no stevie nicks, i CAN’T sail through the changing ocean tides and i CAN’T handle the seasons of my life
i don't do bad sauce passes
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cherry valley forever

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YOU ARE THE REASON
Jules of Nature
Peter Solarz

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DEAR READER
trying on a metaphor
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@chasingetherv
no stevie nicks, i CAN’T sail through the changing ocean tides and i CAN’T handle the seasons of my life
i feel targeted
Oh god it’s me
Don’t worry about it is me 🙃
Its all good, no worries
Oh ok
the two types of fantasy magic
Mathematical magic:
This magic type is all calculation baby. You a writer who likes math? You want your magic users to not only be wizards, but math wizards? This is the magic type for you. It can require more work if you wanna get into the specifics of the magic - but some stories have this type, and don’t ever flesh it out, so it can be done. Spells in this category usually take much more learning and planning, so magic users are usually smart as fuck or can’t necessarily hold all the information it takes to do a simple spell in their memory. It truly depends on how complex you make it, but as I am biased against math, I am inclined to say that math people like making things complex. So have fun with that lmao
Feeling:
This magic type is based on feeling. Art thou feeling it now, Mister Krabs? Some have to know what a spell feels like to cast it better. This can be a mentor casting the beginning of the spell in the pupil’s hands… or straight up fucking blasting them with a fireball depending on how chaotic it is. In this form of magic, usually casting is simply a mix of practice and natural ability - but sometimes there are books, mentors, or magic classes. This magic type has a lot more flexibility, I feel, because fleshing it out doesn’t require mathematical formulas (which I admit my bias against) and it’s easier to just say “this is magic”. Personally, I like this type for the idea of magic + senses. I have extremely high sensitivity, and I feel like that would make me great at this type of magic where every spell feels different. This is my favorite type, if you can’t tell.
and finally, the bonus round, fucking anarchy:
If you use this, you are probably either a goddamn savage or just don’t care - or magic might just not be that important to the story but still there. Your magic characters get into a fight, and literally fucking anime smirk and say “Omae wa mou…………. shindeiru” and eldritch blast that motherfucker into oblivion. You’re insane, and fucking bless you for it.
or maybe you just don’t want to make up rules, and know how to keep your characters from being overpowered even without magic rules. To that, I say, hell yes. You’re valid and I can’t say I don’t do that too.
Obviously, there can be more than these, but these are the main two I can think of. Have fun with them and put your own spins on them!
Oops I Forgot: Worldbuilding Like a Pro
Science fiction and fantasy books have the unique ability to transport the reader to a totally different world. Magic, new cultures, animals, plants, sights, smells, sounds. They all have a special quality to them when they’re a part of this new world.
When we authors are building our own worlds, we often forget a few areas that can really pack a punch.
Keep reading
Advice for World Building 3
Here we are again. I keep saying that this is advice specifically for quick world building, so this next section is going to sound backwards. But bear with me.
No One is a Background Character
Now normal advice for fast tracking a story is to use character as short hand, boiling them down to simple archetypes, The Gruff Blacksmith, the troublesome orphan thief, the corrupt aloof prince.
While that can be the best strategy for making quick NPCs to further the plot in a pinch, that is not the goal we are going for today. I personally believe that the narrative is made from the strength of the characters, and if you have weak characters, you have a weak story.
Of course I can’t tell you how to make interesting characters, some creators can spend months ironing out all the details of a single characters, so the actual speed is something you’ll need to practice on your own.
But maybe I can offer a few tips for how to write a CAST of characters rather than just one singular character.
No Man is an Island.
You have designed a city, worked out the geography, the economy, the cuisine, and what sort of challenges your heroes will have to overcome once they arrive, but who lives here? Behind every window and every storefront there has to be a body filling the roles needed to keep this place alive.
Let’s explore this shall we?
Never create characters in isolation. To form a vibrant and living society you have to create these characters as a cohesive unit. A young couple, an extended family, the staff of a store, a squadron of soldiers, a building of neighbors. Everyone is part of some sort of community, and even if they are an ‘outsider’ they are only an outsider in theory, and not necessarily in practice.
Start with one character that is 100% essential to your story and what you want to accomplish. Then work your way outwards, asking: Who is an essential part of their day to day life?
Let’s try this together with an example:
Location: Silver City, a thriving hub of trade in the center of a magical kingdom. The economy is booming due to the well kept roads and well trained task force of guards. People feel safe to travel to and from Silver City and thus it has goods and people from all over the world.
Let’s focus on a single person, the first person the traveling adventurers would encounter. The guard who manages the door for small groups wishing to enter Silver City. Let’s call him Mark. It is easy to make a single character, maybe Mark is young and is not as cynical as the other guards in the city. He got through the extensive training so he is physically fit but he has always been weaker and more timid than the other Guards. He is nervous but eager to prove himself. These are all details that could come across in how he talks to protagonists as they arrive in Silver City.
“Adventurers eh? We get a lot of those here. Lots of travelers mean lots of new faces. Everybody has a need for something in Silver City, you guys are sure to find lots of work here right? W-Where did you uh… come from? Anywhere interesting? I was gonna go off and see the world but I uh… Have an obligation to the city now. I can always go adventuring when I retire right? Haha! Eh… never-mind, sorry you guys are clear to enter.”
Adding a few details like that can turn a generic door guard into a character that you will remember, the young door guard who is a little nervous and has some dreams of adventure. We all remember Mark and maybe we see him about the city, or when we leave. Mark is a cool guy.
Now, start filling the city with people who know Mark.
Who takes over his station when he isn’t there? A meaner, older guard? - Darron: A gruff older guard who is more cynical than Mark. He has seen thieves and murders slip past the checkpoints and hurt people in ‘his city’. So he is tougher on newcomers and doesn’t make small talk. He isn’t mean out of malice, but simply because he doesn’t want to be responsible for letting in someone dangerous. He doesn’t make friends easily but those who know him say he deeply cares for others when they earn his trust.
Who trained Mark when he was a new recruit? - Lady Silas: A war-hardened lady knight who had to be taken off the battle field after she lost her right arm to a monster. She now shares her battle skills with new recruits and trains the city guard. She is so ruthless that almost every guard in the city favors their left hand because that was the hand they had to defend themselves against her with. She is a lonely woman who throws herself into her work to avoid slipping into the darkness of her past. She acts tough but remembers the name of every recruit she meets.
Who were/are Mark’s parents? - Douglas and Mila: Douglas is a spice merchant who died of old age when Mark was young, and Mila is his emotionally distant mother who now runs the store. Douglas worked hard as a farmer to afford enough money to open up his own store. Spices are expensive but tend to sell well. Because there was already a merchants guild for spices, he never saw the success he dreamed of. He met his wife when she traveled from a country overseas and ran out of money in Silver City. She was his only employee and the two of them bonded over the hard work it took to get the shop running. Douglas died of natural causes, and while Mila wants to travel the world, she feels responsible for the store her husband put so much effort into. She wants one of the kids to take over the store but she also doesn’t want to burden them with all of the stress and hard work that would entail. This conflict is often what causes her to act so cold outwardly. You can even see that Mark gets his hard working nature from his dad and his wanderlust from his mom. Losing his dad and dealing with his mothers emotional distance has exacerbated his shyness.
