WorldCraft Club: Recent Episodes
WorldCraft Club
For writers, dungeon masters, and anyone else who wants to create rich, immersive settings and story worlds that will draw their audiences back time and time again. Seth, Marcos, and James draw upon their experiences as writers and game masters to provide you with world building tools, inspiration and ideas to help you get the most out of your worldbuilding.
In this episode of The Worldcraft Club, host James and guest Seth delve into the complex topic of genre and its impact on storytelling and worldbuilding. They explore the dual-edged nature of genre as both a helpful guide for setting reader expectations and a restrictive boundary for creative expression. Seth shares his seasoned perspective on genre, discussing how it has influenced and sometimes constrained his prolific writing career. He argues that focusing on tropes rather than strict genre classifications offers a more flexible and rewarding approach to both creating and marketing stories. The conversation also touches on the emotional and professional challenges authors face when they're typecast into specific genres and Seth’s personal experiences dealing with this issue. The episode wraps up with practical advice for writers, emphasizing the importance of maintaining creative freedom by embracing tropes to avoid being boxed into a single genre.
- Genre vs. Tropes: Genre serves as a marketing tool and a communication shorthand for readers, but it can be restrictive for writers. Instead, focusing on tropes allows for more creative freedom and can help maintain audience engagement across various genres.
- Creative Freedom: Writers often feel typecast into specific genres by their audience's expectations. Transitioning to a trope-based approach can alleviate this constraint, enabling authors to explore different genres while maintaining core thematic elements.
- Career Sustainability: For established authors, adhering to favorite tropes rather than fixed genres supports artistic expression and prevents creative stagnation, ultimately benefiting both the author's well-being and the longevity of their career.
Links and Sundry
- The only link you'll ever need - this is our linktree and has access to everything we have including the hallowed Worldbuilder's Journal and our Discord (weekly hangouts!)
- Here's a subscriber link to our YouTube Channel with tons of videos for your viewing pleasure.
- This specific episode on YouTube!
In this episode of the WorldCraft Club podcast, the hosts dive into the intricate relationship between worldbuilding and storytelling, particularly focusing on the concepts of systems and progression. They discuss how overly complex systems can overshadow character arcs and the importance of limiting the agents of change in a story. Using examples such as Terry Pratchett’s Discworld and the popular series Arcane, they explore how to effectively integrate technological advancements and political systems into narratives without detracting from character development. They also touch on the growing genre of progression fantasy, where the focus is on incremental changes and the evolution of a character's power over time.
Key takeaways for writers:
- Keep your systems few and directly relevant to the story where possible. Limiting change agents.
- Keep your systems simple if you must include them. All systems can easily grow out of your control and the simpler the better.
- For all systems its wise to include a character or significant story where possible to keep the reader's interest (and your own!).
Links and Sundry
- The only link you'll ever need - this is our linktree and has access to everything we have including the hallowed Worldbuilder's Journal and our Discord (weekly hangouts!)
- Here's a subscriber link to our YouTube Channel with tons of videos for your viewing pleasure.
Don't worldbuild at the cost of wonder!
In this episode of The WorldCraft Club, James and Dave delve into the origins of worldbuilding, tracing it back to ancient myths and fairy tales. They discuss how early storytelling, through tales of trolls, fairies, and elves, laid the groundwork for what would become known as worldbuilding, notably evolving with Tolkien's work. The episode explores the distinction between allegory and modern worldbuilding, examines Tolkien's impact, and considers the importance of wonder and mystery in storytelling. The conversation touches on different perceptions of creatures like trolls and elves across various stories and how worldbuilding today often seeks a balance between realism and the fantastical, inspired by the awe and imagination of ancient tales.
Links
- Dave's Books - Join Talon squad on an epic adventure across a galaxy full of danger and excitement!
- The Only Link You'll Ever Need - The WorldCraft Club LinkTree with links to our Discord, YouTube and of course the Worldbuilder's Journal.
In this episode of the WorldCraft Club podcast, James is joined by guests Max Moyer, an epic fantasy author of 'Zodak the Last Shielder', his brother Eli, and audiobook narrator Dallin.
They discuss the creative process behind the making of the 'Zodak the Last Shielder' audiobook, highlighting the collaborative effort required to bring the fantasy world to life through nuanced voice acting. Max and Eli share their journey from ideation to publishing, emphasizing the challenges and rewards of creating an audiobook. Dallin explains the artistry involved in narrating, from adopting multiple accents to add depth to the characters, to working closely with the authors to ensure their vision is faithfully translated into spoken word. The podcast underscores the value of collaboration in storytelling, inviting listeners to consider how different perspectives and expertise can enrich their own creative projects. The episode wraps up with where to find 'Zodak the Last Shielder' and an encouragement for storytellers to embrace collaborative feedback through friends, family, and collaborators.
Key Takeaways -
- Inviting others into your project can deepen your worldbuilding by interrogating it with new expertise and insights. Share you're work with collaborators and friends in a variety of ways from short stories to live readings to illuminate your setting.
Links -
- Zodak the Last Shielder - Available now on Amazon and other places fine books are sold.
- Dallin's ACX Profile - So you can check him out for your next project.
WorldCraft Club -
- Come create with us at our Discord!
- See everything else the Club has to offer.
Check out this episode on YouTube!
Adaptations are BIG right now! Live action interpretations of childhood shows (like Avatar the Last Airbender, or anime like One Piece) or books being turned into movies or comics, there is so much IP out there to be adapted. Today Seth and I talk through why a lot of these adaptations receive harsh criticism, how creatives should frame their work for adaptation, and why adaptations are even made to begin with!
Check out the only link you'll ever need < our link tree
In a WorldCraft Club first, we interview an animation studio, YGKrow, and talk about the process of animation and how it can enhance your worldbuilding. In this episode we explore the differences between the eastern and western approach to animation and what that reveals about the priorities of each.
Key Takeaways
- Ma (Space) - Leave room for your creation to breath. You don't always have to fill the air with more content if what you've already created is rich with meaning. What this can mean is that you shouldn't be afraid to linger on a scene or a worldbuilding concept that's already where it needs to be. Know what you're making and let your audience enjoy it without every detail being explored.
- Kinetic Spectacle - Feel free to create something that is straight from the heart. Your unique style. Your goal is not necessarily a realism but rather expression.
- Economy - You only have so many words you can fit on a page, only have so much attention from your audience that you can spend. Remember this and keep your content important or good, don't be afraid to throw out material you're not sure about. Kill your darlings.
Links and Sundry:
- Kanada School Video - a brief overview of the Kanada School, it's inspiring.
- Prince of Egypt Pencil Test - see what the animators were thinking.
Studio YGKrow's Stuff
- YGKrow's Website - Check out YGKrow's swanky website, don't forget to drop into their merch store to check out their latest designs.
- Kythera 0 - Their latest animation (at least until cucumber fairy comes out)
- Ned and Fred Don't Lose Your Head - I'm pretty sure this is the one Raz nearly died to make. We refer to it a lot in the podcast and I thought you might wanna check it out too, it's super fun. Also, this has some of my favorite voice acting ever.
WorldCraft Club
- The only link you’ll ever need - this will take you to our link tree which has access to our discord and other great stuff for you to check out.
Possibly the most important question a worldbuilder will never ask themselves: How do I make room for someone else to add to my world? Community is underrated but critical to the creative process. At some point your work will interact with others, whether it's your family and friends, writers in a group you're part of, a creative partner, or an audience, those people will have thoughts on what you made. Eli and Max Moyer join Seth and I on the pod today to talk about this super important and usually underserved skillset of giving and receiving meaningful feedback, establishing boundaries for your imagined spaces, and engaging in serious play.
Key Takeaways:
- A lot of writers talk to/form groups with/partner with other writers to hone their craft, develop skills and get feedback but have you tried reaching out to readers, fantasy enjoyers and others who can get onboard with your work and help you create it. Think about your circle and the kind of feedback your getting. Does it need to be broader?
- The humility to recieve feedback is important but it might be even more important to know when to stop adopting it. Boundaries around your work and clear goal will help you to fully understand what you're trying to make.
- Serious play might be the best thing I heard in this podcast. At the WorldCraft Club we're big fans of making stuff to share. Having practical outputs for your creativity. Honing skills requires play though, the sort of play that helps you enjoy the stuff your making with others on hand to share in the experience. In short, creating for the sake of creating does you more good than you might know.
Links and Sundry:
- Bandersnatch by Diana Pavlac Glyer - the book Eli mentioned about the creative collaboration of the Inklings that informed the works of C.S. Lewis and JRR Tolkien.
- Creativity by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi (spelled just like it sounds) - the other book Eli mentioned about identifying creativity and how it operates within cultures.
Moyer Brothers' Stuff
- Max's writing - If you wanna learn a little bit more about Max and grab a free download of his novella Throne Born set in Yiduiijn while you're at it, this is the place to go.
- The future online home of their world - Currently this site will just direct you to Max's writing but pretty soon there's gonna be all kinds of stuff on here.
WorldCraft Club
- The only link you’ll ever need: https://linktr.ee/worldcraftclub - this will take you to our link tree which has access to our discord and other great stuff for you to check out.
In Ross’s latest book we see a man displaced from all he finds familiar adjusting to a new world he knows only through academic study. In this process we as readers learn much about his world as he explores ours.
Key Takeaways:
- Don’t fear a good trope. Fish out of Water, as discussed here, can operate as a great way to convey your setting that focuses on character development and growth rather than rote exposition.
- Make use of your characters to refine your setting by reverse engineering it. Remember that similarities can say as much as differences.
Links and Sundry:
- Expansive Universes - This is a link to the last time that Ross and I talked
Ross’s Stuff
- Ross’s Site - Here you can join his newsletter and get the inside scoop on new books and short stories.
- Ross’s new book - Get Birthright now!
WorldCraft Club
- The only link you’ll ever need: https://linktr.ee/worldcraftclub - this will take you to our link tree which has access to our discord and other great stuff for you to check out.
Worldbuilding is like gardening, you’re creating a space that’s artificial, human made, but it showcases natural beauty. Wild nature meets ordered man. But what if you get distracted along the way, an idea pops up that you’re growing an obsession with and can’t tell if it really ‘fits’. Do you save it for later? Cast it aside completely? Today Seth and James talk about weeding your setting, that is, when and when not to remove something from your setting.
Key Takeaways:
- A weed is something that distracts the audience or yourself from the story you’re trying to tell.
- Weeds are best identified by checking them against your core concept in the setting.
- Practice is the only real way to grow but you can supercharge that with a great a community that will give you instant meaningful feedback. Try ‘building in public’ to cultivate this kind of community.
