that defeats the point of seeing a single town grow), it seems like building the place it’ll become takes precedence over, and is harder than, building the place it starts off as.
I think it's super important to start with story, though, that's not always the easiest thing to figure out. Sure, world building helps a lot of writers out, but what's really going to count is the story. Based on what you've said, I think option one is probably a better place to start your story. Who cares about how normal the town once was? We all know what a normal town is like. You might be better off just referencing that everything was once normal rather than trying to show or explain such to readers. Option one seems like a it will give you more options when it comes to how and where exactly you want to start your story. I would just say that as you're building your world think about the story as much if not more than the setting.
That really depends on your goals for the story. Has it got themes of moving forward and letting the past die, or trying to return to the glory of a fallen age? Are your characters embracing their new lives, or going through literal hell? What arcs are you planning on having for your characters? And so on. I know the tack I would take, but you're not me. My advice is to write it the one way, and if you don't think it works, write it the other way. Then you'll have an even stronger understanding of what does and doesn't work in your story than you would by doing it the way everyone told you you should.
I would highly suggest worrying about that story line and outline/plot points first. Then I would worry about the characters. I think after those two huge things are somewhat to mostly hashed out in their entirety, then the setting can really come into play. And a lot of the setting is going to be how you say what's there, not just what's actually present. If your dead set on making this town first, why don't you try writing some short stories or scenes related to the town, but not specifically your characters or story. Maybe then you'll get a better picture in your mind and on paper of a functioning town, destroyed or not, and the events which unfold due this seemingly apocalyptic event.
I agree with @EFMingo. Don't get too hung up on setting, even with dystopia. It's the character's journey that matters most. Your characters are probably not going to see the rise of the dystopia anyway, just its outcome. Drop them in it and maybe reveal its history to them as part of the plot. Maybe that's the whole point. The government is trying to hide its origins and the characters are unearthing it. (What's that book . . . Fatherland?) That way they're exploring its history with you. IMO, you should plan before you write, but that would be a way around it. If what interests you most is how the mess is created, then make that part of your plot. Then your readers can feel the same as you do.
I think you could find creating the setting easier if you knew your plot and characters a bit better. The story-line is often subject to changes (like in my work) and so I've discovered it's best to figure out plot and character first otherwise hours of careful planning and map drawing can be wasted.
