How Do I Make A World?

I freely admit, I don't have a world completely fleshed out and designed when I start a story. There are some things I do need to know. How does magic work in that world? What level of technology is there? Those two questions are related, and I'll make a whole post on that later.

The largest world I've made so far was Aili's world, Athia. This is where the Forest Guardians books are set, as well as Ilia's stories and The Last Dragon. When I started, I really only knew how normal magic worked, and how it affected Aili. Everything else developed as I wrote more stories.

One of the reasons I write this way is it gives me freedom. If I'm writing a later book and want something to happen, all I have to do is look back and see if that thing is possible. Have I already written something that prevents it? No? Okay, new rule or feature in my world, now!

With Athia, I also have the fun of writing in a world in two different time periods. In Ilia's youth, magic works differently than in Aili's, and is actively changing. I can explore things in her stories that I can't in Aili's, even though it's the same world. I find that exciting.

This works for culture as well. In my stories, you experience the worlds through the protagonist's view. You see the world as she does. Does she know everything? No. You get to discover the world along with her.

The challenge with writing this way is making note of all features I include. With the way my memory works, I won't get it all right without writing it down. I have a paper notebook where I actually write it down, so it sticks in my brain better. I also need to keep the different story worlds separate. Magic works differently for Aili, Jedara, Marla, and all my strong young women. They all have their own worlds to explore.
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​Have you ever made up a world? How do you do it?