Links and Sundry:
- Gardening Episode - Spotify link to where we talked about Gardening in more depth.
Seth’s Stuff
- All Seth’s stuff can be found here - go ahead and check out his whole catalogue!
WorldCraft Club
- The only link you’ll ever need: https://linktr.ee/worldcraftclub - this will take you to our link tree which has access to our discord and other great stuff for you to check out.
Part Two of Steel Stash on using ASCOPE/PMESII as a worldbuilding tool!
Join Steel Stash and James as they finish up with the OPE of ASCOPE looking at Organizations, People, and Events in the fictional city of Nightside. This tool is incredibly flexible and can aid in the creation of a lot of interconnected content but it needs to be handled with some care and some knowledge of where you're going. This means that you, as the creator, will have to have a strong North Star that you're guiding your world creation with. It's where the core concept that Seth and I frequently reference comes in. Take time and think about what you're trying to make before diving in.
Key Takeaways
- Area is absolutely critical for this process. First define the exact area that you're working in so your scope doesn't creep too much. A little list of 'look into this later' might be worth creating so you don't lose great ideas while you're focusing.
- This tool makes for great worldbuilding compost. It's a great way to create new content that can help your setting to grow in a clear direction.
- ASCOPE/PMESII is very flexible and can be applied nearly any way that you want. Don't be afraid to play with the content a bit and determine how you're going to develop your settings.
- I'm linking a google doc I created to help you along the way: ASCOPE/PMESII Tables.
Links and Sundry
- The Dove Crap Town - this has become a favorite point of reference for folks in our community when we're talking about how worldbuilding from a single concept can expand into fascinating depth and make for great stories.
Where to Find the Stash
Oh man, he's everywhere!
- The Black Dragon Dungeon Company Website
- His itch.io
- His Tumblr and TikTok
- Drive Through RPG
- Rose Nexus - SPAAAAAACE ROOOOOMANS
- Lonely TTRPG Podcast and here on YouTube
- His email
Where to Find Us!
- The only link you'll ever need - This is our LinkTree, from here you can get access to our Discord Community (which you definitely need to join) as well as everything else we make including the Worldbuilder's Journal.
There’s no doubt that Isaac Asimov was a master. His work is unparalleled science fiction that formed the basis of the genre as we know it. But the 1940s were a different time and when he wrote Nightfall he had some ideas about worldbuilding that might throw some of us for a loop. “Just imagine it yourself” he seems to say in a letter to the reader ahead of his 1941 short story Nightfall. Seth and James discuss where the of worldbuilding in Asimov’s work and how it can influence what you’re making.
Key Takeaways:
- Write what you want! It’s not your job to be all things to all men but to be something to the folks who read your work. Keep the main thing the main thing.
- Our conception of worldbuilding has come a long way from 1941, audience expectations are different.
Seth’s Stuff
All Seth’s stuff can be found here - go ahead and check out his whole catalogue!
Links and Sundry
- The only link you’ll ever need: Our LinkTree - this will take you to our link tree which has access to our discord and other great stuff for you to check out.
- Nightfall - this is the novel we’re referring to in the show.
- Asimov - Just incase you haven’t read a lot of him or weren’t sure who we were talking about.
Pop quiz! What page of the monster manual has an ASCOPE/PMESII?
Steel Stash joins the pod for this two part episode discussing this powerful worldbuilding acronym. It's a tool that was developed by the military to assess an area of operation but serves world builders by helping to clearly and concisely get the key details about an area nailed down. Join us as we explore the utility of this initialism and level up your worldbuilding.
Key Takeaways
- This tool is ultimately a prompting tool. Use what you need and reject what you don't. There's no need to fill out every component.
- When determining where to begin with PMESII don't get too wrapped up on going in order. Stop and consider what the most important facet of the area you're developing is before you dive in.
- ASCOPE/PMESII could be a really powerful way to not just build your own unique setting but to modify and tinker with a module and make it your own.
- I'm linking a google doc I created to help you along the way: ASCOPE/PMESII Tables.
Where to Find the Stash
Oh man, he's everywhere!
- The Black Dragon Dungeon Company Website
- His itch.io
- His Tumblr and TikTok
- Drive Through RPG
- Rose Nexus - SPAAAAAACE ROOOOOMANS
- Lonely TTRPG Podcast and here on YouTube
- His email
Where to Find Us!
- The only link you'll ever need - This is our LinkTree, from here you can get access to our Discord Community (which you definitely need to join) as well as everything else we make including the Worldbuilder's Journal.
How do you write compelling and rich lore? Peter Chiykowski has a new tool to help with that. With a focus on building out connections and relationships to establish a lore web with the Lore Master's Deck. During this episode Peter and Seth discuss the nature of lore and its place in your worldbuilding as well as techniques that can help reframe the practice of creating that lore.
Key Takeaways:
- The gaps between elements of your setting is where the story is.
- A setting doesn't truly exist outside of interpretation. To some extent that means that you're not building a setting in a 'God's Eye' method but rather allowing the space for a visitant's interpretation in that setting.
Links:
- Back the Lore Master's Deck!
- Get Seth's Latest Book!
- Join the Club!
How to Reach Peter -
- YouTube
- Free Demos!
April Fools! Normally you get insightful worldbuilding commentary. Today you get the server hosting a roundtable about a children’s TV show, Bluey. So sit back, relax, and enjoy a panel of adults thinking way too hard about a kid’s show.
- Our LinkTree, this has the link to the Discord on it along with just about everything else. Definitely check it out!
Andor hit different. As far as Star Wars stories go this show fell on the 'grittier' side of things. Much like Rogue One, where we first met Cassian Andor. It also told a story which was more focused on the million small stories that took place around the major Skywalker narrative present in the main trilogy based movies. While the show made a splash on our discord server leading to several gushing reviews, the response was not altogether positive with some members of the community wondering where Star Wars was headed in the future. Per usual - spoilers abound.
Key Takeaways:
- Convey your setting with confidence - this is a WorldCraft Club bingo entry for sure. Andor throws you into the middle of the setting and doesn't stick around to explain much of the 'whys and wherefores' of it. You're just there in the moment. Ferrix was a great example of this. The culture of Ferrix plays an important role in the story but little of it is explained or developed for the audience. We're just placed there.
- Let your setting communicate your story's themes - several characters are developed by the settings they inhabit, from Mon Mothma's ritzy apartment to Luthen's brutal concrete antiquities store these elements say something about the characters that inhabit them and the ideas the story is trying to communicate.
- If you major on the majors a lot of peripheral sins can be forgiven - the gang weren't without some criticisms for the series, particularly the lack of alien life found on the prison planet but these doubts were quickly forgotten because of the setting's bold committment to its themes and narrative. The result was that the fans of the show quickly found a way to make the lagging details fit and participated in the growth of the setting.
Links and Sundry:
- The only link you'll ever need - our LinkTree! The one stop shop to find the Worldbuilder's Journal (our disc bound notebook to lead you through the process of immersive worldbuilding), an invite to our Discord Server (where you can join in on discussions like these), and a slack handful of links to our various social media outlets.
Do you ever stop to ask yourself why? At the WorldCraft Club that’s a yearly tradition. In order to perfect the craft of building exceptional worlds we hold the practice of pausing to reflect. We consider the definitions of our terms and look at how our understanding has changed. In this episode Seth and James discuss the meaning of Worldbuilding and, more importantly, what good worldbuilding is.
Key Takeaways:
- Worldbuilding vs. Story - There’s an ongoing question in creative spaces about the value of worldbuilding and there are markets emerging where having an exciting world is a big part of the value of the property. This is where the rub is with traditionally published authors like Stephen King and something we’d do well to think about in our own creative endeavors.
- Humility is worldbuilding currency - Participation is about your visitants creating their own head canon for the setting. It requires humility as a worldbuilder to let control of your creation go, at least a little bit, in order to see it flourish in the hands of your audience. This is how you know you’ve completed your path as a worldbuilding and, with the right mindset, can be thrilling to watch.
- Your world is ultimately a collection of unfinished, unresolved conflicts - Leaving these elements open ended is not only realistic (as life seldom resolves) but is incredibly enticing. “I wonder what happened to that guy?” “Did those two nations ever find peace?”
Links and Sundry:
- The Infamous Stephen King Tweet - What are your thoughts on this? Go ahead and buzz us using our LinkTree below.
Where to find Seth’s stuff:
- Seth’s nifty website - Find out the latest about Seth’s comings and goings on this site as well as catching up on his latest books.
- Seth’s Newsletter - To make sure you always know what he’s up to.
How to reach us:
- The only link you'll ever need - This is our LinkTree, from here you can get access to our Discord Community (which you definitely need to join) as well as everything else we make including the Worldbuilder's Journal.
Sometimes the process of worldbuilding can drag and steal your sense of excitement about a setting you’ve been crafting. The antidote? A good story, preferably a short one, set in your world that you can finish and share. Daniel McCormack talks with us about this powerful, instructive process that will make your worldbuilding richer, clearer and more fun than you dared to imagine.
Key takeaways:
- You have a limited reservoir of wonder and excitement for your setting and short stories help fan this affection into flame rather than quenching it.
- In completing short stories you actually finish projects. Finishing means you have something complete to share and get feedback on, you get the psychic satisfaction of completing a task, and you’re forced to practice skills that can only be practiced with a completed work (satisfying character arcs, understanding the reader experience)
- Short stories can crystalize your ideas by causing you to interrogate your worldbuilding both adding to it as well as pruning elements that are unneeded, they can also help you determine types of stories that suit your setting and your goals as a storyteller and worldbuilder.
- Writing about what you love or what you hate can be incredibly powerful as you have a deep well of passion to draw from. Don’t be afraid to major on that major.
Where you can find Daniel
- He wrote a blog on his medium about this topic that you can check out.
- Here’s his Facebook page.
Come hang out with the WorldCraft Club
- Our Linktree has got everything you need to reach out to use including our Discord server, our Instagram, Facebook, and web store where you can buy the incredible Worldbuilder’s Journal to supercharge your worldbuilding.
Plotter or pantser? Do you take the time to write extensive outlines or do you find that you tend to create on the fly? It’s never really been a true dichotomy but rather a spectrum. The analogy of a garden or the process of cultivation with its pruning, grafting, and tilling earth seems apt. Seth and James talk about the process of gardening your worlds to life.
Key Takeaways
- Don’t get caught up in your identity as a plotter or pantser but embrace the idea that you’re more likely on the garden spectrum. You may have an organized and well trimmed garden or you may have a wild one, but most worldbuilders will find themselves with a little pantsing in their plans or a planning in their pants.
