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Hey, just wanted to say thank you for this video. I’ve been working on the world building for my book for ages, it’s something I really want to master, and I just got far enough that I feel ready to start the first draft like yesterday, but a couple of your points made me see where I was lacking not in content but in execution, so I saw this just in time to clean up some things before I wound up putting the ideas into the book in a way that I now realize might have been a bit messy. So thank you so much. I really appreciate this video. Lots of great advice.

I am committed to doing it , i am starting today

I think the biggest thing is, you have to know what you're doing and why. For things like "getting in early," it might be a good principle in general, but I can think of something right off the bat that doesn't do this. "Audition". You completely forget you're watching a horror movie for a long time as it sets up this guy trying to find someone to date. It even comes off almost like a comedy at parts. It brings in the horror element quite late, and by then you're invested in what's going on. I think, especially when you read foreign media, you'll see that they have different ideas about how to set things up and why. For example, you can find the four-act structure in Japan. The main thing is not to follow a certain formula. It's to be aware of what you're doing before you decide whether or not you're going to follow a rule. It's like with art: you want to understand the rules before you break the rules. If Audition started right before the horror elements came into play, it would feel like a very different movie and probably wouldn't be nearly as memorable. Takashi Miike led you down one path before slapping you in the face with, "You went to a horror movie, remember?" Setting up the "normal" part of life first made the horror part stand out even more because it felt much more real. When people have a good grasp of "Why do people do it this way?" they can then decide if that's what their story needs.

such great advice in this video! i co-write stories with my boyfriend and we exclusively write fanfiction, utilising pre-existing worlds and characters, but we infuse unique perspectives on particular human struggles and taboo topics into them. notable ones we're working on at the moment are: - how a person with psychosis may have to develop new coping mechanisms and rely on others in a post-apocalyptic world, without access to antipsychotics and modern therapies - how a person of an lgbtqia+ identity may develop and present themselves completely differently depending on two separate universes, and the different cultures and ideas surrounding minority identities in those universes - an abusive relationship with no happy ending; the spiral of codependency and violence and, eventually, either the death or the corruption of the initially "morally pure" character as a result of the abuse. not a romanticisation of the content, but a warning and a gut-wrenching depiction of abuse and how it can change people - an incestuous relationship between two adult and consenting brothers, and their struggle with conceptualising that relationship; working through the shame and how disgusting it feels, but also how loving and understanding it is, wondering if it's right, wondering WHY it's wrong, working through questions of how immoral can it really be if they're not having children, if they live a private and isolated life together, etc. - how taboo and violent sexual behaviours may manifest as a way of gaining power and control over past trauma, of reconciling with past trauma as framing similar behaviours in the present as desirable and pleasurable instead of traumatic - the concept of rogue androids in detroit: become human--what if an android became rogue AS A RESULT of trying to stick to their most logical and system-based behaviours--in fact, trying to AVOID becoming rogue? all to say: we're utilising EXCLUSIVELY "unoriginal" worlds and characters, but writing about topics and perspectives we think are interesting, important, need representation, or topics that struggle to fit into the black-and-white version of a white, christianity-informed western culture.

Really weird how the narrator never looks into the camera. Kinda bothered me.

I like to listen to you while coloring my comic panels. 🙂

thank you for this helpful video. i have to grey up my purple prose. :)

The beginning of my story is definitely too slow, but i can't think of another place to start it. So, im thinking of accelerating to the conflict by condensing what would be the first few chapters into one. I've come up with a logical reason to take two separate, but lesser confrontations and make them a singular bigger one. But that also demands my story to bring up one of the main character's (lets call them K) issues with governance, power and police right away. And im just now able to see why thats a blessing in disguise. I had already had the moment K voices this issue planned out for later on. But if i make it more intrinsic to his introduction, i can condense that later interaction and get right to the action and wrestling of ideologies. Im gonna keep doing this as much as i can throughout the story since im an overthinker, and i think that tends to make me come up with more and more information and dressing than i may need to convey to the reader at one given time. Thanks for the video and help structuring my thoughts.

While I agree mostly with number 1, making parts of the world that are art/makes sense within itself is also good. Having the element that is the foundation and cause for the elements that do interact with the characters and story in a meaningful way is more than acceptable

Pulitzer prize incoming: Joe walked his pet tall dog with a green no red, no, green sounds better leash. He walked by a Apple tree. A apple fell from the tree and made a huge sound like a giant onion slamming into a bowling ball!!! A ghost appeared; the ghost stole Joe’s candy cane. Joes dog, whose name was Rex, then took the candy cane back from the ghost and gave it back to Joe. The ghost cried and went home. The end.

