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LIVE Q&A: Worldbuilding

LIVE Q&A: Worldbuilding

February 10, 2018 Blogs and Vlogs 2018, Conference 2018, Live 2018 37 Comments

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Tags: fantasygenre fictionworldbuildingwriting craft
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Em
Em
3 years ago

Hello! What are some crucial aspects of world building new writers tend to miss?

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Shanice
Shanice
3 years ago

After doing tons of world building, how do you differentiate between what to use in the novel, and what is just for your knowledge?
Thanks for the help.

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Hallie
Hallie
3 years ago

What world (in a book movie or whatever) do you think is the most well done or the most interesting? What features do you think make the most realistic worlds?

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Alyssa
Alyssa
Author
3 years ago

Where do you go to look for inspiration for worldbuilding? (real life travel, Planet Earth, museums, other SFF…)

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Shanice
Shanice
3 years ago

Do you know any website where I can create a map for my WIP?
I need to map out the country, and world, but I am having trouble finding a good website to use, as I can’t draw well.
Thanks.

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Diana S.
Diana S.
Reply to  Shanice
3 years ago

Have you heard of Inkarnate (https://inkarnate.com/), or maybe even Cartographer 3 (a paid software)? Look for resources for making maps online, specially for RPGs and Dungeons and Dragons, and you’ll find several options, from simple to more complex, although some might be paid. Good luck 🙂

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Leah
Leah
Reply to  Shanice
3 years ago

Also, you could look up Hexographer. My husband is a game master for tabletop RPGs and when he makes maps, he uses programs like Hexographer to build his worlds. http://www.hexographer.com/free-version/ http://worldographer.com/

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Kelsey
Kelsey
3 years ago

What are ways to make world building feel cohesive, instead of bits and pieces just smashed together?

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Gwendolyn
Gwendolyn
3 years ago

Hello,
Is it possible to go too deep into worldbuilding?

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Diana S.
Diana S.
3 years ago

What do you find is the best way of showcasing worldbuilding (culture, history, etc) and making the setting come alive without bogging down the plot and pacing? Thank you for doing this!

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Gwendolyn
Gwendolyn
3 years ago

Hello,
What are your thoughts on the ‘planet of the hats’ (a culture or place typified by one trait – the warrior race, the mechanical race, etc) trope?

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Hannah
Hannah
3 years ago

Do you have any suggestions for developing and differentiating multiple nations/countries?

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Gwendolyn
Gwendolyn
3 years ago

Hello,
What is the biggest mistake in worldbuilding that you see on a regular basis?

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janewrites
janewrites
3 years ago

Is there a difference between the kind and amount of world-building a writer does for MG vs YA novels?
Thanks!
Jane

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Gwendolyn
Gwendolyn
3 years ago

Hello,
What is an obscure detail that you think that people should work on that really brings the world/culture together?
Thank you for your time!

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Heather A Harwood
Heather A Harwood
3 years ago

How do you begin to plan a new world? What are the questions you ask to get inspired?

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Valia
Valia
3 years ago

Hi! Do you think there is such a thing as too much worldbuilidng? And is it different depending on the age group you may be writing to?

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Flor
Flor
3 years ago

My YA sci-fi dystopian was at 99K and I kept being told repeatedly by agents I pitched to that it was too long for age category/genre. I whittled it down to 94K words but I’ve also been asked to pump up the world building. Should I give preference to getting back up closer to 99K so that my world-building doesn’t suffer?

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Leanne
Leanne
3 years ago

What are some of your favorite worlds in fiction?

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Valia
Valia
3 years ago

Also, would language be considered a big part of world building? I know sometimes readers find various words too hard to pronounce or confusing. Does it help to create those to be included in the world?

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Cassy
Cassy
3 years ago

I’m starting to be more aware of inserting little details of my world into my writing, but sometimes I find it more difficult when writing an urban fantasy as opposed to a story that takes place in a fully fantastical world. Do you have any tips for adding in little elements that still make it your made-up world even though it’s a world people live in every day?

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Valia
Valia
3 years ago

What is the first thing you do when you sit down to build a world? Do you start with the characters or the layout of land?

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Tiffany
Tiffany
3 years ago

Hello! Thank you for doing this! What are some of the best and most effective resources for worldbuilding? And what are some important questions a writer should be asking themselves about their story world?

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Tiffany
Tiffany
3 years ago

How do you balance out world-building proper nouns in fantasy without going overboard? If you have less than five proper nouns essential to your plot, is that too many?

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Kira Brighton
Kira Brighton
3 years ago

Do you have any worldbuilding advice for people who really struggle to think in detail? For those of us who are more global thinkers, how can we know when we’re missing important details and what to add?

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Laura
Laura
3 years ago

YES! Avatar the Last Airbender!!!

Speaking of, do you have any suggestions on the best way to handle inspirations from real countries and cultures? Avatar did this well and respectfully (with inspiration from Inuit culture, Japan, China, etc.) Thank you so much for your time and for book bending for all of us!

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Grace Li
Grace Li
3 years ago

Hi Sara! Thank you so much for sharing your time.

I was wondering how we can borrow from different cultures to ground our fantasy worlds without being disrespectful?

Thanks,
Grace

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Janine
Janine
3 years ago

My current WIP takes place several decades after a world changing event that resulted in the US breaking up into different countries, among other changes. Main characters live in some spots that used to be in the USA but are now separate countries. How do I communicate that fact without being cumbersome?

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Janine
Janine
Reply to  Janine
3 years ago

I forgot to mention, how do I handle describe a future that isn’t quite dystopian, but isn’t the high tech future with flying cars, etc, but mostly the same as today with a few tweaks?

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Susannah
Susannah
3 years ago

What are some important worldbuilding details/aspects you think I should know well before I start writing?

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Tiffany
Tiffany
3 years ago

What elements of world-building do you most often see done wrong outside of too much, “info-dumping”, world-building?

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Marquess
Marquess
3 years ago

Do you think I need to include a map in my book if there’s a meld between the human world and the magical? Is that something that’s saved for an illustrator?

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Jennifer
Jennifer
3 years ago

Hello, thank you for your time today! My WIP takes place in an alternative universe (Avatar Last Airbender is one of my comps!), and I have tons of notes about this world’s history. For writers writing about alternative universes, how much of the world’s history should the writer know, even if s/he doesn’t include all this history into the story?

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Aimee
Aimee
Editor
3 years ago

I’ve really admired stories where the world-building seems to go hand-in-hand with deevloping the theme of the story. But especially as a children’s writer, I was wondering how best to do this without coming across as overly didactic or heavy-handed?

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Shanice
Shanice
3 years ago

Most important question do you know if Avatar on hulu?
I gotta do my worldbuilding research with that show now!

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Kelsey
Kelsey
3 years ago

You were so awesome, thanks!

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Dave Wright
Dave Wright
3 years ago

“I don’t like following other people’s rules” 😀

Lots to think about. Thanks!

0
Reply

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