Who is Mark’s younger sister? - Yokea: Even though she is still not of age, Yokea is a prodigy, able to do math, science and even magic better than most adults. She has been a huge boon to her mother in helping with the shop but it is clear that she is meant for bigger things. She is still unsure of what she wants to do in life and she doesn’t seem to have the desire for adventure that her mother and brother have. She is being scouted by wizardry guilds and the city guards alike, and she is very uncertain if that is what she wants out of life. She is more confident and outgoing than her brother (possibly due to her being constantly praised for her skills and a little bit of her mothers favoritism.) But she still has the same quiet awkwardness as the rest of her family under all the confidence.
Who is the spice stores main competitor? - The Braendor Trade Company: The third largest company in Silver City, The Braendor Trade Company resents the large gap between them and #2 (The Oil-Leaf Guild) and have adopted ruthless tactics when facing smaller competitors. They have a near monopoly on spice trade in Silver City, which yields high profits despite how expensive it is to buy and move. The same strain that effects Milas shop effects Braendor and anyone who threatens their spice trade is considered a top priority threat.
Who works for Braendor and directly interact with Mark’s Family? (The 7th District Branch) - Emish Revoria: A greedy merchant middleman who acts as an enforcer for the company. He has been working in the spice trade for years and hates how it almost never breaks even. He wants to be promoted to management and is desperate to prove himself to his higher ups. He intentionally neglects his personal life so he can be a good employee and never bothers with slowing down. He does have little hobbies like sewing and playing chess, but he intentionally suppresses any part of him that wants to have fun and let loose. Despite his greed and ambition, his employees do care about him and often try to get him to let go of his non-stop work attitude. - Anto Boltov: A powerful demon warrior who has grown tired of war and wishes to settle down in a calm human city. They are trying their best to learn trade and while they are still new to the merchant lifestyle they are a quick learner. Their demonic aura tends to distract and enchant their co-workers but those who trust Anto know they are a hard worker and a good friend. Anto is desperately loyal to Emish but is unaware of the companies crueler business practices. If they ever found out they would quit, as Anto values honor and honesty. - Col Revoria: Emishs niece and right hand employee. She is cunning and willing to do anything to save their struggling branch. She often harasses Mila’s store and tries to buy out their suppliers. She does no see her actions as evil, but as necessary to save the business that she and her family depend on. She often acts on Emishs behalf when his is indisposed. Before she was hired she was studying to be a scribe, and her skills have helped with her role as an accountant. She doesn’t hate Marks family, and in fact wishes to win over Yokea and hire her to work for them. - Olden Marhse: If anyone in the 7th District Branch is truly out to get Milas store out of malice, it is Olden. He resents the poor as he came from a wealthy family that disowned him after he humiliated them. He was able to cash in his family name to get hired by Braendor and has been lying low, waiting for a chance to betray Emish and take over the branch for himself. He often subtly goads Emish and Col into crueler and crueler acts to destroy Mila, hoping that they cross a line and get fired for their misconduct. Then he can act like taking over Mila’s store was all his doing and claim Emish’s promotion for himself. He is an immature brat who often blames his mistakes on others, and his genuine charisma and talent are often used as justification for his selfish behavior. Even with his cruel intentions, he does care about Col and Anto (and maybe has a bit of a crush on Anto that he refuses to admit) He plans to keep them as employees if he ever manages to take over, but he will never admit it’s because they are his friends.
Even with just ten characters, this city is starting to feel more like a location and less like a ‘guard tower’, ‘training grounds’ ‘small merchant store’ ‘big merchant store’. Instead it is:
“The tower Mark and Darron work, they don’t mesh well personality wise but they recognize how hard the other works and Darron slowly becomes a mentor and father figure to Mark.”
“The training grounds Mark and Darron go to every weekend, and their old drill sergeant still whips their butts every time. Despite the three of them all being from different walks of like, they go out for drinks together and nurse their bruises.”
“Mila’s store, where she struggles to make ends meet and silently wonders how she can keep her family together and satisfy her own desire for adventure. She and Yokea spend their days together reading books when no customers come in, and have to deal with Col’s machinations to ruin their store. But despite everything Col an Yokea still strike up a friendship.”
“The 7th District Branch where Emish stays up late into the night going over the numbers with Col. When he falls asleep at his desk, Anto puts a blanket over him and prepares a meal in the store room, where Col and Olden are waiting. Col enjoys Antos cooking and while Olden never complains, he missing the cooking of his personal chef.”
As a writer your goal is to transform everything. A simple guard station into, “Mark’s Workplace” a store into “The Family Business.” Take something cold and unfeeling and turn it into something warm and familiar.
As with the previous two posts, take simple easy ideas and strengthen the bonds between them.
Two knights guarding a door can become friendly rivals who push each other to do better. Three dock workers can become drinking buddies who you can see singing loudly together as they walk back home. A caravan of merchants can become an extended family who travel everywhere together, grandma rides in the front and the cousins sit on top of the wagon with bows. They bicker and laugh and every town on their route recognizes the rowdy merchant family every-time it pulls up to the front gate.
Not every single person in a city has to be as well realized and complex as your protagonists, but taking the time and effort to think about what they do when not on camera always pays off. Promise me when I say that this technique saves you more time than just adding “merchant, blacksmith, guard, bartender” to the list of characters. The heroes aren’t getting information from some random NPC, they are getting information from their friend. Elise the bartender told them something important because they trust the protagonists enough and want them to go save the kidnapped princess. (who just so happens to be marrying Elise’s sister next month) Taking the time to befriend characters makes plot points feel earned, makes them feel rewarding, and isn’t that the goal of a writer? Turning meaningless encounters into impactful moments?
This is the third time I have basically broken down my tips to “Start simple, connect the simple ideas, and enough connected simple ideas become one big complex one.”
I think that is a good place to end the ‘world building’ section of this series. Any concept can have this theory applied to, as I showed with Economics, Cuisine, and Relationships.
When writing your story, what else can be expanded into a complex web? The Magic? The Religion? The Medicine? The Literature? The Animals? Your universe only gets richer the more you expand these webs. The individual nodes can be written with little to no effort for speed, but they are just parts of a much larger whole. If this 3 part series was interesting I do have plans to go into specific genres and characters, so let me know if this advice was helpful.
Part 3/?
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Hi, sorry about this, but do you know where to find resources for battle strategies? Like, what tactics would army generals discuss, what things they would look out for during a battle, etc etc?
I’m unable to present any resources beyond your favorite search engine and internet browser, but I can give you tips on what to look for. Before we get into that, though, it’s important to note that we should be looking at the context in which you wish to apply military strategy.
If your general is generally (heh) competent, or even a veteran with quite some experience under his belt, it’s important to look into applied military strategy, where the tactics deployed in a battle actually were successful, you can read any number of different tactical patterns theorized by strategists, but if they are not used and proved on the field of battle, their effectiveness is questionable and up to speculation.
And before I list off specific things to interest yourself with when it comes to researching historical warfare, let’s get into strategic resources and considerations.
In a siege, we’ll be wanting to assess the following.