I love your outlook of this topic!!❤ Keep up the good work 😊

Im struggling a lot with just getting started to be honest, I have the skills as an artist for creating manga or comics but everything I write down - or even draw sometimes - just feels wrong or cringe like "who the hell would read this?". That combined with other mental health issues is eating me alive but this video does clear up some things for me in terms of writing - awesome stuff. ❤

Plot, Point of View and Theme are all things that you should focus on AFTER your first draft and Plot shouldn't even be here because Plot is not a story. What happens matter less than why is it happening. Setting and World Building are the same thing. Location. Where are we? what time period? What country? What Planet? Setting is crucial in the writing process because if this world is boring then your story has a problem. Characters, Setting and stakes are the mean and potatoes of writing.

12:50 where I paused to subscribe, bruh.

This is extremely helping

I love worldbuilding, but it's hard to present it without confusing the readers.

excellent accompanying imagery

Your pacing sucks and you're not concise.

its channels like this that suck the art out of writing

So one day I decided to create 5 series of different 5 main characters with each different stories in the same world of magic/fantasy, and then they'll be conflicting with each other's problem at some important point. Some main character has no magic power but is so skillful and is immortal, some had a trauma on cold and ice but have a curse to unconsciously switch her personality, some had the power to controls illusion and reality but is mentally unstable, some had a really great power of one type magic power but he lost some part of his memories and personality, and some main character had a really unique power. I've decided the end of their stories, and all I have to do is to create a bridge from the start until the end of each story. Funny thing is I've thought of this probably like 1 or 2 years ago, but it was just recently I've made a lot of advances for the plot. I was thinking about making it like toaru series but my friend said I should've just make them into one, so I can probably make a use of that method of slowing down the pace of the story. Ironically, one thing I'm worried about this was the fact that this was basically made from 5 main characters at first lol

I get Worldbuilder's Disease pretty bad. Fill up pages and pages with info. Luckily I can link most of it into the story and characters,the rest though goes into my worldbuilding docs and serves as either:indulgent & immersive info,stuff that can impact the story & characters but are not central,or things that are core to the setting & characters. Alot of it will be on the iceberg under the water,but that isn't a bad thing necessarily. I started getting Worldbuilder's Disease really badly when writing campaigns & settings for tabletop rpgs actually. Got too caught up in creating for creations sake that over 90% of what I made would never be seen or even addressed. Best to not let that happen & most importantly,not expect people to want to know EVERYTHING about a world. Temper expectations & keep in mind too much water at once will make even the most swimmer drown or get out of the water.

Interesting, thank you!

Great video, thank you

It’s mind blowing that a writer is pronouncing “especially” as “exspecially”

The section on showing versus telling has some stellar insights. I have seen many would-be writers snubbing their nose at people for committing this literary "sin" but are often devoid of any useful comtext other than it being a common refrain. Breaking them down as tools that effect pacing and are better at achieving particular goals is useful in that it gives both context and guidance. Leaning into the strengths of telling for the facts versus showing for the emotion is something I'm definitely going to work on now.

It goes like this: * Good worldbuilding can turn a good story great. But it cant turn a bad story good. * There is Relevant Worldbuilding, and Scenic Worldbuilding. Both are good, both have a place, but you can not only have Scenic worldbuilding. If you do, you will alienate the readers to the world because it will feel like you are spoon-feeding them irrelevant info. You want the plot to introduce questions about the world, and then have those questions answered in a meaningfull way that either expands the plot, or pushes it foreward. * You should know what the rules of your setting is. You should know what characters can break said rules, and why/how. You should not directly tell your readers this, instead give them enough to figure it out, until it needs to be explained, or unless it doesnt need to be explained, just leave it open. If there are rules, the readers will feel the presence of said rules. And that makes a engaging world. * Your worldbuilding should have Relevance to the world. Dont just say its a land of necromancy, give it a place in the world. Who are their allies, who are their enemies? Why? What practical purpose does it serve, and how is that viewed by the rest of the setting? * Your worldbuilding should always (well, you know... "Always") be portrayed through the eyes of characters, not as straight facts to the reader. Even when you give it as straight facts, it should be given By a character. The Narrator is a Character. * Questions entice more than answers. * Make the mundane interesting. Lets say there are Vampires in your story. Why should i care? I've seen vampires before. So what makes your vampires special? If they are not special, thats fine, but then you have to make the position the vampires are in special, or their history, or how they act. Otherwise i´ve read your book already, because you just wrote about the same vampires i´ve red about a hundred times already.

