Don't worldbuild at the cost of wonder! In this episode of The WorldCraft Club, James and Dave delve into the origins of worldbuilding, tracing it back to ancient myths and fairy tales. They discuss how early storytelling, through tales of trolls, fairies, and elves, laid the groundwork for what would become known as worldbuilding, notably evolving with Tolkien's work. The episode explores the distinction between allegory and modern worldbuilding, examines Tolkien's impact, and considers the importance of wonder and mystery in storytelling. The conversation touches on different perceptions of creatures like trolls and elves across various stories and how worldbuilding today often seeks a balance between realism and the fantastical, inspired by the awe and imagination of ancient tales. Links Dave's Books - Join Talon squad on an epic adventure across a galaxy full of danger and excitement!The Only Link You'll Ever Need - The WorldCraft Club LinkTree with links to our Discord, YouTube and of course the Worldbuilder's Journal.

In this episode of the WorldCraft Club podcast, James is joined by guests Max Moyer, an epic fantasy author of 'Zodak the Last Shielder', his brother Eli, and audiobook narrator Dallin. They discuss the creative process behind the making of the 'Zodak the Last Shielder' audiobook, highlighting the collaborative effort required to bring the fantasy world to life through nuanced voice acting. Max and Eli share their journey from ideation to publishing, emphasizing the challenges and rewards of creating an audiobook. Dallin explains the artistry involved in narrating, from adopting multiple accents to add depth to the characters, to working closely with the authors to ensure their vision is faithfully translated into spoken word. The podcast underscores the value of collaboration in storytelling, inviting listeners to consider how different perspectives and expertise can enrich their own creative projects. The episode wraps up with where to find 'Zodak the Last Shielder' and an encouragement for storytellers to embrace collaborative feedback through friends, family, and collaborators. Key Takeaways - Inviting others into your project can deepen your worldbuilding by interrogating it with new expertise and insights. Share you're work with collaborators and friends in a variety of ways from short stories to live readings to illuminate your setting. Links - Zodak the Last Shielder - Available now on Amazon and other places fine books are sold.Dallin's ACX Profile - So you can check him out for your next project. WorldCraft Club - Come create with us at our Discord!See everything else the Club has to offer.

Check out this episode on YouTube! Adaptations are BIG right now! Live action interpretations of childhood shows (like Avatar the Last Airbender, or anime like One Piece) or books being turned into movies or comics, there is so much IP out there to be adapted. Today Seth and I talk through why a lot of these adaptations receive harsh criticism, how creatives should frame their work for adaptation, and why adaptations are even made to begin with! Check out the only link you'll ever need

In a WorldCraft Club first, we interview an animation studio, YGKrow, and talk about the process of animation and how it can enhance your worldbuilding. In this episode we explore the differences between the eastern and western approach to animation and what that reveals about the priorities of each. Key Takeaways Ma (Space) - Leave room for your creation to breath. You don't always have to fill the air with more content if what you've already created is rich with meaning. What this can mean is that you shouldn't be afraid to linger on a scene or a worldbuilding concept that's already where it needs to be. Know what you're making and let your audience enjoy it without every detail being explored.Kinetic Spectacle - Feel free to create something that is straight from the heart. Your unique style. Your goal is not necessarily a realism but rather expression.Economy - You only have so many words you can fit on a page, only have so much attention from your audience that you can spend. Remember this and keep your content important or good, don't be afraid to throw out material you're not sure about. Kill your darlings. Links and Sundry: Kanada School Video - a brief overview of the Kanada School, it's inspiring.Prince of Egypt Pencil Test - see what the animators were thinking.   Studio YGKrow's Stuff YGKrow's Website - Check out YGKrow's swanky website, don't forget to drop into their merch store to check out their latest designs.Kythera 0 - Their latest animation (at least until cucumber fairy comes out)Ned and Fred Don't Lose Your Head - I'm pretty sure this is the one Raz nearly died to make. We refer to it a lot in the podcast and I thought you might wanna check it out too, it's super fun. Also, this has some of my favorite voice acting ever. WorldCraft Club The only link you’ll ever need - this will take you to our link tree which has access to our discord and other great stuff for you to check out.

Possibly the most important question a worldbuilder will never ask themselves: How do I make room for someone else to add to my world? Community is underrated but critical to the creative process. At some point your work will interact with others, whether it's your family and friends, writers in a group you're part of, a creative partner, or an audience, those people will have thoughts on what you made. Eli and Max Moyer join Seth and I on the pod today to talk about this super important and usually underserved skillset of giving and receiving meaningful feedback, establishing boundaries for your imagined spaces, and engaging in serious play. Key Takeaways: A lot of writers talk to/form groups with/partner with other writers to hone their craft, develop skills and get feedback but have you tried reaching out to readers, fantasy enjoyers and others who can get onboard with your work and help you create it. Think about your circle and the kind of feedback your getting. Does it need to be broader?The humility to recieve feedback is important but it might be even more important to know when to stop adopting it. Boundaries around your work and clear goal will help you to fully understand what you're trying to make.Serious play might be the best thing I heard in this podcast. At the WorldCraft Club we're big fans of making stuff to share. Having practical outputs for your creativity. Honing skills requires play though, the sort of play that helps you enjoy the stuff your making with others on hand to share in the experience. In short, creating for the sake of creating does you more good than you might know. Links and Sundry: Bandersnatch by Diana Pavlac Glyer - the book Eli mentioned about the creative collaboration of the Inklings that informed the works of C.S. Lewis and JRR Tolkien.Creativity by

In Ross’s latest book we see a man displaced from all he finds familiar adjusting to a new world he knows only through academic study. In this process we as readers learn much about his world as he explores ours. Key Takeaways: Don’t fear a good trope. Fish out of Water, as discussed here, can operate as a great way to convey your setting that focuses on character development and growth rather than rote exposition.Make use of your characters to refine your setting by reverse engineering it. Remember that similarities can say as much as differences. Links and Sundry: Expansive Universes - This is a link to the last time that Ross and I talked Ross’s Stuff Ross’s Site - Here you can join his newsletter and get the inside scoop on new books and short stories.Ross’s new book - Get Birthright now! WorldCraft Club The only link you’ll ever need: https://linktr.ee/worldcraftclub - this will take you to our link tree which has access to our discord and other great stuff for you to check out.