1. Accessibility of food and water -
This is by far the biggest part of any siege, for either side. Sieges on well-made castles can be quite long, and by quite long, I mean years long, where the attackers simply wait for the defenders to starve. This is the most anticlimactic, yet brutally effective method. There’s no good way of making food in a castle, there’s only limited garden space inside, and so many mouths to feed. The stores may be large, but they are finite. The well may be inside, but the aquifer, depending on the wit of the attacker, can be poisoned from the outside. On the other end, a significant supply baggage train must be set up for the attackers if they are to lay siege for months, or even years on end. This leaves them also vulnerable to guerilla tactics that target their supply.
As Napoleon Bonaparte said, an army marches on its stomach.
2. Strength of the fortifications -
The next obvious one is how well built the castle may be. If it is well made, with little weaknesses, able to be covered from all sides by archers and the like, then it’s likely that the attackers will find themselves pondering the first consideration even more. If not, and there are significant weaknesses to be found in the defenses, it’s viable to destroy bits of the wall, or consider a direct assault on a wall by ladders.
3. Number of men inside -
The last obvious consideration is the strength of the forces inside. If the castle is undermanned, it is easy to launch a brute-force assault, but a castle need not many men to be well-armed. Being the defender of a fortified position is an extremely sacred position to be in, you are favored in many ways. One of the most famous examples is the Siege of Szigetvár, in which three thousand Croatians and Hungarians defended the Szigetvárfortress against anywhere between one hundred thousand to three hundred thousand Ottomans. They held out for a month, yet took twenty to thirty thousand Ottoman lives before they capitulated, and the Suleiman himself died during the siege as well. Of all the places you must make a last stand, do it in a fortified position. It will win you glory.
Next, for open battles or attacks against unfortified positions, you’ll want to assess these things.
1. Terrain of the assumed battle location and surrounding area.
The terrain of the battlefield is extremely important, my favorite way to emphasize this is the Battle of Agincourt, where the vastly outnumbered English defeated the French by astoundingly simple yet effective tactics. The fact is, the fields were practically liquid, they were muddy and recently ploughed, making it utterly miserable to walk through. The only other terrain to go through was forest, which was also a poor idea, since cavalry operates inefficiently at best in forested areas. Archers picked off the footmen who trudged through the mud, arrows hailing down upon them as they marched to the front line. If they were lucky enough to get through it all, they were fatigued beyond belief, no doubt their morale was absurdly low, and they were promptly cut down by the vanguard of the English troops.
2. Relative military composition
Are their men more numerous? Do they ride on horses? Are they armed with bows? It’s very important to take equipment, numbers, and style of units into account when planning a battle.
In the most simple mode of explaination, infantry don’t like being charged by horses, they don’t like getting shot at, and they don’t like being surrounded. But, on the other end of things, archers really don’t like being charged by horses, and being attacked in melee combat is quite bad for them. However, they don’t mind being shot at as much due to them not needing to keep tight formation. Archers can be much more spread out in their formation when on the field because they do not fight in close range. Cavalry do not like being shot at, and they excel in close combat (especially when they are charging.)
3. Weather
Nice weather we’ve been having! It’s quite useful to keep an eye on the clouds when planning an attack, whether it rains, snows, is absurdly hot or absurdly cold is very important to attack, as the fatigue of men is very, very insidious to any army. As we saw in Agincourt, the rain caused the terrain to worsen for the French, and though this is an extreme case, caused great fatigue in the infantry that had to trudge though knee-deep or worse mud. The cold, the heat, the dampness of the air, all can be morale detriments to troops on both sides, but mostly the one who is doing all the moving around, which is often the attacker.
As for research on military strategy, I always suggest flipping through articles considering any military battle, big or small, and considering the compositions, positions, terrains, and statuses of each army, the outcome, and then drawing your own lessons from each reading. Applied military strategy is the best way to learn the intricacies of military strategy for writing purposes, and since you don’t need to write long exposition on what is going on or what is a good decision, you are able to apply simple strategies and tactics in your characters’ warfare to drive a strong point of competence or incompetence of any commander or army.
I hope you enjoyed this, it’s bit of a wordy response, I know, but it hopefully helped you quite a bit. If you’re looking for more blurbs on writing and fantasy in general, you can find us on Twitter at https://twitter.com/_fantasywriting
- The Artificer
Some Worldbuilding Categories Pt. 1/2
These are just some categories. There are truly thousands to consider when worldbuilding. Hopefully, this gives you a starting point. Obviously, not all these categories or the questions pertaining to them will be relevant to your story, so don’t be afraid to be conservative in which ones you use. This took me so long.
Seasons & Climate
Are there distinct seasons? How many regions have different climates? How drastically can weather vary? Are there regions uninhabitable from a harsh climate? How have residents adapted to the climate?
Other Culture Pockets
Are there large groups of people/beings from another culture that live in the area? Are they dispersed or do they have certain neighborhoods like Chinatown? How are they seen by other culture groups or natives? Why/how did they arrive in this area?
Keep reading
Worldbuilding: Societies
People make the world. They are the reason we are here in the story. Without them, there is no story. How can we create people and their societies?
Sections
I want you to look at your life in your hometown. Look at your life in the area you live compared with the next one over. Look at the country you live in compared with another. There are differences in the people and how they live. Their values and ethics are different, their lives are different and their lifestyles are different.
In your world, no land, no city or village will be exactly the same. Is there any defining details to your people’s lives that another society may find odd or have in common?
There will always be differences abroad. Is life in France the same as life in Sri Lanka? There may be similar aspects but the details are at odds with one another. Do the English eat the same way as the Japanese? No. Perhaps some do but not all.
You add the differences to make a world seem large even if you haven’t been overall creative in our building.
One way to plump up the feel of vast difference is Culture Shock. If you have been abroad before, has there ever been anything striking to you? Or have you read that people in some country do odd things and been taken back?
Daily lives
To make any society one must focus on the typical day of any random member of the society. Everyone has a different life and means, yes but we also share similarities.
A student at college will wake early for classes (alarms and Tequila providing), run/walk/crawl to college, sit a few classes and go home.
A typical day. Perhaps there are certain rituals your people will do in their lives everyday.
Morning: Who wakes up in the house first? Who makes breakfast? What must be done in the morning? Are there certain chores to be done? What time is the best to go shopping in the morning? Who would be on the street if you looked out the door?
Noon/Afternoon: Are there any precautions at noon for labourers working in the sun? Are there are less or more people in the streets after/before noon? Does work end in the afternoon? If so, what do people do then?
Evening/Night: Are there any curfews in place at night? Who would be outside at night? Where would be the nightlife of the society? Is there any rituals in the night? Is it dangerous to be out at a certain time? If so, are there any methods in place to protect people?
Do remember that different classes have different daily lives? The bigger the differences the more interesting and troubling your world and political situation.
Food
France is famous for its baguettes and delicate pastries as well as its snails and frog’s legs. Italy is famous for its wine and pasta. Scotland has its haggis and Ireland has its humble potato of many forms. If I say paella, we immediately think of Spain. If I say cheeseburger, we think of America. If I mention korma or goulash or tikka masala, we know its Indian cuisine.
Food is and will always be the center of society. Foods can be banned or consumed in great quantities.