Thanks a lot. I’m a relatively new writer who finished a draft of my first book in a planned series. These guidelines help reassure me that I’m on the right track but also to know that revisions are needed when applicable. For instance, my book is an urban science fantasy story about Druids in the present day. I’m interested in animals, nature and mythology so lot of the world building are in service to the characters and themes those ideas come from.

There are 2 types of worldbuilders: 1. "Read this 20 page transcript about the economic systems in my world and how the geology, which I included a small 5 page footnote into has affected trade between factions in both good and bad ways through both mining and routes for which different races can travel through" 2. "King George was appalled at the poverty of the surrounding kingdoms, so he commissioned scientists to invent a Midas touch nuke. He produced a bunch of them and shot some mountains, now everyone is rich and prosperous."

You create a world and spark people’s imagination through the medium of a wordsmith…that makes you an artist friend😊

I would love to reach out to you about your services regarding world building and editing.

Tysm! I’ve been worried about worldbuilding in my story since this is one of my first stories where I have an entire world built around it where EVERYTHING is thought out, and I know I can’t delve into 100% of what I have, so I’m doing my best and this is definitely useful

Dude, you talk like a robot

Is that Dune????? 28:04

As this is my first video of yours I have no idea what you have/n't read, but if you're interested in worldbuilding then you HAVE to pick up Malazan Book of the Fallen as it's truly a series unlike anything else I have ever read before. It's written by a archaeologist and anthropologist named Steven Erikson, and he wrote it based off of years and years of tabletop role playing games that he played with his buddies in college and he eventually adapted their canpaign stories into a screenplay that he couldn't manage to sell. He later turned that screenplay into a book called Gardens of the Moon and due to its postmodern structure, its complexity and its vast ambition, nobody wanted to publish it for ten whole years. Eventually, he got given a chance and the world was then blessed with the best and most epic fantasy series ever put to paper (in my humble opinion). Gardens of the Moon is pretty great, but then everything after that is just incredible, Especially since his writing skills grew in the ten years between writing book one and book two. As an archeologist and anthropologist Erikson just GETS worldbuilding, humanity, history & society, and the level of worldbuilding he accomplishes is truly astounding, unlike anything else I've ever read. It really makes Tolkien & a song of ice and fire look like a walk in the park in comparison lol. The main ten books have hundreds of pov characters, spread primarily across the continents of Quon Tali, Genabackis, Seven Cities, and Lether. The characters are primarily humans, but may also be one of the four founding races: the Imass (Neanderthals), Jaghut (the Imass's enslavers), Forkrul Assail or K'Chain; or they may be one of the three Tiste races: Tiste Andii (children of Mother Dark, Tiste Liosan (children of Father Light), or Tiste Edur (mixed blood bastard children of Shadow). The Tiste are nearly immortal and arrived on the planet ~300 000yrs ago and colonized it during a war with the K'Chain. Many of these ancient races still have characters who are alive today, so their ancient history still has impacts on the story. The world is so vast in scope and culture and language and races, not to mention the magic. Thats just a bit of worldbuilding explanation to wrap your head around. Hope you pick up the series and enjoy it. It's just incredible 😍

