Category: Research & Worldbuilding

December 23, 2021

When the Plot Doesn’t Matter

What? Is that ever true? Yes, actually. There are times when the plot doesn’t matter because it isn’t the main reason for reading or watching. Shows & Books Where the Plot Isn’t Important Ok, yes, they all have plots; however, the plots are very predictable, very simple, or “a series of unfortunate events.” In fact in some of these examples,...

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September 11, 2018

How Events Can Change a Culture & Its History

On day’s like today, memories make the weight and power of history more tangible. We are reminded of very personal experiences with ways that events can change a culture. A history. So it seems like an appropriate day to talk about it. Events That Changed History & How There are many different kinds of events that affect our cultures and...

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May 29, 2018

What Holidays to Honor the Dead Have in Common

Thinking about Memorial Day yesterday made me wonder about holidays for the dead in other countries. So I looked it up (like I do). From a writer’s perspective (specifically with worldbuilding in mind), I thought it was very interesting that there are certain details that holidays to honor the dead have in common, regardless of country or culture. Festivals to...

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November 9, 2017

How Are Soldiers and Veterans Treated in Your Story?

If your story includes a war or other military conflict, then, there is one question that absolutely needs answered when you worldbuild: how are soldiers and veterans treated in your story? Society’s Attitude Towards Soldiers and Veterans With Veteran’s Day coming up quickly, I’ve found myself thinking about different examples of how soldiers and veterans are treated in books and...

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October 19, 2017

Writing Fall: It’s More Than a Season

When building a world, we need to sprinkle in aspects of our world as well as new creations from reimagining our world. That includes seasons, and since Fall has finally arrived, it’s the perfect time to discuss why writing fall isn’t only leaves and cold breezes – it’s more than a season. Worldbuilding Fall What do I mean by “it’s...

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December 8, 2016

Very Different Takes on Fairy Folklore

Maybe it’s all the commercials with not-so-bright Christmas elves (sometimes annoyingly so), but lately, I’ve had faeries on the brain. And, being me, that makes me think of how they’re used in books and how different authors have very different takes on fairy folklore. Have you ever listed all the books you’ve read that used old fairy folklore as inspiration? Well, don’t...

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December 6, 2016

How Crimes Change over Time

If you read “Crime, Punishment, & Worldbuilding,” then you already know my thoughts on how useful it is to think about legal systems when it comes to realistic worldbuilding. I also briefly mentioned that crimes change over time, but in your story, that really only matters in one of three cases: 1. the story is set in a period of unrest (A.K.A. social change), 2....

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November 22, 2016

When Realism Attempts Backfire

We want our stories to feel real. We try to research enough to get the big details right, and sometimes, we try go further. We try to salt the entire story with traditions and jargon and research that makes it seem even more real. And there’s nothing wrong with that – except when we’re writing about something we know nothing about. When we...

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November 15, 2016

5 Most Overlooked Resources for Worldbuilding Research

When you’re worldbuilding, you want to make the world you’re creating feel both realistic and new. That means you need elements that feel familiar and elements that are unexpected (especially if your story is fantasy or science fiction). Research is useful for the new aspects and absolutely vital for giving an impression of realism. Besides the library and the internet in general...

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October 4, 2016

Crime, Punishment, & Worldbuilding

Unless you’re a lawyer, judge, career criminal, or bdsm enthusiast, you probably don’t spend too much time thinking about crime and punishment. And why would you? It’s not something you study in school. It’s more like how we learn social cues – things you pick up over time through stories from family and friends, television and movies, and life experience (although...

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