- It’s not a bad thing to find that your world surprises you, in fact we’d argue that it’s a very good thing. Your characters and setting have begun to take on a life of their own.
Where to find Seth’s stuff.
- Seth’s nifty website - Find out the latest about Seth’s comings and goings on this site as well as catching up on his latest books.
- Seth’s Newsletter - To make sure you always know what he’s up to.
How to reach us:
- The only link you'll ever need - This is our LinkTree, from here you can get access to our Discord Community (which you definitely need to join) as well as everything else we make including the Worldbuilder's Journal.
Being GM is not easy. The worlds we create are supposed to ensnare our visitants and draw them in but when our audience have a mind of their own and desire to bring about meaningful change in our settings that can lead to some tricky situations. Greg from Worldbuilding.io joins us today to help us navigate the process of creating a setting that feels grounded but allows for dynamic change when encountering new ideas. Whether you’re into TTRPGs (Tabletop Roleplaying Games) or not, I think this medium has tons to teach us about crafting worlds that feel immersive and yet have vast story potential.
Key Takeaways
- Know your audience, Greg’s familiarity with his audience helped him know what artifacts to place in his setting that would draw his visitants in. He uses the example of an Arena. You have players who you know are excited about fighting, put an item in the setting that will draw some fun out of them.
- Kill your darlings. You’re going to have great ideas, characters you fleshed out completely, plot hooks or points that were precious and exciting to you that you’ll just have to lay on one side for the sake of creating an experience for your visitants. Another way I think I’d modify this old axiom is this: ‘Adapt your darlings’. Like in the example of the mayor having the key the vault, he might not have it but the girl at the bar who the players are interested in might. It allows you to retain your plot point while funneling your setting through the interests of your visitants.
- Your world is founded in its conflicts. Every conflict that exists in your setting provides an opportunity to engross your audience. In this instance the audience are creating some of those conflicts but having the humility to reframe those challenges as a chance to make your world even deeper will yield serious dividends.
Greg's Links
- Worldbuilding.io - Check out Greg's ite. It's a great clearing house for worldbuilding advice and a suite of tools to help with lots of different elements of your worldbuilding journey to get you ready for your next game.
- Greg on Twitter - Get your daily dose of worldbuilding wisdom here.
- Greg on Instagram - Or here.
- Greg's LinkTree - This contains links to Greg's Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and a host of other goodies that you can find.
WorldCraft Club
- The only link you'll ever need - This is our LinkTree, from here you can get access to our Discord Community (which you definitely need to join) as well as everything else we make including the Worldbuilder's Journal.
This Netflix series by Studio Trigger brought Night City to life in new and unexpected ways drawing so many of is in from the first episode of it’s tragic run. The Discord server was abuzz with ideas about it for weeks and many of us couldn’t wait to grab the mic and talk about it. What follows are some highlights from that conversation where we critically analyze the show and uncover some solid world building secrets from a setting that blew us all away. If you’re looking to grow as a storyteller and worldbuilder you’re going to love this one.
Major Takeaways:
- Confidence in your setting and trust of your audience is key. Be bold about what you're making and resist the desire to breakdown and explain every element of your setting.
- The topics Edgerunners explored are timeless and run deep in the human soul: Identity, choice, love, death, and freindship. While the setting is contemporary and topical the world's deeper themes are what keep the setting perrenial.
Links:
- The David Martinez - Marcos referenced this when he went on his riff about the origins of the ‘Cyber’ in ‘Cyberpunk’
- Manga Shakespeare illustrated by Sonya Leon - Rach referenced this as being a great basis for a cyberpunk dueling corps romance. It’s a terrible idea. An amazing terrible idea.
- WorldCraft Club Link Tree - Get access to the Worldbuilder’s Journal, our nova Discord Community, social media channels and much much more through this link.
The best worlds might be grown rather than made. We often talk about these two separate concepts that exist in tension in solid worldbuilding. There’s wonder, this feeling of getting wrapped up in the scale of a setting, the sense of the unknown just beyond your eye line. Then there’s immersion, the grounded sensation that the world is understandable and predictable. Both of these ideas play off one another to create a setting that excites your audience but doesn’t alienate them. What is the bridge between these two seemingly opposing ideas? Questions. This is how you cultivate a setting that grows into more than a core concept. Andrew Zimba joins the show to reveal some sound world building tips.
Key Takeaways
- Don’t be afraid to start with something not blank
- But then explore and color that setting with questions
Explore Ardalencor
- Andrew's Instagram
- In Times of War: A Tale of Ardalencor on Amazon
- Ardalencor Website - Read the opening chapters for free!
Links and Sundry
- George RR Martin - Gardener
- Wim Hoff - The Ice Man - This man is... nuts.
WorldCraft Club
- LinkTree - This contains all the things, our Discord, The Worldbuilder’s Journal, Email, you name it.
Horror lives just outside of our eyeline. In the peripherals of our vision. It's a feeling we can't quite shake when something seems amiss and the hairs on the back of our necks rise as our pulse quickens. To that end, world-building is absolutely critical to that tangible atmospher of dread. But how do we create this sensation in our visitants?
Happy Halloween everyone! For this spooky episode of the WorldCraft Club Podcast we dive into how we can create horror in our fictional settings by twisting familiar stories. Ramp up your spooky worldbuilding and give us a listen.
Key Takeaways
- Horror is found in the gaps - A lot like wonder, horror is really based in what is not known more than what is. Leverage this by resisting the urge to lavish details where they may not be needed. Let your visitant's mind wander into grisly possibilities.
- Twisting tropes is powerful - Fear is often based in seeing something that should be familiar but finding that it's altered in some unsettling way. This is true for familiar stories and tropes
- Worldbuilding is critical for horror to land - The atmosphere of dread is almost as important as the dreadful elements of the story itself. It's the setting that tells a reader the situation is unusual or that something is amiss before even your protagonist has become fully aware.
Links and Sundry
- Zack Goings interview - More on horror from our interview with the excellent Zack Goings.
- Uncanny Valley - You know when something doesn't look quite right? You're in the uncanny valley. Nearly human... but not quite.
- Review of The Conjuring - If you love movies and don't mind missing a few weeks of sleep I highly recommend this movie. Check out this review from Ryan Hollinger, my go to source on horror filmography.
- Bug Man Men in Black Scene - This scene still freaks me out to this day.
Come hang out with us!
- WorldCraft Club LinkTree - This is our LinkTree, here you can find the Worldbuilder's Journal, access to our fantastic Discord community as well as other ways to get in touch.
I think Arcane surprised everyone. Video game adaptations are seldom well received but this one exceeded all expectations and told a heartfelt story filled with interesting characters and fascinating world-building. I can count on one hand the people I know who didn't actively love this show. Let's break down what it did well, what may have missed the mark, and (most importantly) what we can learn and apply ourselves. This episode is a bit of an experiment in a new format of show where I, James, take moment to analyze content and seek to extract the gold from it.
Key Takeaways
- Factions are incredibly powerful tools to leverage in character development and a sign of a well constructed world. Take time on understanding your factions goals and motivations, assign them to your characters and you'll unlock a layer of nuance as you develop them further.
- Take your time in your setting. Arcane, possibly due to its genre, zipped through some areas of the setting I'd like to have lingered on for longer. Don't be afraid to slow down the pace to let your visitants imbibe your setting to the fullest.
- Express the uniqueness of your setting. Arcane has some distinctive features that separate it from genre but I think the show could've done more to step outside of its genre's boundaries and create a world where an audience can find themselves exploring the setting.
- Make your world four dimensional. Arcane excels at expressing the passage of time. It's world develops to accommodate time leaps that feel grounded and realistic without becoming distracting. Don't let your world stagnate, allow the natural progression to occur as time moves on.
Links and Sundry
- Schnee - this YouTuber does excellent analysis on Arcane and is criminally undersubscribed for his quality. Please take a moment to consider his work.
- Arcane and Microexpressions - Arcane broke the mold on animation and allowed deeply nuanced expressions to shine through on their characters.
- Steelstash - on our Discord Server introduced some really neat ideas here. He's part of the Black Dragon Dungeon Company and these guys are worth your time and make fantastic products. Check them out.
Come Hang Out With Us!
- LinkTree - This is our LinkTree, here you can find our podcast, our discord server, and a bunch of other social links.
Worldbuilding is a long process that can feel overwhelming when you're dealing with just one primary planetary location let alone the universe at large. Today's interview with Ross Buzzell explores some techniques at developing unique races to populate your settings as we discuss his planned 16 part series (of which he is currently writing book 8 with book 7 available on preorder). We touch on not just how these races can be crafted initially but how they can be developed into more full and rounded additions to your setting. In typical WorldCraft Club fashion we explore his primary motivations for the setting and what he'd like his audience to take away from his book series.
Key Takeaways
- Keep focused on your first love - remember what it is that drew you into creating this setting in the first place and continue developing from there.
- Don't fear the trope (at least initially) - a trope is just a story we tell a lot. Part of the reason that we tell those stories over and over is that they're compelling and they're known. Beginning with a trope can be an effective way of creating comfort in your visitants to give them something to key into while the universe expands around them.
Links and Sundry
- So this is a tardigrade.
- Oh, and this is an axolotl.
- The God's Eye Nebula
Find Ross' Stuff
- Ross' Facebook Group - He does some sweet giveaways here!
- Ross' Instagram
- Book One of Legacy Earth - only 99c!
- PreOrder Page for Book 7 (official release date is October 13) - order yours today!
- Ross' Website - to stay up to date with all his new releases
Come hang out with us!
- LinkTree - This is our LinkTree, here you can find our podcast and a bunch of other social links.
What happens in your setting when someone dies? Are there gods? Are they deeply concerned with the comings and goings of people or are they aloof and indifferent? The Coats Brothers creators of the DinoBeasts Comic create some of the tightest worldbuilding on myth that I’ve seen in some time. Their setting seems to have...
Holy Cow! It’s been a minute. Seth and I owe you an explanation for our absence. To that end, let’s appraise you of all we’ve been up to. The Worldbuilder’s Journal Kickstarter is now fully complete and delivered and reviews are coming back raving. Our Discord is in full swing and growing and now we’re...
Do you ever feel overwhelmed with the process of worldbuilding? There’s just so much to learn and do, you’re building a whole world after all! But don’t sweat it. James and Seth dive into the process of getting yourself started worldbuilding focusing on the major factors that contribute to a well written world. The practice is focused on meaning rather than detail with the understanding that even the best, most detail-oriented authors were driven by their interests and passions into creating immersive worlds without worrying about creating something bullet proof.
