If You're Doing These 7 Things You Are WORLDBUILDING RIGHT!

Comments · 500

• WR

  @wrestlingwithwords · 2 years ago · pinned

  Thank you for watching! If you want to support the channel further, consider signing up for Skillshare using my link: <a href="https://skl.sh/wrestlingwithwords09241">https://skl.sh/wrestlingwithwords09241</a>

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• PR

  @ProtozoanSam · 1 year ago

  I’m not a writer who is world building, I’m a world builder who needs to write it all down 🗣️🗿

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• NA

  @natesamadhi33 · 2 years ago

  Eh...this all seems like it&apos;s gonna take alot of forethought, passion, and effort...<br>I think I&apos;ll just infodump everything in the first chapter &amp; make characters spout exposition. Done.

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• BU

  @buttersticks7877 · 2 years ago (edited)

  if you don&apos;t consider yourself an artist in any sense, then I&apos;m not sure you even know what art is! you&apos;re clearly very skilled at writing and developing stories, which is certainly an art :)<br><br>edit: y&apos;all this comment was terribly worded and i meant it only as a compliment! telling him I wasn&apos;t sure he knows what art is was just hyperbole for the sake of my point. of COURSE he knows what art is!

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• WE

  @we.are.writers · 1 year ago (edited)

  1- world building<br>2 - character building<br>3 - power system<br>4 - character development<br>5 - the story (including back stories) <br>6 - a good ending (remember happy ending doesn&apos;t mean good ending), no forced plot, no plot hole.<br>7 - pacing<br><br><br><br><br>Build the novel in your own way.<br>Let the readers of similar intrest discover it.<br><br>Remember, famous novel doesn&apos;t mean masterpiece novel.