Food that is banned usually has a reason why. In some predominantly Muslim countries, pork is prohibited. In India, beef is not widely eaten due to Hindu beliefs. These are due to beliefs and religion. Of course, food can be banned by political reasons such as boycotting trade with an enemy.
Food that is consumed in large quantities, are usually easily obtainable and easily made and always locally sourced. In Ireland, we eat the humble potato because it grows well here and we’re terrible fond of it and once we ran out of them and we kinda died. A lot.
Differences in diet will always be focused by class and status.
Ethics and Values
Everyone believes something. Not in gods or god or money. People have values that they prize or have different understandings of ethics.Lets look at two Greek cities.
In Sparta, they valued strength, courage, love of country and war. They believed that men AND women had the responsibility to protect and better the country. They would train and fight. Children had to be born to ensure the betterment of the empire so men were encouraged to marry and singletons were booed in the street. Women had rights and were treated with respect, being granted headstones in death but only in cases of birth-related deaths as they had died serving their country. Being gay was okay but in some cases only up to a certain age. This was the case for many young warriors who were paired with older warriors to be lovers and students. Spartans were bloody and often incited rebellions between themselves and their vast amounts of slaves. Spartan women were famous for short skirts. They whipped young boys before the statue of the virgin goddess Artemis to appease her. When young boys were seven they were sent to war camps to train. They were beaten and starved and had to rely to thievery to live and were only punishment for getting caught.
Athens was the reserved city state. They valued knowledge, purity and honour. Women had very little rights and were rarely allowed out of their homes without their men and denied education. They were married off to breed children and disallowed the right to vote. They dressed well, with all areas covered excepting during the Olympics were everyone was nude. Being gay was OK. Athens had slaves but always maintained that freeborn and citizens should have work too. Paedophilia was rampant. When wars came, they conscripted their men alongside their standing armies. It was a nation of thinkers and knowledge. They focused on their reputation of naval excellence, artistry, philosophy, medicinal attributes and their democracy.
Clothes
Fashion is different everywhere. To some societies, seeing naked tribal peoples is shocking while to some seeing the conservative clothes of the Amish is equally gobsmacking.
The cut, style and color of clothes is and always will be a staple in society. One land may wear light linens and silks due to the warmth while another may wear furs and wool. Different styles in each land can attribute a larger sense of vastness and space in the world.
There will be different tastes and limits everywhere. In some countries they will prefer short clothes and some may choose long clothes.
General factors of a land’s choice of clothing are sourcing, wealth, weather and opinion.
Marriage Through an Anthropological Lens: For Worldbuilding
Heya! Worldbuilding is a tough nut to crack and sometimes it helps me to look at it from an angle other than purely creative. Anthropology, specifically cultural anthropology, can be a good start.
This is far from a comprehensive rundown of marriage in anthropology, but it’s a good place to start. And please remember, this is only the anthropological scope of marriage across our own world cultures. It’s not a broad look or about weddings or about specific cultures.
The Social Purposes of Marriage
Control property ownership and inheritance
Provide social/emotional needs of individuals
Maintain a group or bloodline
Establish alliances (financial, social, political, etc)
Child rearing
How to apply this to your worldbuilding: The motivation for marriage comes in different shapes and sizes than simply love. Adding diversity to this front reflects the diversity in our own world and adds potential conflict for subplots.
The Incest Taboo (and why it matters)
The incest taboo is the stigma of marriage within one’s family, whether that only be immediate family or any blood/legal relatives at all. It’s important because it is found cross-culturally in our world, meaning it’s a nearly universal rule. While the motive for the stigma has evolved in modern times, it originated because of infertility and other birth defects caused by blood relatives reproducing.
Historically, marriage between cousins has avoided this taboo.
How to apply this to your worldbuilding: If nearly everyone on our planet finds incest taboo, chances are your world will, too. Yeah… that’s all I’m going to say on this subject.
Endogamy and Exogamy
These terms describe the social relation between the people involved in a marriage.
Exogamy is when a person marries outside their age group, class, ethnicity, religion, and/or region. It’s more common in diverse areas or when transportation/travel is accessible. One of the benefits of this is the expansion of kinship.
Endogamy is the opposite of exogamy when a person marries within these parameters. The benefits are usually in the perpetuation of a group or community.
How to apply this to your worldbuilding: The societal views on this topic are usually much less strict or obvious than other marriage standards. However, it’s important to think about whether a person, group, or society would expect one over the other and why. If your world has a caste system, then it would probably be stricter on endogamy.
The Exchanges of Marriage
Marriage is often accompanied by social and property exchanges. Here are a few anthropology terms related to this concept*:
hypergamy: “marrying up”; one of the spouses involved raises their social and/or monetary status through the marriage
bridewealth: the groom’s family pays the bride’s family money in exchange for the marriage
brideservice: wherein the groom must provide physical labor for the bride’s family before marriage
dowry: the bride’s family pays the groom’s family
*keep in mind, these are based on hetero- and cis-normative assumptions and would be altered for same-gender or nonbinary-partner marriages.
How to apply this to your worldbuilding: Again, sometimes marriage is partially an exchange of money. Who pays whose family depends on the societal views of gender.
Residence after Marriage
Where the new couple lives after marriage can be a big cultural thing. It’s not always written in stone but usually is expected by a family or society. There are 5 major categories of residence*:
Patrilocality
this is when the new couple lives near/with the groom’s family
found in cultures that value male status and power
50-70% of marriages in our world fall under this category
Matrilocality
this is when the new couple lives near/with the bride’s family
advocates for female control and matriarchal kinship
often found in agricultural societies
Avunculocality
this is when the new couple lives near/with the groom’s mother’s brother and his family (his uncle)
it’s a thing because of a bunch of property rights/inheritance mumbo jumbo
rare, only 4% found in our world
Neolocality
this is when the new couple starts their own, independent household
smaller household in comparison to the others
it is private and mobile but requires a good amount of personal wealth
*again, these are based on hetero- and cis-normative assumptions for the most part
How to apply this to your worldbuilding: different families and societies come with different needs. Agricultural families need more hands than urban ones do.
Polygamy
Marriage between two individuals is called monogamy and is (surprisingly) not the most common in our world. In anthropology, there are two ways to have more than one partner.
Polygyny: When a man has two or more wives; most common in our world. > Sororal polygyny is when a man marries two or more sisters (sister-wives)
Polyandry: When a woman has two or more husbands, rare in our world.
The motives for polygamy are varied from anything like religious views to the societal view of a gender’s status.
How to apply this to your worldbuilding: The most common form I see polygamy in fantasy novels is with royalty. However, in our own world, it is most often found in smaller, more rural societies and communities. This could also be a part of your religion worldbuilding.
To Remember
Marriage, weddings, and their traditions all hinge upon other worldbuilding categories including, but not limited to: religion, family and parenting, government, and gender & sexuality. Make sure you consider everything as a whole when worldbuilding certain categories.
Writing sword fights -- a few technical tips from your local fencer
Now a disclaimer: I’ve only been fencing for a few months, and am by no means an expert. However, there are a few things you learn in your first fencing lessons that easily translate to writing sword fights.
