#WIPChat #WorldBuilding Tips and Tricks

 I am reviving the old #WIPChat Series I did on Twitter a few years ago. 

I made #Worldbuilding into a three part video series on my Youtube Channel PenumbraMine Writing. 

PenumbraMine Writing with M.M. Ward

#WIPChat #Worldbuilding Part 1 Question 1 : Where do you start building your world? A character, a place, or a scene? White Room Syndrome refers to writing that lacks grounding in physical reality. It is simply a stream of consciousness that lacks basic descriptions of scene settings, the five senses, and the world environment. The story might as well be taking place in a white room. Question 2: How far do you go when world building? Maps, customs, religions, local color, weather? Worldbuilding can be overwhelming so Start Simple. Write a tour guide brochure. A quick guide to the highlights of the world you are writing in. FYI: The WIP world is the total universe of a WIP; all the places and all the things. A Scene is the action event or what is happening in a specific setting. The Setting is the “local” place or environment or where an action or interaction or event is happening; it can be a room, a building, a place. What is around your character? Question 3: How much research do you do and what resources to you use? Down the rabbit hole or “this is enough, I’d visit there.”? Five simple Worldbuilding things just for you the writer to start with: 1. Where is your character mostly? Work? School? Home? 2. Describe how that place look, smell, feel to the Character. 3. Describe the climate and landscape around the place 4. Describe what the Character wears, eats, drinks... 5. What do they do, think, fear, dream? Question 4: What do you hate most about world building? Question 5 : What do you love most about world building? Question 6: So, you are writing along in your amazing new world and there’s an earthquake. How do you deal with world-building caused plot holes? Do not let the worldbuilding plotholes become a dam across your river of creativity and turn into Wri Writing the Tree https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FmAhyCofirA&t=22s

Part 2: They, the people and Culture 101… A quick look at Who are you, who, who… Question 7 : When you meet your characters, do you know them or get to know them? Do you create a set of personalities traits? Do they have obsessions, phobias, insecurities, quirks? Question 8 : Is your world going to have a one base culture or many cultures overlapping and interacting? Question 9: How many forms of religions or spiritual beliefs do they have? Do they pray, meditate, make sacrifices or give offerings? Is it required or voluntary? Question 10: Religious or civil holidays: How do they party? And how do different groups feel about these things? Question 11: Every culture as something it sees as “normal” that can be shocking to outsiders. This gives a world a depth. What are your Cultural quirks and taboos? Question 12 How do your families, clans, classes, sects, ranks, etc. interact and relate? Do they help each other or pull rank on each other? Do royals and commoners/interact in positive or negative? Are there those who resent or are trying to change how people interact? Question 13: Languages and Colloquialisms: “Ya gotta have slang man… y’all cain’t go without cursin’ or prayin’ or just sayin’, don’t ya know?”

#WIPChat #Worldbuilding Part 3 The How and What of The Environment, Magic, and Technology of Hard and Soft Systems Question 14 If you are writing a sci fi, do you use Hard or Soft Technology System? What can your world’s technology do? Question 15 Are there groups with more or less tech? Are there biases against Tech or those without it? Question 16 If you are writing fantasy, do you use Hard or Soft Magic Systems? What are the rules and consequences of Magic? Question 17 Are their groups with more or less magic? Are there biases against Magic or those without it? Are there enchanted items or magical creatures in your world? Question 18 Hard Mapping or Fluid world - How is your world laid out in the micro and macro? Do you make a map? Or do you explore as you go? Question 19 How detailed so you make world layout? Variety of landscapes? Towns or cities? Home, churches, government, or business buildings? Do you have Ships or Airships or Spaceships? Question 20 Community planning is always a thing when building a world with different terrains. Are you communities separated or united based on environment and terrain, or class? How many different jobs do the places in your world require? Question 21 How does the climate and terrain, or natural and unnatural disasters affect your characters and story plot? A/N: I noticed on the replay I forgot to say Arborea's drought was caused by weather manipulation technology hence it being an unnatural disaster. World Anvil https://www.worldanvil.com/ Intro/outro music Music: Elektronomia - Collide Watch: https://youtu.be/bWGhAfN9PAs Stream: https://spoti.fi/3nZ4A3y