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Well I think, mainly in dealing with SF/Fantasy worlds, just a simple detail will automatically set the tone; if I mention a soldier using a sword, or a character using a sword, that by default will set up a fantasy mindset. That’s just the bare basics…Sometimes there’s harder stuff. If you wanted to write a fantasy that also has spaceships and stuff, like Thor, that could be tricky. I guess it would just be part of learning curve. Like mention the characters using primitive weapons like swords, but oh, they’re flying in a…spaceship…That could be confusing at first but it would shortly be more natural to the reader as they get deeper into the story.

My world isn’t as in-depth as I’d like, because I had till November 1st to finish the outline and I did little worldbuilding, but the main facets of the story are that it is a fantasy setting, using sword-and-spear type weapons, in which music is magic and music is illegal. Showing that music was magic was a liiiiittle trickier than showing music was illegal. That part only took a few lines of dialogue here and there. But to show music was magic, I had to actually SHOW the characters using it. Of course, I TOLD the reader later on just to make sure nothing was confusing, but by that time they already understand for the most part, I think. It’s not really an info dump or a training scene, it’s just mentions of music as magic which the reader already understands.

So to show the fantasy setting, I just had to show several facets. First of all they’re in a stadium, and four musicians are in the arena being forced to fight with magic. They’re doing obviously magical things so the reader knows there’s magic involved. The protagonist is using a dagger and there are archers everywhere. He’s flashing his accomplices with the sun’s reflection in his dagger to signal them, so they don’t have communication obviously. The soldiers are using swords and spears. The streets are stone, there’s an herb shop that the MC hides in momentarily…You get the idea. I show various aspects of the world that would make it obvious what kind of world this is. I don’t say “This is a fantasy world where music is magic and everyone uses swords and magic is illegal.” That would be boring.

Then showing music is magic was as simple as making a couple scenes in which the characters use it. It becomes obvious later through dialogue, just in case the reader can’t tell already, but alphas said they could tell that strings control stone, etc.

Showing it was illegal was also a matter of scene. Musicians were being punished like gladiators in the Roman Era, musicians were being killed and chased. Then later it’s subtly mentioned through dialogue and subtle hints in narrative.

I don’t think about these things while I’m writing, by the way…I mean sometimes, but not really. I can only see this now that I look back.