A general piece of advice if you want to write technically sound, believable sword fights: if it looks like it belongs in a Pirates of the Carribean movie…it’s not technically sound.
One: Your fighters shouldn’t be too close.
In fencing, there’s something called lunging distance. This means that you should be far enough away that even with your foil (sword) extended, you can only hit your opponent if you lunge. There may be times that warrant getting closer than this, but only by a step or two. If your fighters are close enough to touch each other with their hands, they’re too close.
Why?
Because if you get that close, A) it’s harder for you to hit your opponent, and B) you’re making it easier for them to hit you.
See this? Every time they attack, they lunge to close the distance rather than rushing in. This gif is a good example of lunging distance.
Two: Movements should be small!!!!
This is a big one. Parrying (knocking your opponent’s blade off course with your own) should use just enough power to alter the course of the blade. If your charecters are slapping each other’s blades halfway across the room, they’re doing it wrong. You can’t parry someone else’s blade without moving your own. The more you move their’s, the longer it will take you to get back in position to strike. WASTED TIME IS BAD AND IF IT’S A REAL FIGHT IT COULD BE FATAL.
Three: En Garde exists for a reason.
En Garde is the director’s call for fencers to get into position. Your non-gloved (AKA the hand NOT holding the weapon) goes behind you to act as a counterweight. As for your gloved (weapon) hand, the elbow should be bent enough that the tip of the foil angles at your opponent’s face.
This is not the attack position, but it’s just as important.
With your foil in En Garde, it’s easiest to parry, as well as make more offensive measures like taking the blade. Unless your character is attacking (in which case their arm should be fully extended) they should not move far from the En Garde blade positioning. If they drop the weapon towards their feet, raise it to the sky, or T-pose with it (which I have seen), they’re opening themselves up for a clean attack. They’ll be defenseless, and won’t be in a position to parry in time.
Four: Fencing really is a physical chess match
Your charecters should be thinking a few steps ahead. It’s not just waiting for the perfect moment to strike – it’s creating that moment. If one character attacks, the other should parry, and follow through with an attack of their own. Charecters may try to trick each other with moves like the disengage (acting like you’re going to hit them on the left side, then going under their parry to hit the right and vice versa). The fighters should be playing off of each other’s moves! Unlike most sports, fencing itsn’t solely a game of out-powering your opponent. The key really is to outsmart them.
Hopefully, this helped with some of the more technical aspects of fencing and sword fights!! If you have questions, I’m more than happy to try and answer them to the best of my ability!
Crowning a King
You have an heir to the throne. Maybe he’s a good guy. Maybe he’s not. Maybe he’s not even that important. Maybe you’re not even going to write about this heir and you’re only looking to worldbuild.
Even in modern times, kings and queens have a coronation ceremony. Each ceremony differs depending on culture. And there’s a lot about a coronation, usually symbolism, that’s understood by the culture, but on the outside might be strange to behold.
So where to start?
How does the ruler come into power? If he’s a conquering ruler, then becoming ruler of a conquered nation might look different than being crowned ruler. However, how the ruler inherits the throne can shape how the coronation looks. Did he gain it through lineage? Was is a vote? Was he appointed? Did the military generals give him their favor and put him on the throne? Those who put the ruler on the throne may have a small part of the ceremony to show that they give their approval to this person. The father gives him his blessing. The mother passes a cup. The generals robe him. A representative of the people hand him a gift that indicates the people are putting their trust in him. This part of the ceremony doesn’t necessarily have to be done in the view of the public, though the result of the ceremony is usually seen (wearing a robe, holding a cup, etc.).
A parade Love him or hate him, the country is still going to want to see their new ruler. And more often than not, he or the officials around him are going to want to show the people their new ruler. The ruler will take a path through the streets of the capitol, or whatever city where the crowning takes place, and end up at the place where he is to be officially declared king. He could march throw the streets as a show of strength and might, ride on a specific steed to show either humility or again strength, or he could even ride in a carriage to show his importance. His interaction with the people can be a sign of culture or personality. Is he supposed to look at the people? Wave at them? Smile? Stare straight ahead? And if so, why? In addition to this procession of the king coming to power, he could be followed by those holding the crown or another item of significance.
Anointing the king It could be with ash, oil, or another substance that the culture deems important. Maybe the anointing isn’t done physically, but symbolically. It’s usually done by someone else of importance, such as the priest or bishop of the state religion. By a certain advisor. By an individual that was blessed.
How do the deities play into this? If your culture is rooted in religion, the ceremony is going to involve that religion. Symbolism is going to run deep in the ceremony. Some cultures may believe that the king is a descendant of the god(s), and there’s going to be a part of the ceremony to declare to the people that this king is indeed the descendant. If not a descendant, than a show that this king is blessed by the god(s). Perhaps it’s waiting around for a sign, whether it is sudden rain, a large flock of doves flying by; anything to indicate that the god(s) have smiled upon the crowning of this ruler.
Swearing in Perhaps the king is asked a series of questions (Example: ”Do you so swear to reign over this country [in the sight of deity]?” “I solemnly swear.”). Or perhaps the “swearing in” is less of verbal oaths and instead of symbolism (once again). Perhaps the rejecting of something considered important in the culture to show the people that he is for them and will put aside desires for them, such as the pouring of wine on the cobblestones or the burning of a cloth.
The sacrifice In some cultures a sacrifice is necessary for the crowning of the king. Usually to the god(s) of the state religion. Or it could even be a long time tradition to mean good luck. If going with a sacrifice, it usually would be a specific animal/thing each time. Such as a bull in its prime or another animal of great magnificence. Or the burning of a certain plant or thing, such as incense or a flower.
Placing the Crown on the Head When to actually crown the king? Anytime, really. The crown can be put on the king’s head out of view of the people, during the small private ceremony. Maybe it’s after the parade. After all the vows and oaths. After the swearing in. Wherever it makes sense according to the culture. The crown wold typically be placed on his head by someone of importance. A general. A bishop. A noble. A wizard. The crown, while a symbol of status, doesn’t necessarily need to be the focus of the ceremony.
All of the things listed above do not have to have a particular order. The march through the streets could happen after the whole ceremony as a show off of the new king. The sacrifice could start off the ceremony. They could end up waiting for a sign before the ceremony can start. But a couple of things to keep in mind and ask yourself: -A ceremony is going to be steeped in a lot of symbolism. What each thing means is going to be obvious to the culture. -What role do deities play in this? -The bigger the nation, the bigger, grander the ceremony.
If your world is heavily influenced by magic, you might also want to consider what kind of influence magic has on the ceremony. I also know that I used “king” through the entire thing, but I do want to make a note that this could also be used for queens, unless your culture handles the genders differently.
Okay writers, here is one sure-fire way to punch your readers in the gut: Make them fall in love with a particular place and then set it on fire. Let me give you a few examples:
We fell in love with Hogwarts:
And then it was on fire:
We fell in love with Asgard:
And then it was on fire:
We fell in love with The Burrow:
And then it was on fire:
We fell in love with Erebor even though we only saw it in its former glory for a couple of minutes:
And then it was on fire:
We fell in love with the sprite and her forest on Fantasia:
And then it was all on fire:
We fell in love with Bobby Singer’s house and then it burned down. I couldn’t find a picture of it after it burned, but you get the gist by now.