Also, listen up because we have some big announcements in this episode.
Don’t Forget to Check out The Worldbuilder’s Journal Key Concepts * Meaning centered worldbuilding is more efficient and engaging vs detail centered worldbuilding * Though detail centered worldbuilding is a ton of fun, it’s just not as efficient and tends to yield diminishing returns for your final work * You’ll never get your world totally right and someone will always be able to find fault, you might as well embrace your passion and focus on what helps you write * The most powerful settings made by some of your favorite authors intuitively focused on themes and that’s why their work was so effective
Links and Sundry * Cow Hoof Doctors – Yeah, this is real thing. You should check it out. It’s mesmerizing. * Concerning Hobbits – I still don’t buy that this economy could be this advanced * Here’s a guy that disagrees about the Hobbit economy – I don’t find his arguments too persuasive but it’s well presented. Check it out * Quantum Finish – Because Futurama is hilarious * The Night Hawks – This is James’ favorite painting. You should check it out.
Get in Touch * Join the Club – We love our Patrons and they make this world(crafting club) go round, join us for early episodes, memes and a say in the direction of the pod * Facebook Page – Our community here is rapidly growing and super fun, it’s also a great way to find out more about what we’re up to * Discord – Well, color yourself invited to our Discord channel where you can jaw with us about worldbuilding or help us with a collaborative project * The Website – Oh yeah! We’ve got one of these too, check it out if you want to keep track of the blog where numerous authors talk all things worldbuilding. It’s updated sometimes.
Every GM is trying to creating a world with collaborators whether they like it or not. Authors are now embracing methodologies that include fans in their worldbuilding and story telling. How do you work well with others to create powerful settings and why might this be the best way to work? Long time collaborator and friend of the show Jog Brogzin has been busy. Like, really busy. Not just making awesome maps for Seth and his many other clients but building a collaborative world on his discord server one hex at a time. Seth and Jog go into detail on the process of cooking worlds with lots of chefs. What benefits this can yield and what pitfalls can make it tricky.
Key Takeaways * Collaboration might need some guard rails to be effective (final decision makers or voting on content) * Scope and boundaries are critical. A good understanding of the limitations of the world you’re creating can help you quickly determine what fits and what doesn’t.
Jog’s Stuff * Jog’s Website – Check out Jog’s dungeon tiles and some beautiful maps he’s made for order on his site. * Jog’s Patreon – This is where the magic happens. Get exclusive access to parts of Jog’s discord, 4k maps and much more! * Jog’s Instagram – Follow along to see the amazing content he produces on a daily basis. * Jog’s Facebook Page – Same deal as the instagram page.
Come Hang Out With Us! * Join the Club – We love our Patrons and they make this world(crafting club) go round, join us for early episodes, memes and a say in the direction of the pod * Facebook Page – Our community here is rapidly growing and super fun, it’s also a great way to find out more about what we’re up to * Discord – Well, color yourself invited to our Discord channel where you can jaw with us about worldbuilding or help us with a collaborative project * The Website – Oh yeah! We’ve got one of these too, check it out if you want to keep track of the blog where numerous authors talk all things worldbuilding. It’s updated sometimes.
Is breaking your rules because a particular scene needs a little extra oomph a good thing to do? The rule of cool is where your story starts to strain the expectations and rules that are created and there’s always a cost to it in the form of your visitant’s trust. Will you simply bend/break your rules again when it’s convenient? Marcos and James discuss where the limits of this rule are, jumping the shark, and Nathan Drake’s hit points.
Key Takeaways * Villains and heroes frequently bend this to make characters appear powerful, unique and interesting. * The Rule of Cool is really useful for creating memorable and powerful moments in your story. * Figure out what you want to do with this rule bending. Is it worth the cost? * There can be partial explanations for the rule that can satisfy the boundaries of your world, have you considered them?
Links and Sundry * Rule of Cool Tropedia – This resource is incredible, you should definitely dive into stuff here for ideas. * Fast and Furious – The franchise that went from ‘cool, cars racing’ to ‘wtf’ in about a decade. * Matt Mercer on Rule of Cool – As you might expect he has some really good insights on its usage in TTRPG. * Nathan Drake is Lucky – This is one of the best interpretations of rulesets I’ve ever heard and it’s definitely my head canon for most games that involve HP these days. * Voldemort Flying – Like, he’s not supposed to. It was supposed to be impossible but he can do it. Why? Cause he’s super cool and scary, that’s why. * Super Carlin Brothers – Why broomsticks never run out of gas. * Scott’s First Fight in Scott Pilgrim vs. The World – I still remember the awe I experienced watching this mad cap fight for the first time in theaters. * Charlie’s Angels Full Throttle – the scene that ruined it for Marcos. * Jumping the Shark – This is it. It’s disputed as to whether or not this really was where Happy Days went downhill but it’s worth noting the phenomenon and seeking to avoid it where possible.
Come Hang Out With Us * Join the Club – We love our Patrons and they make this world(crafting club) go round, join us for early episodes, memes and a say in the direction of the pod * Facebook Page – Our community here is rapidly growing and super fun, it’s also a great way to find out more about what we’re up to * Discord – Well, color yourself invited to our Discord channel where you can jaw with us about worldbuilding or help us with a collaborative project * The Website – Oh yeah! We’ve got one of these too, check it out if you want to keep track of the blog where numerous authors talk all things worldbuilding. It’s updated sometimes.
Fish don’t know they’re wet. We all have a culture whether we know it or not. We tend to see it clearly in others and recognize that it’s a pivotal part of worldbuilding. We all remember a particular race or culture in our favorite media’s world-building that set our imaginations on fire whether it’s the Necrons of Warhammer, the Protoss of StarCraft, or the Sylvan elves of Lord of the Rings a diverse array of cultures can bring your world to life. How do you start with creating cultures, though? James and Marcos discuss some of the best ways to develop your cultures and place them in your stories in a way that highlights them all the while building a culture of cybernetic vikings.
Key Takeaways * Decide what role you want your culture to play. * Location, location, location, where does your culture come from? This is a great first step when you’re asking questions about your culture. * Culture is a by-product of progress which is rooted in necessity. * Comedians are an excellent source of cultural commentary. * Contrast is your friend, highlight differences with your visitants culture. * Consider the impacts on neighboring cultures.
Links and Sundry * Synthesis – Massive spoilers ahead for Mass Effect. This is one of the three possible ending for the Mass Effect Trilogy. Where the endless conflict between organic and synthetic life is fixed by a complete blending of the two. * Shark Laser Cavalry Charge – This is the best thing ever. * Is Aquaman Good Worldbuilding? – Your question is invalid. There is Jason Mamoa. Seriously though, this thread is a really interesting discussion point for worldbuilding. All credit to -violetskies on our Discord for highlighting this. * When you get slapped for thinking – Satire is such a great source. This clip won’t really help you at all. But should probably watch it anyway.
Come join our culture. Like, why not? * Join the Club – We love our Patrons and they make this world(crafting club) go round, join us for early episodes, memes and a say in the direction of the pod * Facebook Page – Our community here is rapidly growing and super fun, it’s also a great way to find out more about what we’re up to * Discord – Well, color yourself invited to our Discord channel where you can jaw with us about worldbuilding or help us with a collaborative project * The Website – Oh yeah! We’ve got one of these too, check it out if you want to keep track of the blog where numerous authors talk all things worldbuilding. It’s updated sometimes.
Everyone’s afraid of being unoriginal. I mean, it’s understandable that we want to stand out. We don’t want our world-building to be hum drum filled with the same junk that we see day to day. But we needn’t fear the humble trope because it’s like salt. Too much and it’s poison but just the right amount can really pull the dish together. Tropes serve as a short hand for your players and readers. They allow someone to get caught up quickly with what you’re trying to say. When a character arrives on the scene in a menacing cloud of black smoke cackling all the while we can safely assume that we’re dealing with a villain and save some exposition in a scene that needs some pace. We can always build upon the character later or choose to subvert the trope in a unique way but just now we’ve offset some exposition labor on our world building and laid it back on the trope for a minute and our visitants will thank us. Join Seth and Marcos as they explore how to make the most of this powerful tool in a world builder’s arsenal.
Key Takeaways * Tropes set expectations in your world and can be a short hand for exposition. * Good tropes are molded to your world but bad tropes seem to come out of nowhere or carry baggage that you don’t want. * Repeating information (the inn keeper is a jovial fellow) sets expectations which operate like internal tropes that you can then use to attenuate your visitants to important information (when the inn keeper is gruff and dismissive they know something has changed).
Links and Whatnot * UltraViolet Trailer – This movie looks terrible. I mean, I don’t really know why Marcos and Seth even mentioned it. This trailer is… it’s bad. * You can dodge a wrench, you can dodge a ball – Probably the best scene in Dodgeball, or really any movie. * Carrot’s Character Profile – Seth’s pretty much right about this. If you read Pratchett you’ll be a better writer for it. * TV Tropes – Here’s a handy list of tropes! * One Punch Man – This show is very silly. You should probably watch it.
Resistance is futile. Join our horde: * Join the Club – We love our Patrons and they make this world(crafting club) go round, join us for early episodes, memes and a say in the direction of the pod * Facebook Page – Our community here is rapidly growing and super fun, it’s also a great way to find out more about what we’re up to * Discord – Well, color yourself invited to our Discord channel where you can jaw with us about worldbuilding or help us with a collaborative project * The Website – Oh yeah! We’ve got one of these too, check it out if you want to keep track of the blog where numerous authors talk all things worldbuilding. It’s updated sometimes.
It’s hard to kill your darlings. To let go of something that you spent hours (days/weeks/years) creating but that’s what we do when we engage on any creative endeavor. It’s especially true with tabletop roleplaying games where the visitants tend to want a hand in the creative process. They’re not passive observers of the story but active participants. RJD20 and James discuss how to hold your writing in an open hand and allow your players a seat at the table when you’re playing even as you do much of your harder worldbuilding at your desk between games.
RJ’s Stuff * RJD20 Blog – This is RJ’s blog and it’s exceptional. The worldbuilding content here is specific to TTRPGs but anyone can gain something from its worldbuilding content. * RJ on Twitter – @RJD20 writes. * Villain Backgrounds Volume 1 – Available currently for only $1 * Facebook Group – This is RJ’s Facebook group and is a great place to join in on the fun and talk to RJ.
Links and Sundry * GURPS Supplements – do yourself a favor and give these a read. They’re honestly phenomenal and worth every penny no matter what your worldbuilding aims or medium is.