Hiya. Just discovered your channel and subscribed based off the content and you mentioning Broken Earth and Teixcalaan. I need to recommend a series to you! If you like A Memory Called Empire, you simply MUST read The Traitor/Monster/Tyrant Baru Cormorant books by Seth Dickinson! The stories are remarkably similar. I don't *THINK* this is an RR Virdi First Binding/Name of the Wind situation where Virdi quite literally plagiarized the entire Kingkiller books and just rewrote them but Indian inspired. I just read the recently released second book and it's literally plagiarized completely lmao. Like Ari/Kvothe leaves the University/Ashram after feuding with his bully Jackis/Nitham and learning certain info from Master Elodin/Rishi Brahm that could lead him to the Chandrian/Ashura and on his adventure he meets the Cthaeh/Water Tree and spends 101 nights with Felurian/Enshae and somehow survives to tell the tale. It's 100% plagiarized beat for beat lmao. I need to record a video talking about the situation because it's so damn goofy to me. Sorry, that was long winded. Anyway, A Memory Called Empire isn't quite like that but it does seem heavily inspired/influenced by the Baru Cormorant books. I highly HIGHLY recommend reading Baru's story. It is genuinely incredible and I adore the themes and characterization of the story so much. Seth Dickinson is truly a master when it comes to themes and to how he approaches the discussion of colonialism, capitalism, politics, money and imperialist power. The setup for the story is that the Empire of Masks: Falcrest, comes to the small island nation of Taranoke and pulls an IMF and "peacefully" colonizes the island through finance and introduces fiat currency. Soon enough, the whole society is under Falcrests control and they build schools to assimilate and indoctrinate the children while stripping them of their native "backwards" worldview. Baru goes to one of these schools and turns out to be a savant. But when an incident occurs, she realizes what the Empire has done to her people and decides to destroy the Empire. But she knows the only way to do that is from the inside and at the very top. Baru gets sent to be the imperial accountant to the fractious province of Aurdwyn after the previous 2 died mysteriously. There she has to follow the money and uncover a conspiracy amongst the dukes and duchesses who seek to plan a rebellion against the empire. The story goes on from there and GOD DAMN, it's good! It's a fantastic antihero story as Baru continually has to contend with what she is willing to do to gain more power. And she has eternal justification because everyone who has died due to her is simply more evidence that if she were to stop her crusade now, their deaths would be in vain. A LOT of elements and beats from AMCE and Traitor Baru Cormorant definitely seem to match, but they go in different directions and the purposes of the stories are different. But they're both so good and if you like one I definitely think you'll like the other. I have 2 Vids talking about Baru if you wanna learn more lol😅

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

Jaime is a character written as a complex broken character. Like many others, this is the story after the knight in shining armor, saves the kingdom, and marries the princess. But the living and work after is tough, forever work. Jaime is a testament to having to keep working even when his greatest achievement is his greatest black mark, the Kingslayer, even if he believed it true, just. But again it came at the cost of unknowingly "sacrificing" Elia and the children, his guilt drives him to insulate himself into the Kingslayer until he can't. Brilliant work, and subbed.

I am creating an entire dwarf galaxy with complex extraterrestrial geopolitics and all that. This helped me think. 😆

I'm not finished listening to this yet, but I had to add this before I forgot. Having worldbuilding elements that tie into a character makes those elements more relevant and memorable to the reader. It's no longer just a fact they're supposed to tuck away that may or may not have value going forward, but it has a clear and present application and value. On a more technical note, and I'm certainly no expert here, I feel like your sound effects compete too much with your voice. If their volume could be lowere a bit so they're actually subordinate to you, I feel like that would improve your videos.

What is your opinion on a game of thrones style intro, where we follow a side character that builds up the world while also allows for the main themes and story to be fleshed out through their eyes before the main characters' pov begins. I wrote a first chapter like this, or maybe it's better as a prologue, where the storybis set up, the main characters are introduced, but we have immediate action, intrigue and worldbuilding in the first few pages. Great video

YES!

Shit is so much better than Humans and Humans Divine representations of Perfect or nearing Perfect or rather better than Human, or rather replace Human with Men or Man or Mankind. Everything that is so called "Womanly" likely has a place in most glorious towards infinities. And Man has 200 000 000 sperm in every ejaculation, every one of which may be more towards some concepts of infinity apart from, you guessed it, us, the born ones. Good Luck Humankind.

Telling us a lot about what not to do but not explaining how? Don't tell us, SHOW US.

Not to nitpick...but isn't it "points of view" rather than "point of views"?

Do you do research before getting your fishes and plants?? Im horrible at keeping plants alive and ive been really wanting to get a fish family recently.

It's "Octopuses."

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 Peripheral: he gets to visit the city outside the school and learn about the world a bit, for a single chapter Indulgent: the talking pumpkins that insult students as they walk by during Halloween and I refuse to take out despite adding absolutely nothing

Do you have any plan to do these lives more regularly or are they when you can find the time?

Stopped this video at the mention of the leftovers to go watch it, one of the best shows I have ever seen.

This is great! Subbed and looking forward to more