How to Structure Notion for Worldbuilding and Fiction Writing
If you’re a fantasy writer, you probably have a million ideas swirling around—magic systems, ancient histories, political conflicts, and characters with names no one can pronounce on the first try.
The challenge? Keeping it all organized.
Notion is hands-down one of the best tools for worldbuilding, but only if you set it up right.
Knowing how to structure Notion for worldbuilding and fiction writing can make all the difference—done well, it becomes your greatest ally. Done poorly? You’ll end up with a digital junk drawer instead of a functional writing system.
I’ve been there. When I first started using Notion, my notes were everywhere—scattered across different pages with no real structure. After refining my process (and building a Notion Worldbuilding Template that solved my biggest problems), I found an approach that works.
In this post, I’ll walk you through how to structure Notion for worldbuilding and fiction writing, using my own system as an example.
Topics covered in this post:
Why use Notion for worldbuilding and writing?
Notion isn’t just a note-taking app—it’s a customizable database, wiki, and planner all rolled into one. Here’s why it’s perfect for fantasy writers:
Everything in one place: No more flipping between Google Docs, physical notebooks, and scattered notes in your phone.
Linked pages: Easily connect your worldbuilding elements—so if you update a character’sprofile, it automatically reflects in related entries.
Custom views: Organize your notes in tables, galleries, or kanban boards based on what makes sense for your process.
Searchability: Quickly find that obscure piece of lore you wrote three months ago.
But to get the most out of it, you need a solid system. Let’s dive into how to structure Notion for worldbuilding and fiction writing in a way that’s actually useful.
The core structure: Setting up your Notion workspace
Before diving into the details, let’s start with the big picture. A well-structured Notion setup for worldbuilding should include these core elements:
Dashboard: Your homepage, where you can see your most important links and current projects.
Worldbuilding Hub: A central database that links to everything about your world—cultures, geography, magic, and more.
Character Database: A dedicated place for tracking character bios, arcs, and relationships.
Plot & Story Planning: Where you map out story beats, outlines, and themes.
Research & Inspiration: A collection of references, notes, and ideas.
Creating a dashboard
Your dashboard should give you an at-a-glance view of your writing and worldbuilding progress. In my Notion setup, I include:
Quick links to major databases (characters, worldbuilding, plot, etc.).
Writing goals & progress tracking (e.g., daily word counts, deadlines).
A "Current Focus" section for whatever part of my world or story I’m developing.
A task list to keep track of revisions, brainstorming sessions, and research.
If you’re using Notion for both writing and worldbuilding, having everything start from one homepage keeps things streamlined.
Building a worldbuilding database that actually works
One of the biggest mistakes I made early on was separating my worldbuilding notes into different pages with no real structure. It became impossible to track how everything connected.
Instead, I created a central worldbuilding database in Notion, entries are interlinked. Here’s how it’s organized.
Key categories in my worldbuilding database:
Cultures & Societies – Includes customs, languages, government, and religion.
Geography & Locations – Maps, cities, landmarks, and ecosystems.
Magic System – Rules, limitations, and how magic affects society.
History & Mythology – Timeline of major events, myths, and legendary figures.
Creatures & Races – Unique species, their traits, and how they interact.
And a ton more
The pages contain links to related topics so it’s easy to keep everything up to date and cohesive.
If you’re interested in a ready-to-use version, my Notion Worldbuilding Template does all this for you.
How to structure plot for worldbuilding in Notion
A great world is nothing without a strong story. Notion makes it easy to organize plots, subplots, and story arcs.
Here’s how I structure my plot planning in Notion:
Story Overview Page – A top-level summary with genre, themes, and inspiration.
Beat Sheet Database – Tracks major plot points (based on the Three-Act Structure or Save the Cat).
Scene Planner – A table where I break scenes down by location, characters, and conflicts.
Character Arcs – Linked to my character database, tracking their personal growth alongside the plot.