WorldCraft Club Episode Connector * Join the Club – We love our Patrons and they make this world(crafting club) go round, join us for exclusive episodes, memes and a say in the direction of the pod * Facebook Page – Our community here is rapidly growing and super fun, it’s also a great way to find out more about what we’re up to * Discord – Well, color yourself invited to our Discord channel where you can jaw with us about worldbuilding. This is really where the magic happens. * The Website – Oh yeah! We’ve got one of these too, check it out if you want to keep track of the blog where numerous authors talk all things worldbuilding. It’s updated sometimes.
It’s a bug bear isn’t it? Exposition. I mean, in one sense we’re told to show and not tell but we also need our visitants to understand your worldbuilding, to feel like they can anticipate outcomes so they’re not caught flat footed (or we don’t fail to catch them flat footed when we need to). How do you go about telling your visitant about the world you’re creating? Seth and Marcos uncover some really powerful tools that will help you up your game with exposition, promote clarity and help your visitant settle in. So pop on the ear amplifiers of your choice and dive into another fantastic episode of the WorldCraft Club Podcast.
Links and Sundry * Shaun of the Dead Doesn’t Know There’s Zombies – This provides world context for the story and highlights the sense of alienation that are present in so many zombie movies (even the funny ones). * John Wick – The boogey man scene – This is straight exposition but it’s done with such dramatic flare that you’ve gotta love it sometimes its the difference between labeling details and making those details significant through the telling. Warning swears abound! * The Way That Matrix Scene Played Out – This, my friends, is a lore dump. * The Way That Matrix Scene Should’ve Played Out – I think we can all agree the architect was miscast in the original. ‘Ere go open you’re yapper one more time!’ * The Wise Mentor Trope – Rip Torn as Patches O’Houlihan was really the best example of a wise mentor trope. We know exactly what role he’s supposed to serve and he does it with a wrench in hand. * One of Terry Pratchett’s Infamous Footnotes – The only thing known to go faster than ordinary light is monarchy, according to the philosopher Ly Tin Wheedle. He reasoned like this: you can’t have more than one king, and tradition demands that there is no gap between kings, so when a king dies the succession must therefore pass to the heir instantaneously. Presumably, he said, there must be some elementary particles — kingons, or possibly queons — that do this job, but of course succession sometimes fails if, in mid-flight, they strike an anti-particle, or republicon. His ambitious plans to use his discovery to send messages, involving the careful torturing of a small king in order to modulate the signal, were never fully expanded because, at that point, the bar closed.
Don’t get friend zoned, come find us here: * Join the Club – We love our Patrons and they make this world(crafting club) go round, join us for early episodes, memes and a say in the direction of the pod * Facebook Page – Our community here is rapidly growing and super fun, it’s also a great way to find out more about what we’re up to * Discord – Well, color yourself invited to our Discord channel where you can jaw with us about worldbuilding or help us with a collaborative project * The Website – Oh yeah! We’ve got one of these too, check it out if you want to keep track of the blog where numerous authors talk all things worldbuilding. It’s updated sometimes.
But, what is the secret sauce!? Peter Chiykowski is all about it. He’s an award winning author, cartoonist, dog enthusiast and maker of awesome kickstarters and we get to pick his brains! We talk about it some of the key components to good worlds and how a creator can build such depth into their own settings. Take a second here to listen in on some of this solid wisdom.
Peter’s Links * The Deck of Worlds Kickstarter – This is THE Kickstarter for you get on the ground floor of if you want to get your brain motor running on creating settings. It’s a fantastic tool. * The Story Engine – The precursor to the Deck of Worlds, it’s a modular writing * Peter’s Website – Find out more about the man, the myth, the legend here. * Peter’s Comic – Rock, Paper, Cynic is a comic that Peter’s been doing for a long dang time and it’s worth some of your eye time.
Hang out with us! * Join the Club – We love our Patrons and they make this world(crafting club) go round, join us for early episodes, memes and a say in the direction of the pod * Facebook Page – Our community here is rapidly growing and super fun, it’s also a great way to find out more about what we’re up to * Discord – Well, color yourself invited to our Discord channel where you can jaw with us about worldbuilding or help us with a collaborative project * The Website – Oh yeah! We’ve got one of these too, check it out if you want to keep track of the blog where numerous authors talk all things worldbuilding. It’s updated sometimes.
Isn’t it great when your players are obsessed? When they form massive cork boards with twine and string connecting images of different characters and phenomena in your world. How do you bottle this, though? How does a GM drive player engagement with worldbuilding? James and Seth break down how to drive player excitement and engagement.
Hang out with us! * Join the Club – We love our Patrons and they make this world(crafting club) go round, join us for early episodes, memes and a say in the direction of the pod * Facebook Page – Our community here is rapidly growing and super fun, it’s also a great way to find out more about what we’re up to * Discord – Well, color yourself invited to our Discord channel where you can jaw with us about worldbuilding or help us with a collaborative project * The Website – Oh yeah! We’ve got one of these too, check it out if you want to keep track of the blog where numerous authors talk all things worldbuilding. It’s updated weeklyish.
Well!? The Empire is obviously evil, I mean, obviously. However, we reckon most folks in the galaxy far far away were pretty ambivalent about it and might not have even noticed the change of the guard. Marcos and James discuss the Mandolorian and how the show depicts the regular folks in the margins of galactic society and how they might’ve seen the Empire and the experiences they might have had as it collapsed. Was everyone on board with the Rebellion. Is the Rebellion doing a good job running the show since the Emperor died? We discuss these questions and more to give you great content for your own story worlds featuring collapsed empires.
Links and Whatnot * Operation Cinder – for those of you not in the know this is basically the pinnacle of mustache twirling evil that only Sith do. * Basically Every Episode of the Mandalorian – We can’t do our mission because we’re out of… milk.
Come Hang Out With Us! * Join the Club – We love our Patrons and they make this world(crafting club) go round, join us for early episodes, memes and a say in the direction of the pod * Facebook Page – Our community here is rapidly growing and super fun, it’s also a great way to find out more about what we’re up to * Discord – Well, color yourself invited to our Discord channel where you can jaw with us about worldbuilding or help us with a collaborative project * The Website – Oh yeah! We’ve got one of these too, check it out if you want to keep track of the blog where numerous authors talk all things worldbuilding. It’s updated weeklyish.
Happy Star Wars day everyone! May the Fourth be with you!
The Jedi are a staple in everyone’s worldbuilding imagination, most everyone wanted to be one at one time or another. Seth and I are gonna tell you why they’re terrible and not just cause they indoctrinate kids in their hokey religion or have a weird attachment to political power. The problems lie a little deeper, their philosophy presents the type of problems that generate Sith faster than Sith do.
Links and Sundry * Kreia’s Conundrums – Or was it conundra? Either way I highly recommend journeying down this rabbit hole. It will not disappoint. * Other Force Traditions – This was another interesting journey for me. There’s actually a lot of non-sith non-jedi force traditions out there.
Come hang out with us! * Join the Club – We love our Patrons and they make this world(crafting club) go round, join us for early episodes, memes and a say in the direction of the pod * Facebook Page – Our community here is rapidly growing and super fun, it’s also a great way to find out more about what we’re up to * Discord – Well, color yourself invited to our Discord channel where you can jaw with us about worldbuilding or help us with a collaborative project * The Website – Oh yeah! We’ve got one of these too, check it out if you want to keep track of the blog where numerous authors talk all things worldbuilding. It’s updated weeklyish.
There’s one thing that unites us all, one thing that is totally and indisputably common to the human experience. We eat (and breath, and probably whole bunch of other stuff but mostly that first thing). Every people has unique food and that food is informed by thousands (if not millions) of years of history, necessity, preference, resources and who knows what else. Baked into every element of food is the very richness of a culture and a ton of embedded knowledge. So why doesn’t everyone use it? Today Seth and James break down not just the history of some foods (why English food is so gross, why Eastern food has so many delicious spices and why American food tends toward the meaty middle) but how we help your audience connect with the foods you’re discussing. So, grab yourself a plate of delicious food and wash it down with some drink (goes great with food) while you git learnt.
Links and Sundry * A Phenomenal Guide to Great Food Words – Well, dang. This sucker is a useful link. Take some time to read this, you won’t regret it if you want to include solid food descriptions in your settings.
Wanna Hang Out? * Join the Club – We love our Patrons and they make this world(crafting club) go round, join us for early episodes, memes and a say in the direction of the pod * Facebook Page – Our community here is rapidly growing and super fun, it’s also a great way to find out more about what we’re up to * Discord – Well, color yourself invited to our Discord channel where you can jaw with us about worldbuilding or help us with a collaborative project * The Website – Oh yeah! We’ve got one of these too, check it out if you want to keep track of the blog where numerous authors talk all things worldbuilding. It’s updated weeklyish.
We spoil the crap out of this show so if you haven’t seen it yet and you want to see it and you don’t like spoilers then we recommend you give this a miss till you catch WandaVision. As for the rest of you. What happens when a deity grieves? This episode Marcos and James dive into WandaVision to talk about a world that is entirely under the control of one person and what the implications are for worldbuilding. It leads into a bit of a deep dive into the whys and wherefores of worldbuilding with powerful people. You won’t want to miss this.
Links and Sundry * The Ship of Theseus from Malcom Gladwell – This is actually a great episode of a podcast that has little to do with worldbuilding but a lot to do with the Ship of Theseus… and golf. * Here’s that aspect ratio thing Marcos was talking about – It’s trippy. Like, really trippy. It speaks to the loving level of detail in this show.
Wanna Hang Out? * Join the Club – We love our Patrons and they make this world(crafting club) go round, join us for early episodes, memes and a say in the direction of the pod * Facebook Page – Our community here is rapidly growing and super fun, it’s also a great way to find out more about what we’re up to * Discord – Well, color yourself invited to our Discord channel where you can jaw with us about worldbuilding or help us with a collaborative project * The Website – Oh yeah! We’ve got one of these too, check it out if you want to keep track of the blog where numerous authors talk all things worldbuilding. It’s updated weeklyish.
If you were to strip your story from your setting leaving just the world you made behind would people still want to be there? If you take Rocky out of Philadelphia you just have, well, Philadelphia, Will Smith out of Bel Air and… you get the idea. Some worlds are just saturated with potential even if their stories suck (lookin’ at you Jupiter Ascending). Today Marcos and James discuss a Film Courage video featuring Houston Howard where they discuss what makes a world marketable and usable. The tools of the trade for making great worlds are more accessible and basic to the human experience than you might have imagined. You won’t want to miss this great discussion on how to put awesome story worlds together.
