diff --git a/lib/models/block.js b/lib/models/block.js
index 4c797758b..1db463e8e 100644
--- a/lib/models/block.js
+++ b/lib/models/block.js
@@ -1,7 +1,10 @@
 
+import Data from './data'
+import Inline from './inline'
 import Node from './node'
+import Text from './text'
 import uid from 'uid'
-import { Map, OrderedMap, Record } from 'immutable'
+import Immutable, { Map, OrderedMap, Record } from 'immutable'
 
 /**
  * Default properties.
@@ -28,8 +31,15 @@ class Block extends Record(DEFAULTS) {
    */
 
   static create(properties = {}) {
+    if (properties instanceof Block) return properties
+    if (properties instanceof Inline) return properties
+    if (properties instanceof Text) return properties
     if (!properties.type) throw new Error('You must pass a block `type`.')
+
     properties.key = uid(4)
+    properties.data = Data.create(properties.data)
+    properties.nodes = Block.createMap(properties.nodes)
+
     let block = new Block(properties)
     return block.normalize()
   }
@@ -42,9 +52,12 @@ class Block extends Record(DEFAULTS) {
    */
 
   static createMap(elements = []) {
-    return elements.reduce((map, element) => {
-      return map.set(element.key, element)
-    }, new OrderedMap())
+    if (OrderedMap.isOrderedMap(elements)) return elements
+    return elements
+      .map(Block.create)
+      .reduce((map, element) => {
+        return map.set(element.key, element)
+      }, new OrderedMap())
   }
 
   /**
diff --git a/lib/models/character.js b/lib/models/character.js
index bae165305..1ecd86b5a 100644
--- a/lib/models/character.js
+++ b/lib/models/character.js
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 
+import Mark from './mark'
 import { List, Record, Set } from 'immutable'
 
 /**
@@ -24,6 +25,8 @@ class Character extends CharacterRecord {
    */
 
   static create(properties = {}) {
+    if (properties instanceof Character) return properties
+    properties.marks = Mark.createSet(properties.marks)
     return new Character(properties)
   }
 
@@ -35,7 +38,8 @@ class Character extends CharacterRecord {
    */
 
   static createList(array = []) {
-    return new List(array)
+    if (List.isList(array)) return array
+    return new List(array.map(Character.create))
   }
 
 }
diff --git a/lib/models/document.js b/lib/models/document.js
index 6e20b2407..427163dc8 100644
--- a/lib/models/document.js
+++ b/lib/models/document.js
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 
+import Block from './block'
 import Node from './node'
 import { OrderedMap, Record } from 'immutable'
 
@@ -24,6 +25,10 @@ class Document extends Record(DEFAULTS) {
    */
 
   static create(properties = {}) {
+    if (properties instanceof Document) return properties
+
+    properties.nodes = Block.createMap(properties.nodes)
+
     let document = new Document(properties)
     return document.normalize()
   }
diff --git a/lib/models/inline.js b/lib/models/inline.js
index 20aafafd1..9c72639c8 100644
--- a/lib/models/inline.js
+++ b/lib/models/inline.js
@@ -1,7 +1,10 @@
 
+import Block from './block'
+import Data from './data'
 import Node from './node'
+import Text from './text'
 import uid from 'uid'
-import { Map, OrderedMap, Record } from 'immutable'
+import Immutable, { Map, OrderedMap, Record } from 'immutable'
 
 /**
  * Record.
@@ -28,8 +31,15 @@ class Inline extends Record(DEFAULTS) {
    */
 
   static create(properties = {}) {
+    if (properties instanceof Block) return properties
+    if (properties instanceof Inline) return properties
+    if (properties instanceof Text) return properties
     if (!properties.type) throw new Error('You must pass an inline `type`.')
+
     properties.key = uid(4)
+    properties.data = Data.create(properties.data)
+    properties.nodes = Inline.createMap(properties.nodes)
+
     let inline = new Inline(properties)
     return inline.normalize()
   }
@@ -42,9 +52,12 @@ class Inline extends Record(DEFAULTS) {
    */
 
   static createMap(elements = []) {
-    return elements.reduce((map, element) => {
-      return map.set(element.key, element)
-    }, new OrderedMap())
+    if (OrderedMap.isOrderedMap(elements)) return elements
+    return elements
+      .map(Inline.create)
+      .reduce((map, element) => {
+        return map.set(element.key, element)
+      }, new OrderedMap())
   }
 
   /**
diff --git a/lib/models/mark.js b/lib/models/mark.js
index adfda2d42..34b3f357a 100644
--- a/lib/models/mark.js
+++ b/lib/models/mark.js
@@ -1,20 +1,21 @@
 
+import Data from './data'
 import { Map, Record, Set } from 'immutable'
 
 /**
  * Record.
  */
 
-const MarkRecord = new Record({
+const DEFAULTS = {
   data: new Map(),
   type: null
-})
+}
 
 /**
  * Mark.
  */
 
-class Mark extends MarkRecord {
+class Mark extends Record(DEFAULTS) {
 
   /**
    * Create a new `Mark` with `properties`.
@@ -24,7 +25,11 @@ class Mark extends MarkRecord {
    */
 
   static create(properties = {}) {
+    if (properties instanceof Mark) return properties
     if (!properties.type) throw new Error('You must provide a `type` for the mark.')
+
+    properties.data = Data.create(properties.data)
+
     return new Mark(properties)
   }
 
@@ -36,7 +41,8 @@ class Mark extends MarkRecord {
    */
 
   static createSet(array = []) {
-    return new Set(array)
+    if (Set.isSet(array)) return array
+    return new Set(array.map(Mark.create))
   }
 
 }
diff --git a/lib/models/selection.js b/lib/models/selection.js
index 1427c44cb..2728fa291 100644
--- a/lib/models/selection.js
+++ b/lib/models/selection.js
@@ -5,20 +5,20 @@ import { Record } from 'immutable'
  * Record.
  */
 
-const SelectionRecord = new Record({
+const DEFAULTS = {
   anchorKey: null,
   anchorOffset: 0,
   focusKey: null,
   focusOffset: 0,
   isBackward: false,
   isFocused: false
-})
+}
 
 /**
  * Selection.
  */
 
-class Selection extends SelectionRecord {
+class Selection extends Record(DEFAULTS) {
 
   /**
    * Create a new `Selection` with `properties`.
@@ -28,6 +28,7 @@ class Selection extends SelectionRecord {
    */
 
   static create(properties = {}) {
+    if (properties instanceof Selection) return properties
     return new Selection(properties)
   }
 
diff --git a/lib/models/state.js b/lib/models/state.js
index 46595d81c..9ad5cd5f4 100644
--- a/lib/models/state.js
+++ b/lib/models/state.js
@@ -59,6 +59,11 @@ class State extends Record(DEFAULTS) {
    */
 
   static create(properties = {}) {
+    if (properties instanceof State) return properties
+
+    properties.document = Document.create(properties.document)
+    properties.selection = Selection.create(properties.selection)
+
     return new State(properties)
   }
 
diff --git a/lib/models/text.js b/lib/models/text.js
index 75811c48b..0ba88392d 100644
--- a/lib/models/text.js
+++ b/lib/models/text.js
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 
+import Character from './character'
 import uid from 'uid'
 import { List, Record } from 'immutable'
 
@@ -25,7 +26,11 @@ class Text extends Record(DEFAULTS) {
    */
 
   static create(properties = {}) {
+    if (properties instanceof Text) return properties
+
     properties.key = uid(4)
+    properties.characters = Character.createList(properties.characters)
+
     return new Text(properties)
   }