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• BO

  @bouzz4840 · 1 year ago

  Here are my notes I made for this video:<br><br>I. Intentionality<br>The things we include in our worldbuilding are things that matter to the story and the characters. Intentionality means every detail is there for a reason and connects back to the narrative.<br>It ties directly into the 5 Elements of Fiction:<br>• Characters<br>• POV<br>• Setting<br>• Themes<br>• Plot<br>By linking worldbuilding choices to these five elements, you make sure the world serves the story instead of distracting from it. Here are some examples:<br>• Characters, Theme: A law in your setting might shape how a character sees justice.<br>• Setting, Plot: A city’s design could dictate how a chase scene unfolds. <br><br>II. Expanding Creative Interests<br>Worldbuilding works best when it pushes you to grow as a storyteller. It is a natural fit for curious minds, because it encourages you to explore new subjects and weave what you learn into your setting. Writers love to study and then share their discoveries, and worldbuilding gives that instinct a place to thrive.<br>If you find yourself digging deeper into how your invented world works or looking for ways to connect real-world knowledge to your story, you are on the right track. This curiosity not only makes the setting richer, but it also sharpens your skills as a writer.<br>For example, if your character is a painter, you will need to study painting enough to capture their craft convincingly. You don’t need to become a master artist, but you should understand the techniques, tools, and mindset well enough to write how this character lives and interacts with your world. That process of research and adaptation expands both your world and your own creative range.<br><br>III. Core / Peripheral / Indulgent<br>This framework helps you decide how much attention different worldbuilding elements deserve in your story. It acts as a hierarchy, showing what is essential, what is supportive, and what is optional.<br>• Core<br>These are the elements that drive your story and directly shape your characters. Without them, the plot would not work. They must be consistent and clearly present in the narrative.<br>• Peripheral<br>These elements enrich the world and add depth. They are not the engine of the story, but they build immersion and can connect to subplots or side characters. They should still echo or reinforce the themes of the main plot.<br>• Indulgent<br>These elements do not affect the story directly. They exist because they interest you as the creator and can make the world feel larger than what appears on the page. They are best suited for your notes, appendices, or background flavour rather than the main text.<br>This framework is not a rigid rule but a tool for focus. It helps you decide what belongs on the page, what can stay in the background, and what should remain in your private worldbuilding files. Used well, it keeps your story tight while still allowing space for creativity. <br><br>IV. Depth<br>Depth in worldbuilding comes from looking at every element from multiple angles. Ask what defines the essence of your world, then connect that essence to conflict, characters, and themes. Instead of piling on details, focus on fewer but more meaningful choices, less is often more.<br>Depth is not only about immersion. It is also about integration. When the world shapes your characters and themes, and they in turn shape the world, the setting and the plot reinforce one another. The result is a story that could only take place in the world you have built.<br><br>V. When to Show or Tell<br>Knowing when to show and when to tell is a sign of good worldbuilding. <br>Recaps &amp; Overviewing’s Vs. Personal Experience = Showing Vs. Telling<br> <br>When Should We Tell?<br>Telling = You state facts, emotions, or events directly. It’s efficient but creates distance.<br>Example: “He was angry.”<br> <br>Telling is logical and detailed. Think of this as a way to know what a character sees or knows to be true about their world. Dialogue can often be a way to hide telling or be a more interesting form of telling. <br>Telling can be useful if there is a lot of interesting information that WILL be revisited. We can also use this telling moment as a tease and an incentive to keep on reading.<br>It&apos;s also helpful for quickly conveying information, events, or general aspects of a world. It can also be used to adjust or maintain pacing.<br>Telling drops information directly: “The city was ancient, ruled by priests for a thousand years.”<br> <br>Pacing<br>Pacing is sometimes an unintentional outcome of showing or telling. It can speed up the pace or just bog it down. These can be intended or not. What is important is that you understand when you are telling with intention, and when your telling is helping your story as opposed to hurting it.<br> <br> <br>When Should We Show?<br>Showing = You describe actions, sensory details, or dialogue that let the reader infer what’s going on. It’s immersive, but slower.<br>Example: “His jaw clenched, and the glass in his hand trembled until it cracked.”<br> <br>Showing is often a more emotional interpretation of an event or thing. How does a character feel or interpret the world around them?<br>If you want the reader to experience the world, we usually want to show it. This can be done through a point of view character or general narration. Showing can also leave room for interpretation and ambiguity. <br>Showing integrates the information into the scene: “The statues along the street bore faces worn smooth by centuries, their hands still raised in the priests’ blessing.”<br><br>VI. Consistency<br>Consistency is the backbone of worldbuilding. It keeps the world coherent by making sure events, rules, and details follow the same internal logic. A consistent world does more than avoid plot holes; it preserves the tone and atmosphere, which builds trust with the reader. When readers feel the world plays fair with its own rules, they are willing to believe in it fully.<br>To achieve this, carry the essentials of your world, its geography, cultures, institutions, and constraints, through every part of the story. Any new element should feel like a natural extension of what already exists. Introduce changes with purpose so they add depth rather than break the setting.<br>Consistency rarely comes out perfect in a first draft. Most plot holes or inconsistencies appear during revision, and that is fine. What matters is noticing them and planning to fix them. Revision is where you align details, close gaps, and strengthen the logic that makes the world feel alive.<br>In the end, consistency is what transforms scattered ideas into a believable and enduring world.<br><br>VII. Enjoyment and Passion<br>Passion fuels good worldbuilding. If you enjoy what you are creating, that energy shows in the work, and readers can feel it. People are drawn to stories where the creator’s excitement and care are clear, no matter the medium. Passion is contagious, it makes the world more vivid and engaging.<br>Enjoyment also sustains the process. Worldbuilding is detailed and sometimes demanding, but if you find joy in the art and science of it, you are doing it right. Passion keeps you committed through revisions, problem solving, and the long effort of making a world feel alive.<br><br>Let me know if I missed something :)

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• IG

  @igoldenknight2169 · 2 years ago

  The core, peripheral, and indulgent view of worldbuilding might be one of the most helpful perspectives I’ve ever been taught. Many great teaching points in this vid. Thank you!

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• AR

  @arsy571 · 3 months ago

  <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f11d8byf3ms&amp;t=139">2:19</a> I was not ready for that chad face reveal lmao

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• KU

  @Kurtisie · 2 years ago

  Core: my character learns all the magic spells he will need to use throughout the book at his new magic school in the first 7 chapters<br><br>Peripheral: he gets to visit the city outside the school and learn about the world a bit, for a single chapter<br><br>Indulgent: the talking pumpkins that insult students as they walk by during Halloween and I refuse to take out despite adding absolutely nothing

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• LE

  @lechacalbleu1407 · 1 year ago

  I was confused with the term worldbuilding because i am french. For me worldbuilinding was a translation for &quot;creation de monde&quot; or &quot;creation de lore &quot; who meant imagining a world or an environnement separated from any storrytelling process, but what you refer in your video is more close to the concept of &quot;exposition&quot; who is giving informations to the audiences in the context of &nbsp;the story about the world or the characters.

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• SP

  @specialnewb9821 · 1 year ago

  Sapkowski has said that he made up whatever he needed on the spot for the Witcher, Toriyama did the same thing with Dragonball. Very little planning but extreme intentionality.

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• CR

  @cryingwatercolours · 1 year ago

  the adhd struggle of wanting to absorb the information but needing to read through the comments at the same time send helpppp

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