Links and Sundry * Film Courage: Houston Howard on Story Worlds – this is the video we based this discussion on. * Intro to the Fresh Prince of Bel-Air – okay there wasn’t a reason for this it’s just a great jingle. For some reason there’s also, like, a 10-hour version of this that someone put together. * The trailer from Jupiter Ascending – I defy you to not want to watch this.
Wanna Hang Out? * Join the Club – We love our Patrons and they make this world(crafting club) go round, join us for early episodes, memes and a say in the direction of the pod * Facebook Page – Our community here is rapidly growing and super fun, it’s also a great way to find out more about what we’re up to * Discord – Well, color yourself invited to our Discord channel where you can jaw with us about worldbuilding or help us with a collaborative project * The Website – Oh yeah! We’ve got one of these too, check it out if you want to keep track of the blog where numerous authors talk all things worldbuilding. It’s updated weeklyish.
Let’s be honest, GameLit is cheating at worldbuilding. Our very own Seth Ring is joining us today to talk about worldbuilding in his fantastical world of Nova Terra. Seth goes into the nuts and bolts of his collaborative writing style gives away some of his best secrets on how to write and keep writing even when you experience criticism. You won’t want to miss this great interview with this talented author.
Check out Seth’s Books! * Nova Terra: Earthshaper (Book 6) on Amazon US * Nova Terra: Earthshaper (Book 6) on Amazon UK * The Whole Nova Terra Series * Nova Terra: Kingbreaker (Book 3) on Audible * Get in on the ground floor at Seth’s Patreon
Come talk to us! * Join the Club – We love our Patrons and they make this world(crafting club) go round, join us for early episodes, memes and a say in the direction of the pod * Facebook Page – Our community here is rapidly growing and super fun, it’s also a great way to find out more about what we’re up to * Discord – Well, color yourself invited to our Discord channel where you can jaw with us about worldbuilding or help us with a collaborative project * The Website – Oh yeah! We’ve got one of these too, check it out if you want to keep track of the blog where numerous authors talk all things worldbuilding. It’s updated weeklyish.
Horror holds a grim fascination for millions of people but it can be elusive at times. The things that you’d think would draw out the biggest screams sometimes fall flat because they’re too obvious or gratuitous. Real horror lies in subtlety and the unknown. What if the best horror is in the margins, just outside of your eyeline. Watching, waiting. This is exactly what Zack Goings and the team at STONEworks Gaming have imbued into their recent kickstarter ‘Winthrop Manor’, a ZineQuest contribution and introduction to their broader setting ‘Dreadlands’. We find out a little more about exactly what they’re making while also learning some solid worldbuilding and dungeon mastering advice for the aspiring horrific creator.
But where do we find this awesome kickstarter? * The Lights of Winthrop Manor – Jump in and help these guys while you can. Even if it’s only a few dollars to help keep their project at the top of the algorithm would be helpful. This is a great way to support independent creators who you like but also to bolster the community and let folks know that this kind of work is loved by so many. * STONEworks Gaming can be found on: Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, their website and, of course, they’ve got a Patreon where you can lend them support.
Reach out! * Join the Club – We love our Patrons and they make this world(crafting club) go round, join us for early episodes, memes and a say in the direction of the pod * Facebook Page – Our community here is rapidly growing and super fun, it’s also a great way to find out more about what we’re up to * Discord – Well, color yourself invited to our Discord channel where you can jaw with us about worldbuilding or help us with a collaborative project * The Website – Oh yeah! We’ve got one of these too, check it out if you want to keep track of the blog where numerous authors talk all things worldbuilding. It’s updated weeklyish.
Remember when we looked up into the night sky and saw endless potential in that little red dot out among the stars. Was it a god looking down upon us? Aliens perhaps? Scantily clad space women from pulp fiction? I mean, c’mon, there were roads up there, I’m pretty sure once we found a face carved into the rock and at least one space pyramid. Alas, the adventure and promise of Mars has changed much. We’ve seen it now, landed a probe on its surface and that probe sings ‘happy birthday’ to itself every year. It’s a little like a young man leaving the promise of youth only to find that he’s not the man he expected he would become. The questions surrounding Mars are not really questions about who might be up there but how we might survive if we lived up there. The questions we have now aren’t inspired by wonder the practicality of life on an inhospitable planet. The fine work done in The Expanse does a great job with this with the Martian Colonial Republic is a key player in solar politics. So what’s going on in the heavens of your worlds? What mysteries do the nearest astronomical neighbors hold? Maybe it’s time for Mars to reclaim its youth in our fiction.
Links and Sundry * Have I talked about the Expanse enough? You should watch it. Did I say that? I think I said that. Why aren’t you watching now? Well, if you want convinced check out our YouTube playlist. It’s small as of this writing but it’ll grow. James’ love of this show is boundless. We are also taking recommendations for curated lists and such so if you sniff anything rad and worldbuildy on YouTube hit us up.
Reach Out to Us! * Join the Club – We love our Patrons and they make this world(crafting club) go round, join us for early episodes, memes and a say in the direction of the pod * Facebook Page – Our community here is rapidly growing and super fun, it’s also a great way to find out more about what we’re up to * Discord – Well, color yourself invited to our Discord channel where you can jaw with us about worldbuilding or help us with a collaborative project * The Website – Oh yeah! We’ve got one of these too, check it out if you want to keep track of the blog where numerous authors talk all things worldbuilding. It’s updated weeklyish.
Ferror, the world of DinoBeasts, is merciless. Only the strong survive, the ones who pass the frequent testing of her savage jungles filled with deadly beasts. DinoBeasts is an action packed comic about a barbarian, the last of his species, on a desperate race against to the clock to recover a salamander princess who was kidnapped by ruthless adversaries but finds himself pitted, not only against foes of flesh and blood, but the very world itself. Today on the WorldCraft Club we talk with the Coats Brothers, creators of this comic, and find out how they convey this savage world to their readers. From the color palette, the line work and visual style to the pace of stories that are so often constrained and tricky with the comic book medium as the power of visuals is balanced against page real estate. How do you create a world where death is the norm and communicate danger from every pore? Find out in this fantastic discussion.
Go Find These Guys! * DinoBeasts Website! * John Coats – Colors and Story * James Coats – Art and Linework * DinoBeasts Facebook Page
Come Talk to Us * Join the Club – We love our Patrons and they make this world(crafting club) go round, join us for early episodes, memes and a say in the direction of the pod * Facebook Page – Our community here is rapidly growing and super fun, it’s also a great way to find out more about what we’re up to * Discord – Well, color yourself invited to our Discord channel where you can jaw with us about worldbuilding or help us with a collaborative project * The Website – Oh yeah! We’ve got one of these too, check it out if you want to keep track of the blog where numerous authors talk all things worldbuilding. It’s updated weeklyish.
As worldbuilders we constantly desire more detail in our settings but is it possible that we’re writing checks that can’t be cashed? When an object is placed in the world it’s inevitable that at least some your audience will place significance on it but the very act of worldbuilding is making things that exist, at times, only to facilitate a sense of place. This idea flies in the face of the principle of Chekhov’s Gun and setting expectations with your audience. How then do we reconcile this with worldbuilding especially with TTRPG where your ‘audience’ is also creating the world and their gaze can’t be focused wherever the narrator desires. Join Seth and Marcos as they dive into this idea and explore how Chekhov’s Gun can help your audience make sense of your world.
Reach Out! We’re super stoked to talk to you, it’s not called a club for nothing. Drop us a line at any of the below:
- Join the Club – We love our Patrons and they make this world(crafting club) go round, join us for early episodes, memes and a say in the direction of the pod
- Facebook Page – Our community here is rapidly growing and super fun, it’s also a great way to find out more about what we’re up to
- Discord – Well, color yourself invited to our Discord channel where you can jaw with us about worldbuilding or help us with a collaborative project
- The Website – Oh yeah! We’ve got one of these too, check it out if you want to keep track of the blog where numerous authors talk all things worldbuilding. It’s updated weeklyish.
Why do people keep honking at James’ bike? How come no one cares that Marcos is streaking? Why can’t Seth get free burritos? Gameplay mechanics are where the game you’re making intersects with the world you were hoping to create. The truth is that almost any gameplay mechanic be it gunplay, stealth, inventory or crafting swipes against immersion in some way once you scratch the surface. No matter how well you pull your mechanics together you’re always going to find this but the best mechanics slot smoothly into the world by jiving with the feel and aesthetic that the creator is looking to make. Let’s dive into the specifics of how gameplay makes or breaks a world as we continue a brand new PunkCember episode of The WorldCraft Club.
Note the Notables * Can Doomguy really hold 10 guns while effectively running around and shooting demons? Yes. If he’s a body builder. * James wrote a thing about this.
Contact Us Seth is the only one of us that bites, and we’ve already had him tested so there’s almost no risk in reaching out:
- Join the Club – We love our Patrons and they make this world(crafting club) go round, join us for early episodes, memes and a say in the direction of the pod
- Facebook Page – Our community here is rapidly growing and super fun, it’s also a great way to find out more about what we’re up to
- Discord – Well, color yourself invited to our Discord channel where you can jaw with us about worldbuilding or help us with a collaborative project
- The Website – Oh yeah! We’ve got one of these too, check it out if you want to keep track of the blog where numerous authors talk all things worldbuilding. It’s updated weeklyish.
Well, we finally played it. We had high expectations for this game, did they pan out? Seth, Marcos and James dive deep into the worldbuilding of cyberpunk and discover the truest core of the wordbuilding ethos that surrounds the game and its genre. We discuss how we approached the game, some of their general impressions, and what really drew us in to the dark future. There's a lot more coming down the pipe too, including a stream we recorded the day after release, a part II to this discussion going into techniques and an episode about gameplay mechanics and their impact on worldbuilding. I hope you’ll join us on this ride.
Contact - * Join the Club! Become a Patron to get exclusive content, early episodes and a vote in the direction of the pod. * Facebook Group (The Collaborators are building worlds!) * Twitter * Instagram
Verticality, outfits and styles, customization, vehicles, kitsch and radio show hosts. We break down the worldbuilding content of Cyberpunk 2077 by trawling through hours of YouTube videos and articles so you don’t have to. We also plan on playing the game with some unique styles and options so when we talk through our Post Release show you’ll get as varied a picture of the game as possible. James will be running a ‘people of Wal*Mart’ play through, Marcos will be an androgynous Anonymous wannabe and Seth will be big punchy corporate sellout man all fit comfortably within the lore and all will result in shenanigans a plenty. Will Seth rise to the top of the corporate ladder? Will Marcos bring down the man with his cyber implants and can do attitude? Will James be able to find those corndogs wrapped up in blueberry pancake? Tune in to find out.