Keeping track of characters without losing your mind
Character databases are one of Notion’s biggest strengths.
Character profile template includes:
Basic Info: Name, age, role, and appearance.
Personality & Motivations: Strengths, flaws, and what drives them.
Backstory: Key events that shaped them.
Relationships: Links to other characters.
Development Arc: How they change over the story.
Here’s how I set up mine:
This setup helps me quickly reference details while writing, without digging through scattered notes.
Making Notion work for your writing style
The best Notion setup is the one that fits your creative process. Some writers prefer a minimalistic approach, while others love deep, interconnected databases.
If you’re just starting, I’d recommend:
Keeping it simple – Start with a dashboard and 2-3 main databases.
Using templates – Save time by using pre-built templates (like this one I made).
Adjusting as you go – If something feels clunky, tweak it!
No matter your approach, having a solid way to structure Notion for worldbuilding and fiction writing ensures that your ideas don’t get lost in a sea of notes. A well-organized system lets you focus on the creative part—bringing your world and story to life.
Common mistakes made when structuring Notion for worldbuilding
Even with all its flexibility, Notion can quickly become overwhelming if you don’t set it up the right way. Here are some common mistakes fantasy writers and game masters make when trying to structure Notion for worldbuilding—and how to avoid them.
Creating too many disconnected pages
It’s tempting to create separate pages for every little detail—one for each kingdom, each species, each bit of magic. The problem? Without links between them, you’ll end up with an endless web of notes that are impossible to navigate.
Instead of creating isolated pages, use relational databases so your characters, locations, and lore automatically connect. That way, when you update one thing, it reflects everywhere it needs to.
Overcomplicating the system
Notion gives you endless customization options—but just because you can make a database for every little thing doesn’t mean you should.
Overcomplicating your setup with unnecessary properties and databases will slow you down. Start simple and build only what you actually use. You can always expand later.
Forgetting to organize research and inspiration
A lot of worldbuilding comes from inspiration—historical events, myths, and random tidbits you find while reading. If you don’t have a clear place to store and categorize research, you’ll lose track of useful ideas.
Set up a research database where you can save articles, notes, and images, and tag them by topic (e.g., warfare, economy, folklore) so they’re easy to find when you need them.
Final thoughts
Knowing how to structure Notion for worldbuilding and fiction writing can save you from endless disorganized notes and lost ideas. With a well-structured system, you’ll have everything you need—whether you’re crafting a rich fantasy world or outlining your next novel.
If you want a ready-made Notion system for worldbuilding, check out my Notion Worldbuilding Template—it’s designed to keep your ideas organized, linked, and easy to navigate.
Frequently asked questions about how to structure Notion for worldbuilding
How do I use Notion offline for worldbuilding and writing?
Notion does have an offline mode, but it’s limited. You can access pages you’ve previously opened, but edits won’t sync until you’re back online. If you need full offline access, consider exporting key databases as PDFs or keeping a backup in another app like Obsidian or Scrivener.
Can I collaborate with co-writers or an editor in Notion?
Yes! Notion allows real-time collaboration, making it great for co-writing or working with an editor. You can assign tasks, leave comments, and share specific pages while keeping the rest of your notes private. If you’re writing with a team, set up a shared workspace with permission controls to keep things organized.
What’s the best way to back up my Notion worldbuilding database?
Notion lets you export pages as Markdown, PDFs, or HTML files. For added security, schedule regular exports of your core databases. If you’re worried about data loss, consider syncing important notes with Google Drive or using a secondary tool like Evernote or OneNote as a backup.
Does Notion have a dark mode, and how do I enable it?
Yes! Notion has both dark mode and light mode, and you can switch between them in the settings. Just go to Settings & Members > Appearance and choose your preferred mode. Keep in mind that if you have your system set to automatically switch between dark and light mode, Notion may follow those settings instead. If that happens, you can manually override it in Notion’s settings.
