What’s coming in 2017?
“The time has come,” the Writer said, “To write of other things. Of robots, clones, and aliens, Of shadowbloods, and kings. And why V.R. is killing us, And why spaceships have wings.” “But wait a bit,” the Readers cried. “We haven’t read your last. For some of us are...
Worldbuilding: Cultural Values
What separates one culture from another. It's more than clothes and language, though those are important for making them look and feel distinct from one another. No, what makes two cultures unique are cultural values. These are the traits that, as a society, are held...
Who Can Practice Magic
So, your world's got magic. Great! Since you're in charge, it's up to you to dole out that mystical power to your characters. Time to decide who gets to participate. A Matter of Study Anyone with a keen mind and a good work ethic can learn the arcane arts. Maybe it's...
Naming as a Worldbuilding Tool
Many writers struggle with naming characters. I'm not here to help them. I'm actually going to make it harder by giving them another consideration to bear in mind: character names help define your world. How names work in the real world Every culture on Earth has come...
When to Start Worldbuilding
One question that an aspiring worldbuilder is going to ask is when to start. Can you build a world without knowing anything about the story you're going to tell in it? Do you need any characters before you build a world for them to inhabit? Actually, you have options....
How to Write Ensemble Scenes
Writing a scene with one character is simple. Two isn't much harder, and introduces the possibility of conversation. Even three characters in a single scene leaves room for everyone to breathe. But what do you do when the number gets higher? How do you keep a scene...
Worldbuilding: Government
One of the main goals of worldbuilding is to create a believable backdrop for telling a story. But after figuring out geography, magic, and fantastical mythological creatures, there needs to be some sort of societal structure in place. And the societal structure that...
Worldbuilding: Animals (and Monsters)
From chulls to owlbears, wargs to thestrals, fantasy has taken to the creation of its own wildlife. They make a world feel separate from the Earth we know, even if they purport to exist on Earth (beyond the reach of common knowledge). They can be man-eaters, beasts of...
A 26th Century Wizard Reviews Star Wars: A New Hope
Born on Earth just after the turn of the 26th Century, Mordecai The Brown is a wizard of considerable skill. His enmity for modern science and technology has nonetheless left him with an appreciation of ancient entertainment media that involve primitive scientific...
The 5 Minute Shortcut to Creating Cultures
Often times you'll find a need for a foreign culture in your writing. But you can convey a sense of a vibrant, multicultural world without having to delve into the minutiae and idiosyncrasies of every nation. It's fine to flesh out nationalities and ethnicities that...