Contact - * Join the Club! Become a Patron to get exclusive content, early episodes and a vote in the direction of the pod. * Facebook Group (The Collaborators are building worlds!) * Twitter * Instagram
People aren’t self motivated so much as faction oriented. Belonging is a powerful part of the human experience whether it’s a family, a guild, a rebellion or bowling league we tend to seek the best for the people we’re closest to. These kinds of ties and relationships can create great conflict and add real depth to your worldbuilding. Seth and James dive into some of their favorite factions and explore how factions answer a deep need in your character building and world crafting.
Contact - * Join the Club! Become a Patron to get exclusive content, early episodes and a vote in the direction of the pod. * Facebook Group (The Collaborators are building worlds!) * Twitter * Instagram
Ah yes, the brain melting question of every Worldbuilder. It’s clear that the worldbuilding that inspired 3 generations of writers and Worldbuilders can’t fairly be called bad but all of us can point to moments where it was real hard to call it good. Midichlorians, sar’lacs, the expanded universe, KOTOR, the Force Unleashed, James and Seth dive into the Star Wars Universe in search of an answer to the unanswerable question.
Contact - * Join the Club! Become a Patron to get exclusive content, early episodes and a vote in the direction of the pod. * Facebook Group (The Collaborators are building worlds!) * Twitter * Instagram
Fantasy science or deus ex machina? What is magic? Is it a set of physical laws that govern elements of your setting? Is it the unknowable will of the gods? Can it be learned, mastered even? Is it opaque and mysterious? Magic is ever present in fantasy (some would argue it’s the essence of the genre) but grappling with its implications can feel daunting. Seth, Marcos and James do a dive into magic’s uses as a narrative tool, about how it changes a world and shapes your stories. Our intrepid hosts discuss the differences between hard and soft magic and explore some tools that can help uncover your Magic’s narrative purpose and help to give it shape.
Big Shoutout to These Great Creators - We were definitely inspired by some of these guys and we wanted to make sure they got a shoutout in our episode description.
- Fantasy Maps and Worldbuilding On Facebook
- Hello Future Me on soft magic
- Brandon Sanderson's 3 Laws
Contact - * Join the Club! Become a Patron to get exclusive content, early episodes and a vote in the direction of the pod. * Facebook Group (The Collaborators are building worlds!) * Twitter * Instagram
War, war never changes, and it’s everywhere. At least in fiction. When we think about war in stories (except for the most gritty retrospectives) we think about glory, battle and the horrors of conflict but we rarely think about the folks at home and what troops would get up to during downtime. What does an average Imperial in the 41st millennium think of the never-ending war? What is it that drives a population to continue conflicts that may be costing them dearly? In this episode of the WorldCraft Club podcast James, Marcos and Seth talk about the parts of war that are felt in a more subdued and mundane way, the way that many inhabitants of your world will interact with it. This will add depth to your settings where war is a prominent factor.
Note: Not gonna lie, this episode is Warhammer 40k heavy, you’re in for a treat.
Assorted Links - * Smarter Every Day - Nuclear Sub Exploration * Lyman Stone on Westeros Demographics
Contact - * Join the Club! * Facebook Group (The Collaborators are building worlds!) * WCC Twitter
Adventure Time and Lord of the Rings obviously have a lot in common, but how much? There is a strong temptation to write worlds that entirely consistent ships in a bottle, where all the details are ironed out. That world, as long as it stays bottled, is perfect. When you put characters in it, though, and start writing your story you’ll find that the ship in a bottle is insufficient and the world must be experienced to truly come alive. Worlds can’t be separated from their audience or their media and as we experience those worlds the unknowns that we see, those dark shapes just beneath the surface of the narrative, drive a sense of wonder which is what draws us deeper into the world. Adrian Gramps and James dive into creating worlds that endure and find that, as ever, narrative and characters are what drive a vibrant world.
Assorted Links and References * The Argonath - LOTR * Michael DC Drout Lecture - How To Read Tolkien
Contact - * Join the Club! * Facebook Group (The Collaborators are building worlds!) * WCC Twitter
“Space is big. You just won't believe how vastly, hugely, mind-bogglingly big it is. I mean, you may think it's a long way down the road to the chemist's, but that's just peanuts to space.” Douglas Adams
Seriously, he had a point. The amount of space in, well, Space is just mind boggling. In science fiction we need a way to get from point a to point b and we need to break light speed to do that. But we can’t. So what do we do? We either bend physics to go through it like in Mass Effect or we go around (or under) it like in Star Wars or Warhammer 40k. This technological leap is massive, though and we will find that we have our work cut out for us examining its implications. That’s why brought the big guns, Ed Horton joins Seth and James to talk about all things FTL in this exciting episode of The WorldCraft Club Podcast.
Where you can find Ed's stuff - * Ed's Book
Contact - * Join the Club! * Facebook Group (The Collaborators are building worlds!) * WCC Twitter
The Shaper's World is not limited by standard fantasy tropes or callbacks, it's built on a system of real world physics. You won't find elves or dwarves in The Light of the Outsider. But, what are the pitfalls of creating something altogether different? How do you manage a world where you can't lean on tropes without drowning your readers in endless exposition? The answers to these questions are surprisingly simple and writer, consultant and creative at large Matthew Wayne Selznick has been doing this for years. Today, we learn to trust our audience and follow our passions in worldbuilding to create a world that feels expansive and evokes wonder for a reader. Matthew offers some of the most solid and grounded writing advice we've heard on the podcast to date. Settle in to your comfy chair and listen in on this insightful discussion.
Where you can find Matthew's stuff - * Matthew's Website * Light of the Outsider on Amazon * Mailing List (Get his first novel free!) * Facebook * Twitter
Contact - * Join the Club! * Facebook Group (The Collaborators are building worlds!) * WCC Twitter
Happy anniversary! It's been one year since we've been publishing content related to Worldbuilding for you! We're excited to continue that journey, but we first wanted to explore the ways we've been learning about worldbuilding. What new tips and tricks have we discussed? What sorts of things are we looking forward to in the future? What is fairy cake and what are believable spaces again? Join us for a time of reflection and setting new goals!
Welcome to the Club! Join us on the Worldcraft Club podcast as we dive in to your favorite movies, games, books, and stories to explore the design of their worlds and creative process. We talk about the process of Worldbuilding, the idea of writing and creating a believable space for your story to exist in. Whether designing a new culture to interact with your characters, or placing a setting that ties in closely with your narrative, your hosts Seth, James, and Jonathan are here to discuss the biggest story trends and how their settings bring the narrative to life. Inspire your imagination, learn some tricks to writing, and join the club for your next creative venture.
Contact - * Join the Club! * Facebook Group * WCC Twitter * Worldcraft Club Blog
Join us for the whimsical and adventurous tales of Jon, Marcos, and Seth as they explore the deep unknowns of the pulp setting! Will our intrepid archaeologists get lost in an ancient tomb with cursed treasures, or get held up by ne'er do wells as a hardened gumshoe? Join us as we discuss what made Pulp writing a staple of American story telling, and how your worldbuilding can lean into this fun brand of creativity.
Welcome to the Club! Join us on the Worldcraft Club podcast as we dive in to your favorite movies, games, books, and stories to explore the design of their worlds and creative process. We talk about the process of Worldbuilding, the idea of writing and creating a believable space for your story to exist in. Whether designing a new culture to interact with your characters, or placing a setting that ties in closely with your narrative, your hosts are here to discuss the biggest story trends and how their settings bring the narrative to life. Inspire your imagination, learn some tricks to writing, and join the club for your next creative venture!
Contact - * Join the Club! * Facebook Group * WCC Twitter * Worldcraft Club Blog
What does the WorldCraft Club even do when they're not on air? Why, they build worlds, obviously.
Today Marcos and Seth are questioned by James about the worlds they've been making. Seth dives into his digital world of Nova Terra and talks about its origins in the world of programming and testing extreme variables. His world was constructed as the result of a thought experiment, 'how would an AI creating a video game compensate for an extreme outlier?' and from the there the world grew. He talks about the various challenges and benefits of building a world in the GameLit genre. Marcos dives into 'Beyond the Aether' a dungeon punk D&D setting he's now run a few campaigns in. His main vision appears to come from a fever dream he had where paladins with rainbow warhammers astride jet powered dragons rule the skies. In short his world was built from a visual theme that caught his attention and he figured 'why not?' and crafted his psychedelic world from that kernel. Both worlds have their own very unique flavors but, perhaps most importantly, they have different origins. The fairycake (core idea) used to build each of these worlds is vastly different and lead to some fascinating insights into the craft of worldbuilding. So, join us now to have your brain tantalized by some fantastic worldbuilding.
Contact - * Join the Club! * Facebook Group * WCC Twitter * Worldcraft Club Blog
Advanced technology beyond our imagination. Unbelievable discoveries. Dimensions and galaxies unknown. What happens when you push science fiction to the limits? Super Science is a tone where scientific discoveries that push past the boundaries of our real world are found, allowing the audience and readers to explore a world beyond what we can normally conceive. Where the best science fiction relies on some scientific liberties, super science kicks on its warp drive and blows past all scientific constraints. Come explore this vast enterprise of tools and setting ideas found with this tonal setting!
Welcome to the Club! Join us on the WorldCraft Club podcast as we dive in to your favorite movies, games, books, and stories to explore the design of their worlds and creative process. We talk about the process of Worldbuilding, the idea of writing and creating a believable space for your story to exist in. Whether designing a new culture to interact with your characters, or placing a setting that ties in closely with your narrative, the WorldCraft Club Team is here to discuss the biggest story trends and how their settings bring the narrative to life. Inspire your imagination and join the club for your next creative venture!
Dave Schmidt's Stuff - * Check out Dave's Comic! * And his Instagram
Episode Links - * Gravity and Inertia in Space - This is a solid video explaining combat in space generally but the beginning does great work explaining how space combat would effect human occupants. Gravity kills. Also, the Expanse is great... watch it. Not kidding. * Why doesn't Dune have 'Thinking Machines'? - Quinn's ideas does yeoman's work explaining Dune lore. If you're going to limit your tech with cultural taboos this is how you do it. * Foundation Series - Quinn's Ideas work on Foundation. Great primer if you want to get into some great science fiction that features human interactions with science beyond their comprehension. * Flash Crowd by Larry Niven is a book about matter transmission that we referenced in the show.