I know how hard it can be to pour your heart and soul into a character or a place in your writing and then have something bad happen to it, but I’m taking creative writing in college and one of the most valuable tips I’ve learned so far is that as a writer, you should never pull your punches.
Advice for World-Building 1
As a long time Table Top role-player, I have a bunch of top secret techniques for creating a fully fleshed0out world rather quickly. Especially when you need to give your players a place to explore on short notice.
Here is an easy way to turn a small town that is basically just a quest-giving-tavern attached to a inn, into a rich, thriving civilization. The trick is:
Economics.
Ask yourself, what does this place make, what does this place need?
Establishing the economic landscape of the village and how it relates to the area around it can work miracles for world building.
Does the town have a community of hunters? Once the meat is smoked how is it distributed/sold? Do they harvest lumber? If so how do they keep that industry sustainable without chopping down every single tree? Are there druids who calm the animal and regrow the fallen trees?
Does it have any specific artisanal goods? Who trains the next generation of craftsmen? Is this village the only one in the area that can craft this specific item? Does that make them a target for competitors who want their secret techniques?
What local animals could be tamed to assist in transporting the exports? How does the local wildlife treat the villagers? Is there issues from monster/animal attacks and how does the village defend itself?
What goods are important enough that the village will invest in protection from bandits while transporting it? If they easily produce tons of wheat, but it takes a lot of effort to grow sugar cane, who do they trade that sugar cane to in order to get a return on investment?
Once trade is complete, who gets the profits? Is there a merchants guild or union that makes sure the profits are fairly split? Or does a mafia control the flow of money? Is this town a branch of a larger trade union so there are hostilities between the locals and the out of town guild members?
What resource does the town lack? What resource would cripple the town if it was suddenly cut off or their trade partner couldn’t produce enough of?
Once you are able to answer a few of these questions quickly, you can establish a locations unique identity with only a few of these points.
When you combine two of more of these question you can start to build a narrative that can facilitate stories.
Example:
The Old Lor-Ahmek Parish:
Produces: Gold, Iron, Stone, Jewelry, Well Trained Archers
Requires: Labour, Produce, Transportation, Fabrics.
The abandoned castle once belonged to a vassal of the old King. The bitterly cold lands were given to a young lord as a show of good faith during a treaty signing. The lands turned out to be un-farmable since it was so far North that the harvest season was too sort to turn a profit. The lord sunk most of his fortune in building his massive castle and died in poverty. The land was returned to the king and was then gifted to a small sect of monks and turned into a Parish for study and meditation.
It was a costly slice of land since it had no exports, until an excavation intended to expand a catacomb revealed rich deposits of iron and gold underneath the mountain.
The parish was not equipped to become a full smithery so the iron and gold needs to be transported through the treacherous badlands to a warmer village in the South, where they have enough coal and lumber to keep their furnaces lit.
The monks of Lor-Ahmek study alchemy and various sciences, so while they can’t work with the materials on a large scale, they do craft jewelry and delicate accessories while they experiment on new metalworking techniques.
In order to dig the monks brought in prisoners from the central kingdom to work off their crimes in the mine, and they spend their nights trying to convert lost souls. Because of the long stretches of cold badlands, Lor-Ahmek makes for a very functional prison. No one can escape without enough food and clothes to survive the blizzards. Many prisoners become monks themselves once their sentence is paid off, since it is easier than trying to escape. Not to mention day after day of the monks persistent conversion attempts tends to wear them down.
Due to the large amount of ex-prisoner converts, the monks of Lor-Ahmek are hardened and trained in various forms of combat. The wide variety of prisoners brought from all across the world means that Lor-Ahmek is a melting pot of diversity. The sharing of cultures has created a unique cuisine of hardy stews and spiced meats. The delicious warm foodstuffs attracts travelers that plan on heading further North and the upper layers function as one large tourist trap.
The stone brought up from the mine in search of more ore has been used to build wind-resistant walls the dot the desolate landscape. Guard patrols run from wall to wall and have to train their archers to fire with the curvature of the wind. The central kingdom sends their elite archers here to train them in cover based combat, as the conditions of Lor-Ahmek result in archers who can curve their long ranged arrows and hit enemies behind cover.
Food is often scarce and large cave dwelling bat-creatures are raised for their meat and milk. The archers hunt the rabbit-creatures and elk-creatures for meat, and when the massive rhino-moose migrate, it is almost a rite of passage to hunt one of the enormous creatures down as a team. The rough hides of the local fauna are useful, but Lor-Ahmek often trades for finer furs from the South to line their clothes for warmth. Vegetables and fruit are expensive delicacies, since only root-tubers and mushrooms grown in insulated mine shafts.
The King often has to pay mercenaries and merchant caravans to move dangerous prisoners to Lor-Ahmek in exchange for the precious minerals, so a strict royal merchants guild controls the parishes finances. The Monks have taken a vow of poverty and the prisoners make no money so nearly all of the profits go to the King, covering the cost of transportation by the profits made off the gold and iron.
The monks and prisoners have to maintain the ancient crumbling estate and since profits go to the King, very little is provided for upkeep. Grey handmade clay mortar (dug up from the mine) is used for repairs, giving the buildings a cold, unsettling aesthetic.
The mine itself goes deep into the earth and uses a massive network of pulleys and elevators to move stones and ore. Cave-ins happen as the mine-shafts dig outwards under the surrounding tundra, and sometimes they run into warrens that belong to dangerous burrowing monsters. When this happens the tunnel is intentionally collapsed and the prisoners within are often left for dead.
Already this location provides for many quests and plot threads, such as:
A bounty is placed on one of the Monks: A violent prisoner has paid off their debt and found peace at the parish, but the family of the victim still wants blood. The other monks refuse to let their new brother go since they consider his past sins forgiven, and the target has to be convinced to give himself up, taken by force or allowed to escape his bounty.
A gang of criminals wants you to go into the mines and rescue their trapped comrades: A cave-in trapped some prisoners that were members of a gang. The leader of the gang knows the monks and guards will not spare the men to rescue the prisoners. The gang can’t pay you much but you will earn the favor of the gang if you save their friends in time.
A caravan was lost in the blizzard: The yearly trade caravan of ore was run off the road by a blizzard and the monks worry they will be found by bandits before they get back on the road. A lot of survival and tracking skills are needed to brave the harsh climate and find the lost merchants in time, if they are not rescued the Parish is in great financial danger.
Transport a valuable reliquary: The monks have been using gold to craft a powerful alchemic reliquary and need to hire couriers to move it South undetected. However, this reliquary contains powerful magic and there are shady individuals willing to pay you more to NOT complete your quest.
Ghosts in the Mine: So many prisoners have died untimely deaths in the hungry mines that ghosts are appearing, and hindering the mining operations. Adventurers who can banish the dark spirits will be well rewarded to cover up the indifference of the monk overseers.
Master Archery Challenge: An elderly guard has valuable information for the adventurers current main quest, but he won’t share his secrets until a member of the party proves themselves on the ice fields. A high level ranger or rouge might be able to compete against the Master Archer and victory might result in learning the secret techniques of the Lor-Ahmek. (Basic Ranged Attacks now ignore cover bonuses.)
