Wednesday: World-Building Wednesday

I have an odd-sounding voice because I have some sort of cold-type thing. Hooray.

Here are my rambling thoughts on world-building. Enjoy. Please also enjoy the random asides provided by assorted background sounds.

Category:

People & Blogs

Tags:

• fivedotnerds
• 5dn
• katiefoolery
• writing
• world
• building

[Cosmickey86]

I know this is heaps old but whatevs. For Q1, I reckon it can be a heaps personal thing. Do you find yourself to be almost a different sort of person when you world-build from when you write stories? I find that the world-building 'person' in my head is very meticulous and detail oriented (and likes Lego) and is horrified by the other person in my head who wants to charge off on a stream-of-conscious narrative -who in turn feels claustrophobic around the 'Lego' me. Ye Gods!

[Cosmickey86]

Kind of heart-warming to see world-builders who are nuts like me (but not the same no...)

[selfwindingwriter]

I think it's easy to let the backstory take up your time. I think there's a careful balance between filling the world and writing, and it's up to each writer to find that balance for themselves to figure out when to stop building without writing. (IT'S NOT EASY, THOUGH!)

[Katiefoolery]

And I guess it can often lead to interesting backstories and character development, too.

Thanks for the tip on fixing my throat. :)  It's feeling better now, but I shall store the tips away for next time.

[Katiefoolery]

That right there is an amazing quote. I love it.

[marilla82]

World-building is a must. The why's and how's are often fleshed out in world-building.

As for the throat: peppermint tea with a drop of brandy or whiskey. OR, green/black tea with honey, lemon, and an optional drop of brandy/whiskey.

[clickswitchh]

" I write about the bonepipes prayer and the whisper of the blood " - Knut Hamsun (Norwegian writer)

[Katiefoolery]

That's my thought, too - yeah, it's good to know all the details behind the scenes, but it's also possible to go overboard.

Thanks for the advice, too. No-one's been answering the second question - it's like they all want me to keep suffering or something...

[Katiefoolery]

Heh, charming, is it? :D

Yes, absolutely there need to be rules behind any story. I think my problem is that the world-building has a tendency to BECOME the story, just like the maps did. So instead of basing a story on what I've come up with, I'll sit back and congratulate myself on a job well done.

[selfwindingwriter]

YOUR VIDEOS ARE ALWAYS SO CHARMING!

I think a story that has NO world building will fall apart, and I say that because world building is technically every single iota of setting. So without any setting, you've got nothing more than talking heads.

I agree that you don't always need maps (though fun!) and currency and the history of a town, but you do need enough to place the story in a specific setting.