Contact - * Join the Club! * Facebook Group * WCC Twitter * Worldcraft Club Blog
Writing engaging worlds and creating evocative settings with words is good, but what kind of feelings and character can we portray from visual worldbuilding? In studio we have Jog Brogzin, an accomplished fantasy cartographer and artist, who is known for his detailed pen and paper maps. Join us as we see how each dungeon, landscape, and set piece is crafted to present a your world in a clear, yet stylized way. You'll also learn some map making and map drawing tips and tricks to spice up your worlds! Let's get out our cartography tables, and saddle up for this next episode of Worldcraft Club!
All Things Jog Brogzin - * Facebook * YouTube * Patreon * Instagram
Contact - * Join the Club! * Facebook Group * WCC Twitter * Worldcraft Club Blog
Description - What if it's better to leave some parts of your world unwritten? It's entirely possible that your audience will do a better job at building your world than you will. Seth, James and Jon talk about the deep mysteries in your world and why sometimes they should stay just out of your audience's reach.
Contact - * Join the Club! * Facebook Group * WCC Twitter * Worldcraft Club Blog
Description - Okay folks, time to put our money where our mouth is and make something. Seth and James are joined by Dave Schmidt, webcomic artist, friend of the show, second time visitor and all around great guy to build a world off a few pieces of rich fairy cake. This results in a pretty zany pairing of totally unrelated ideas to make a unique universe to write our stories in. Quick Worlds are a regular feature on our patreon page but we decided to share this one with you, dear listener, to inspire your creativity.
How do Quick Worlds work? It works like this, each host brings and idea, has to be short and sweet, they get a minute or two to explain it, we then discuss the implications of the world, establish boundaries and play around with different genres the world could find itself in. For this episode James brings an idea about two codependent species evolving together on a planet and Dave mandates that all combat is musical result is pandemonium.
Where's Dave at? * Read Dave's Comic * Check out Dave's Instagram
Contact - * Join the Club! * Facebook Group * WCC Twitter * Worldcraft Club Blog
Description - The shambling horde slowly surrounds a safehouse while the survivors bicker over their dwindling food supplies inside. Zombies are a big part of our stories, they represent, not just an artifact of worldbuilding, but an entire sub genre of fiction. There's just something about them, they look like us they feed on our flesh, the slow ones represent a gathering threat, the fast ones a vicious predator. But how do we use these monsters in our stories? What kind of worlds support them well and what sort of themes do they draw out? Let's dive into those questions and more in another awesome episode of The WorldCraft Club Podcast.
Links - * Pride and Prejudice and Zombies * Warm Bodies - believe it or not it's loosely based on Romeo and Juliette and I'd be lying if I said I didn't enjoy it. * Left For Dead - straight up silly arcade style shooter, highly recommended for some fast silly fun. * Dead Rising - Trailer for the game, (WARNING: swears abound!) * Half Life - This is video from Roanoke (a brilliant YouTuber) that explores this. * Shaun of the Dead * Brain Dead - This movie is terrible, probably deliberately. * Invasion of the Body Snatchers * Night of the Living Dead - Pretty much free to watch now wherever you can find it. I'd really recommend it, powerful commentary. * The Walking Dead * 28 Days Later * World War Z - the book... not the movie. * Resident Evil - Do the zombies have a sell by date?
Contact - * Join the Club! * Facebook Group * WCC Twitter * Worldcraft Club Blog
Description - The lines between wealth and poverty can be stark and jarring in the real world and often serve as a source of tension and conflict in our imagined ones. Seth and Marcos explore the use of this divide as a piece of fairy cake diving into its potential as a worldbuilding artifact. Different types of disparity are discussed from simple wealth to more esoteric questions like information, time, geography and the chilling possibility of rebellion. So, join us for a deep dive into this flexible concept and let it enrich the world's you're making.
Links - * Equilibrium - okay, this trailer is crazy "Early 2000's" but this movie is incredible. * Robin Hood * In Time * The Hunger Games * Avatar
Contact - * Join the Club! * Facebook Group * WCC Twitter * Worldcraft Club Blog
Description - Cyber-fantasy world Caldonyx is a neon colored masterpiece lovingly crafted by Doug and Alli of the RPG for You and Me Podcast. Part drama, part action, part comedy all duet Savage Worlds actual play. They've received some well earned praise for a beautifully crafted and inviting world that they explore through the medium of interactive storytelling TTRPG style. We're thrilled that they took the time to join us and talk about their experience building this vibrant environment and the worldbuilding principles they've applied through the process. So sit back, flip on some synthwave and let the subdued beat of Caldonyx draw you in.
Links - * RPG for You and Me on Patreon if you join the $10/mo club, you get your own Regulator badge... it's a like a 'deputy' badge but, like, way cooler. * Alli on Instagram go check out some of * Alli on the Twitter * Listen to their podcast, like, right now! * Their website! there's like a ton of original artwork on here, character descriptions and lore available.
Contact - * Worldcraft Club on Patreon - come because you love us, stay for the bonus content. Or vice versa, it's a free country. * The Website
Do your streams seek vengeance? Do your waterways fall in love? Rivers form the veins and arteries of landmasses. They provide places for humans to gather and farm, travel and trade, they're the lifeblood of civilization. So how do we make them well? Jon and James dive deep (pun intended) into the rivers and their function in worldbuilding covering everything from basic morphology to their deep metaphysical significance.
Links
- Okay, so this isn't rivers per se, but it's amazing. Highly recommend for a brief primer on geotechnics. Landslides aplenty.
- WASD on Rivers <- this guy does an incredible job on map making.
- Johnstown Flood this video is a little cheesy but it gives a good idea of what damage flooding can do especially as the result of a dam break.
- The Big Stink this is where the Thames got super gross in London.
Come find us!
- Join the Club!
- Facebook Group
- WCC Twitter
- Worldcraft Club Blog
Where do superheroes fit in worlds? Seth and James look into the worlds that support superhero narratives, how they are effective and ways that they sometimes fail. So join us for a discussion on why Superhero stories are inevitably speculative, why James thinks DCEU does some stuff better than Marvel, and how it's possible to make interesting and rich worlds that surround our super-powered characters as well as just the inner worlds of the characters themselves.
Links and Sundry
Description - Should you be able to use magic to kill someone at 400 yards? Ryan says no! Ryan's most recent book and how he developed a crazy interesting magic system (not to mention governments, races and cultures) and he's sharing great tips on how you can too. Join us today for some brilliant insights.
Links - * Buy Ryan's book! * Join Ryan's Patreon! * Keep an eye for Ryan's World Anvil it's coming soon
Contact -
Description - In this special episode of the Worldcraft Club we interview Dave Schmidt, about his work on Recovery, his online webcomic. Dave's approach to worldbuilding is fairly easy going as he builds a post apocalyptic western with heavy influences from 90's era anthropomorphic cartoons (TMNT, Gargoyles, Tailspin and Street Sharks) where the rule of cool reigns. We find though, as we dive in deeper, that Dave's world has solid boundaries and expectations being set for his readers and that worldbuilding can sometimes be nonspecific and based on themes and tropes that are well understood by your readers. We hope you enjoy this fantastic interview and don't forget to check Dave's work out by following the links below.
Links - * Dave's Webcomic! * Dave's Instagram! * 90's Era Cartoons - Educate yourself. + Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles + Street Sharks + Gargoyles + Tailspin * Daredevil - A brief video on the connection between Daredevil and the TMNT
Contact -
Description - Cyberpunk is all the rage! With CD Projekt Red’s Cyberpunk 2077 and Seth’s minor obsession with Shadowrun we’ve been chomping at the bit to dive into this genre. Seth and James discuss the implications of this genre on worldbuilding, what makes a story truly cyberpunk and how to uncover the all-important fairycake. Also, much discussion of anarchy, liberty spikes, and technophilic dystopias abound.
Slight update: It looks like Cyberpunk 2077 has been postponed until September.
Links * Cyberpunk 2077 * Netrunner * Inception Trailer A Capella - Possibly the best video on the internet.
Contact * Patreon Site * Facebook Group * WCC Twitter * Worldcraft Club Blog
Description On this episode of Worldcraft club we talk to Jon Bell a friend of the show, collaborator and tentacle faced denizen of the Underdark (Dungeon Master) about his ideas on world creation for Table Top Roleplaying Games (TTRPG). Discussing how to engage your players (your collaborative audience) effectively, show off your world while not boring them with exposition, why names matter, and how much detail to put into each level of your world building.
Links
- Creating Place Names Realistically and Artistically on YouTube
- Jon on Twitter!
In this episode of the Worldcraft club Seth and James talk about building worlds that your audience can believe in (or at least suspend their disbelief for). This has so much to do context, both the context of your audience as well as narrative cohesion. It’s through this process that Seth and James arrive at the idea of fairycake (a hitchhikers guide reference) where you establish your tone and most important elements of your story and fit your world to, in part, follow your narrative structure.
Using this method Seth and James build a fictional city and inadvertently stumble on a good shorthand for doing so. Goal, what the city is made for, Governance, how a city is run and Geography a city’s physical environment.
Also, a brief correction: the capital of Australia is ‘Canberra’ not ‘Canterborough’. Just in case that turns up in a pub quiz.
Links * Blade Runner 2049 Music * Hitchhikers Guide Infinite Perspective Vortex
Description James interviews game designer and author IE Horton about his process in worldbuilding for his new old book ‘Deity Principle’.
IE Horton stresses the importance of putting the work into your worlds but also that worldbuilding is a labor love that you must put yourself into. We explore his method of constructing worlds through use of conflict, taking competing ideas and smashing them together or building on ideal utopian concepts by adding selfish people into them. Also, space toilets.
So, sit back, give it a listen and be inspired.
Links * London Sewer System * Ordinary Spaceman * Invention of Lying * William Gibson * Philip K. Dick * JH Brennan
James and Seth discuss the newest hottest sub-genre of sci fi around, GameLit, in this episode of the Worldcraft Club Podcast. Tune in to hear about how you can make the most of the benefits and avoid some of the challenges of this unique genre while building worlds for your narrative to dwell in.
Some GameLit * Way of the Shaman * Delvers LLC * Completionist Chronicles
Seth's Stuff * Nova Terra: Titan * Sethring.com
Corgi Butts * Corgi Butts Compilation * Thicc Corgi Butts
James and Seth discuss, in the first episode ever, a practical definition of worldbuilding from the basic establishment of a good setting to an understanding of the boundaries in which a story takes place. They also tease at a number of other potential future episodes ending with an invite to join the worldcraft club team in exploring the concept more deeply.
Our spondor for episode is Tippy Taps the happy dance that dogs do.
Links and Sundry:
How it Should Have Ended - Snape and the Time Turner
Worldcraft Club Website
Contact:
info@worldcraftclub.com