There are lots of other techniques for fast world building but building stories through what they need/have is one of my favorites.
Let me know if you want to see more guides to World-Building/Character Building.
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Rennie Advice for Fantasy Writing
WEAPONS - Swords were expensive and not common. - They required a lot of maintenance, to keep them sharp and rust free, to ensure they weren’t bent or cracked or chipped. - You wouldn’t just adventure around with a notched blade. - A razor edge would not cut through bone; for that, you need a chisel edge. - Swords feel heavy if you don’t have the muscles built up, you can’t just pick one up and be able to start swinging accurately without practice. - Never throw. Dumb move, now you’re unarmed. - Bows take years to learn well; crossbows don’t. - Always unstring bow when not in use. - Always carry extra bowstring, don’t let it get wet. - More commonly quiver is hung from the belt. - Arrow wounds are serious. No valiant pincushion charges, no ripping it out. Require medical help. - Shields aren’t just for hiding; they’re for crowding and breaking teeth.
If I think of more lessons they taught me, I’ll add.
Worldbuilding Tips: The Five Visitors
You’ve done it. You’ve come up with an idea for your fantasy world, but right now it’s mostly curb appeal and decorations without much else. So, you have the skin and flavor of your fictional world, but what if you’re having a bit of trouble coming up with the meat needed to make your world juicy and delicious? Well, I have a little game that can help flesh out your world.
Imagine a ship or whatever other kind of vehicle arriving on the shores or outskirts of your fantasy land and from that vehicle emerges 5 people from our own mundane world: a historian, an economist, an anthropologist, a diplomat, and a cartographer. There are some other visitors, but these are going to be the most universally beneficial.
The Historian:
This person is going to be interested in the backstory of your world. They don’t need to know every minuscule detail (though they wouldn’t turn that much information down) and just a general overview would be much obliged. Many fantasy worlds such as Tolkien’s Middle Earth and Martin’s Westeros are far more rich and interesting due to the amount of effort put into crafting their world’s histories. If you’re stumped, look to real world history for inspiration. It doesn’t even need to come from the middle ages so long as it works for your story. You should be able to answer questions like: How long has the dominant civilization been around? What are the biggest defining moments in your world’s history? What things are common knowledge that every child is expected to learn (such as George Washington being the first president of the USA) and which stuff is known more by historians and social studies teachers? And as you’re discussing the rest of the visitors, think back on how the answers you give would impact the historical aspect.
The Economist:
You don’t have to know the exact cost of every single thing in your world, but have a good guess. Be able to at least have a scale of price. If someone can buy a loaf of bread for 13 of your world’s currency, but a house costs 17, that would mean that either that bread is very expensive, that house is very cheap, or each unit of your currency is equal to a lot of real world money. Whatever you use to refer to your currency, keep not only price scaling in mind, but economics. If you have a port city, there’s going to be a lot of merchants in that area. The first primary export you’re likely to see in such a port town would be seafood, but also keep in mind the things that are closet to that port, as well as the climate. Greece for instance is a very rocky and mountainous country, so while they can grow crops, they would not have been any match for medieval French Aquitaine, the crown jewel of medieval farming territory. It’s also worth remembering that food in the middle ages was far more valuable than it is today. There was an old saying that wheat is worth its weight in gold. It was southern France’s bountiful soil that caused it to become one of the richest and most coveted territories in medieval Europe. So, keep in mind where resources would come from and where they would need to go, as well as trade that would be useful. A seaside farming town might not have any good access to raw minerals, while a city in the frozen mountainous north might not be able to grow crops, but are bountiful in minerals. The correlation of supply and demand now opens a vital trade route between them. This becomes more complex when the topic of war comes into play. The kingdom that supplies your crops and food is at war with your oldest ally. Now there’s a dilemma between having enough food to feed your people, or betraying the trust of a long time friend. Now your world building can be used as a part of your drama and narrative tension. The economy also impacts culture. What is considered a display of wealth, or is a common status symbol? What are the living conditions of the poor, the working class, the rich, and the aristocrats? Is there upward mobility? In the middle ages, you were what you were for the most part, especially serfs: peasants tied to their land. It was illegal to leave your territory, but there was a saying in the middle ages that “city air makes you free” that once a serf made it to a city, they’d be free of the life they’ve escaped.
The Anthropologist:
Every society has a culture. The way they act, think, dress, believe, talk. It’s all impacted by culture. Beliefs tend to be tied either to what has come before, or based on the world as observed. While many modern fantasy pantheons are based on ancient Greece, it’s not the only model to live by. In a loose interpretation, religion in it’s earliest stages was a rudimentary science used to explain why things happened. A culture that developed along rivers, sea coasts, and other popular trade routes are far more likely to be diverse melting pots due to the frequent traffic of people coming and going, and the common sight of foreigners choosing to set down roots. Meanwhile, a more out of the way and isolated culture is far less likely to have widespread cultural diversity. Tying back into history, a country that has experienced a number of successful wars may tend to think of themselves as invincible, or may try to police the issues of other countries, assuming they’re always on the right side, or that they can’t be defeated. The same culture may ask a high price of any other culture that asks them for militaristic support. Ask what things your people value, be they material or abstract ideals. However, try to refrain from creating a Planet of Hats, a trope often seen in Star Trek and similar Sci-Fi shows and even some Fantasy stories where everyone of a single race all have mostly the same skills, interests, personalities, and roles in the global culture. This is also the time to start thinking about myths, legends, folk heroes, and historical people and events worth celebrating, as this may be when you start to craft holidays or celebrations. This could also lead into discussing religion, and the gods or lack there of that might be celebrated by your culture. How does your society reflect itself in art, music, literature, dance. Does the way someone dresses tell you something about their place in society? Some taboos come from simple logic. The reason it’s frowned upon to eat a cow in India is the same reason it’s immoral to eat horse in western culture. Both are beast of burden livestock worth a lot more alive than dead. Cows produce milk, a source of nutrients and health. Horses are strong and were used in just about everything from plowing fields to pulling entire families or communities a great distance. Horses even became status symbols, as even in modern culture, owning a horse or pony is still considered to be (largely) a snobby rich person thing. Understanding not only what your people believe, but even just a vague idea why they would believe it is a vital aspect.
The Diplomat:
As this landing party is your fantasy world’s first contact with our own reality. How would they react to the newcomers? If there’s more than one society in your world, how would each society, country, kingdom, race, etc. react to something completely foreign? Would they try to forge an alliance? Open trade negotiations? Declare war? Prepare a feast? How would they feel about the way we dress? act? talk? How would they react to different levels of progression in technology? Could an unbiased third party from our world help two feuding sides come to peace with one another? How would they feel about knowing of a world beyond their own? Are there actions or behaviors acceptable in our own society that are considered offensive to them?
