8 years ago
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7 Deadly Sins of Worldbuilding
Worldbuilding is an essential part of any work of fiction. But especially for science fiction or fantasy, it's the lifeblood of storytelling. But when worldbuilding fails, it can wreck your whole story, and leave your characters feeling pointless. Here are seven deadly sins of worldbuilding. The Rules of Quick and Dirty Worldbuilding The Rules of Quick and Dirty Worldbuilding The Rules of Quick and Dirty Worldbuilding Worldbuilding is the art of creating an alternate universe where the rules of...
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Wonderfully helpful. I'm typically so wrapped up in plot, character, and word-level techniques that I largely forget about the setting and world (and only use it as an ill-considered prop for what interests me more). Seeing some of my own failings enumerated like this is a great way to knock me back into shape! Time to get editing!
Glad it helped! Believe it or not, one of the best articles I read on world building was in an old issue of InQuest Gamer, intended for DMs. But as a writer I found incredibly helpful for writing stories, too.
I believe it! DMs have to be even more careful and considerate with their world building than writers, I'd say, because their audiences have agency within the world and can go tromping off in any direction they please. As a writer, I can at least control what is and is not behind the scenes or off limits!