The Cartographer:
Although it’s not necessary that all fantasy worlds have a fully designed map, it is a good idea to have at least a rough idea of where things are in relation to one another. This can tell you about climate, resources, wildlife, natural borders, natural disasters, food chains, and more. It’s worth at least taking a crash course in understanding how geographical biomes tend to be laid out in order to make your world feel more real. Some authors claim that a world map is the single most important feature, others say it’s not that important. Frankly, trust your gut based on the kind of world you have. You may need a map, you may not. It really depends on the size and scope of your world. For instance, with Disney’s
Zootopia
, the entire world doesn’t matter. The audience doesn’t need to know where in the world Zootopia is, or what climate or biome it’s in. Zootopia itself is the world being built, and the separate districts and biomes of the city explain the world that’s being focused on.
Secondary Visitors:
They may still be important to your world, but are less likely to be universally helpful to all people.
Biologist: if your world has creatures beyond those found in our real world, it may be worth exploring how their bodies work on a more scientific level in order to give more realistic weight to their supernatural abilities.
Linguist/Translator: If you feel compelled to come up with a language no matter how basic or complex, it may be worth while to consider the problems with communication. this may also extend to unique idioms, colloquialisms, and slang native to your fantasy world.
Teacher/Scholar: Regardless of whether or not there is a formal education system in place in your world, a teacher may be interested in how knowledge is passed down, and what information the culture might have that would be unknown to people of our world. Whether that’s how to keep a wild animal from charging you, to knowing how to forge a mineral that exists only in your world, being able to readily answer questions is generally considered to be a good thing.
Healer: There may be healing spells in your world, there may not, but most fantasy stories tend to involve either action or adventure, both of which tend to cause fights. And since fights tend to lead to injuries, it’s important to know what can and cannot be treated, and how readily available these healing abilities are to the public.
Wizards with Telepathic Magic in Most Fantasy:
“I can read you like an open book, and I know your every secret.”
“You’re going to forget everything you ever knew, and you will become my loyal servant.”
“He peered too deep into the Dark Lord’s mind and it drove him insane.”
“Let’s see how brave you still are when your deepest fears come to life before your very eyes!”
“Prepare to experience pain more exquisite than you can possibly imagine!”
“Aaah!! There’s something blocking my abilities. He must have magical psychic barriers in place too powerful for me to get through!”
Wizards with Telepathic Magic in My Fantasy
“Look, I would love to tell you the name of that mysterious stranger across the room, but I’ve been listening in to her thoughts for the last hour and I still have no idea. The fact is, most people don’t think of themselves by name in their own head unless they’re a megalomaniac or saying their daily affirmations.”
“Ow!! How many times do I have to tell you to wait for the signal before punching somebody?! It takes me a minute to get out of their head first!”
“My least favorite part of school was being required to take Counterspell classes every stinking year. See, what they don’t tell you is that out in the real world, all you need to do to stop another wizard from casting spells is read their mind, and then send their own thoughts back to them with just a slight delay. It drives them nuts, and I’ve never seen anybody manage to finish a spell while getting jammed like that. Well, not without messing something up, anyway. I mean, I get that this trick only works for mind mages, so maybe Counterspells should be required for everybody else, but it felt like a HUGE waste of time for me.”
“Ugh! This guy’s mind is REALLY boring. I’m gonna poke around his olfactory inventory and see if there’s any smells that will get some interesting memories bubbling up to the surface.”
“Look, I think you’re overestimating the importance of ‘subtlety’ here. Everybody seems to think mind magic only works if people are tricked, or they don’t realize it’s 'all in their head,’ or something like that. But when I make someone think they’re completely naked during a battle, it doesn’t matter if they know it’s a spell. They could look me straight in the eye and know their clothes are still there, but they’re still gonna be covering up their bits.”
“No, I didn’t use 'mind control’ to get rid of them! It’s hard enough controlling my own body, let alone some random strangers. All I did was disable their ability to ignore how badly they need to pee. They should get it back in a few hours.”
“HOLY CRAP, THAT WAS AWESOME!! I can’t believe you just did that! Did everybody else see that?! OK, real quick, everybody close your eyes and I’ll replay the memory so you can all see how cool it looked from my perspective.”
“I can never repay you for saving my life, but I’d like to give you something special anyway. From this day forward, henceforth and forevermore, the texture of celery will no longer bother you. Like, it’s still up to you whether you choose to eat it or whether you actually enjoy it. But the texture thing won’t be a factor anymore. In all honesty, you were probably going to get over it yourself in another five years or so, but this should give you a little head start.”
Be the Change You Want to See
worldbuilding: problems
there’s no place where everything runs smoothly. every country has it’s problems. that might be poverty, weak government, fake news, gun violence, or abuse of magical abilities. it could really be anything. so what’s wrong with your world?
what could go wrong:
poverty
corrupt government (a few infiltrations? biased officials? a dictator?)
discrimination/persecution of any kind (sexism, racism, religion, anything that makes someone unique)
violence (gangs, guns, magic, sexual assault)
failing economy
counterfeits (money, expensive products, anything)
drugs (fake drugs, very real and dangerous drugs)
weak government (ie. the government isn’t necessarily corrupt, but no one listens to them and they have no real power at all so everyone just runs amok)
environmental crisis
relations with other countries/regions
war
fake news (can be something smaller like what goes around on the internet today, or something as horrible as the propaganda the axis powers fed their people about the allied powers)
scarcity
terrorist groups
stereotypes (remember, even seemingly positive stereotypes can be damaging)
manipulation/using people
there’s a whole lot more, get creative! as saddening as this will be, scrolling through news articles will give you some good inspiration because our world is pretty messed up
how to choose which problems to include
what is your world like? as obvious as this probably sounds, your world’s problems are directly related to the things in your world. choose pretty much any element of your world, however small it may seem, and there can be made a problem out of it.
in a world of magic:
magic can be abused
magic can be faked (ie. in harry potter, around exam season, students sell items that “enhance your brain” or whatever when it’s really pixie poop, i’m not even kidding)
discrimination between magical and non magical people (muggleborns vs. purebloods)
people rely too much on magic and become weak (a great example of this is the Renegades series, where the non prodigies depend on the prodigies way too much)
non magic people using magical people (or magical people using other magicals, ex. grindelwald/percival graves using creedence to find the obscurial)
really, the problems for a magical world are endless - you can use regular real-life problems with a twist. the magical government lies to the public, buying out the main news source? people of pure magical lineage are somehow better than those related to non magical people? harry potter is a fantastic example of magical worldbuilding, steal stuff from jkr (but don’t make gay characters who are never actually gay)
in a world of science:
i’m a big fantasy nerd, much less sci-fi, so i don’t really have any good examples from books/movies, but here are some ideas anyway
the people who live on a different planet are starting to run out of resources and take over the earth (literally the plot of the Lunar Chronicles series)
the government is testing out new sciencey techy stuff and they accidentally make superhuman demon things (Incredibles, but they’re nice guys, not demon things, except maybe jack jack but he’s a cutie don’t hurt him)
terrorist groups steal a smart guy to make weapons for them (Iron Man)
the world is dying
two + planets are fighting over something
technology/inventions/whatever can be abused
wow these are terrible i’m sorry i need to read more sci-fi
again, you can take regular real world problems and put a sciencey twist on them; a gang that kills people with laserbeam contact lenses, a new invention that uses a very rare element that’s important to the ecosystem and is starting to destroy the planet, the little robots we send to mars become self aware and build a colony of robots. go off sis