Worldbuilding is like gardening, you’re creating a space that’s artificial, human made, but it showcases natural beauty. Wild nature meets ordered man. But what if you get distracted along the way, an idea pops up that you’re growing an obsession with and can’t tell if it really ‘fits’. Do you save it for later? Cast it aside completely? Today Seth and James talk about weeding your setting, that is, when and when not to remove something from your setting. Key Takeaways: A weed is something that distracts the audience or yourself from the story you’re trying to tell.Weeds are best identified by checking them against your core concept in the setting.Practice is the only real way to grow but you can supercharge that with a great a community that will give you instant meaningful feedback. Try ‘building in public’ to cultivate this kind of community. Links and Sundry: Gardening Episode - Spotify link to where we talked about Gardening in more depth. Seth’s Stuff All Seth’s stuff can be found here - go ahead and check out his whole catalogue! WorldCraft Club The only link you’ll ever need: https://linktr.ee/worldcraftclub - this will take you to our link tree which has access to our discord and other great stuff for you to check out.

Part Two of Steel Stash on using ASCOPE/PMESII as a worldbuilding tool! Join Steel Stash and James as they finish up with the OPE of ASCOPE looking at Organizations, People, and Events in the fictional city of Nightside. This tool is incredibly flexible and can aid in the creation of a lot of interconnected content but it needs to be handled with some care and some knowledge of where you're going. This means that you, as the creator, will have to have a strong North Star that you're guiding your world creation with. It's where the core concept that Seth and I frequently reference comes in. Take time and think about what you're trying to make before diving in. Key Takeaways Area is absolutely critical for this process. First define the exact area that you're working in so your scope doesn't creep too much. A little list of 'look into this later' might be worth creating so you don't lose great ideas while you're focusing.This tool makes for great worldbuilding compost. It's a great way to create new content that can help your setting to grow in a clear direction.ASCOPE/PMESII is very flexible and can be applied nearly any way that you want. Don't be afraid to play with the content a bit and determine how you're going to develop your settings.I'm linking a google doc I created to help you along the way: ASCOPE/PMESII Tables. Links and Sundry The Dove Crap Town - this has become a favorite point of reference for folks in our community when we're talking about how worldbuilding from a single concept can expand into fascinating depth and make for great stories. Where to Find the Stash Oh man, he's everywhere! The Black Dragon Dungeon Company WebsiteHis itch.ioHis Tumblr and TikTokDrive Through RPGRose Nexus - SPAAAAAACE ROOOOOMANSLonely TTRPG Podcast and here on YouTubeHis email Where to Find Us! The only link you'll ever need - This is our LinkTree, from here you can get access to our Discord Community (which you definitely need to join) as well as everything else we make including the Worldbuilder's Journal.

There’s no doubt that Isaac Asimov was a master. His work is unparalleled science fiction that formed the basis of the genre as we know it. But the 1940s were a different time and when he wrote Nightfall he had some ideas about worldbuilding that might throw some of us for a loop. “Just imagine it yourself” he seems to say in a letter to the reader ahead of his 1941 short story Nightfall. Seth and James discuss where the of worldbuilding in Asimov’s work and how it can influence what you’re making. Key Takeaways: Write what you want! It’s not your job to be all things to all men but to be something to the folks who read your work. Keep the main thing the main thing.Our conception of worldbuilding has come a long way from 1941, audience expectations are different. Seth’s Stuff All Seth’s stuff can be found here - go ahead and check out his whole catalogue! Links and Sundry The only link you’ll ever need: Our LinkTree - this will take you to our link tree which has access to our discord and other great stuff for you to check out.Nightfall - this is the novel we’re referring to in the show.Asimov - Just incase you haven’t read a lot of him or weren’t sure who we were talking about.

Pop quiz! What page of the monster manual has an ASCOPE/PMESII? Steel Stash joins the pod for this two part episode discussing this powerful worldbuilding acronym. It's a tool that was developed by the military to assess an area of operation but serves world builders by helping to clearly and concisely get the key details about an area nailed down. Join us as we explore the utility of this initialism and level up your worldbuilding. Key Takeaways This tool is ultimately a prompting tool. Use what you need and reject what you don't. There's no need to fill out every component.When determining where to begin with PMESII don't get too wrapped up on going in order. Stop and consider what the most important facet of the area you're developing is before you dive in.ASCOPE/PMESII could be a really powerful way to not just build your own unique setting but to modify and tinker with a module and make it your own.I'm linking a google doc I created to help you along the way: ASCOPE/PMESII Tables. Where to Find the Stash Oh man, he's everywhere! The Black Dragon Dungeon Company WebsiteHis itch.ioHis Tumblr and TikTokDrive Through RPGRose Nexus - SPAAAAAACE ROOOOOMANSLonely TTRPG Podcast and here on YouTubeHis email Where to Find Us! The only link you'll ever need - This is our LinkTree, from here you can get access to our Discord Community (which you definitely need to join) as well as everything else we make including the Worldbuilder's Journal.

How do you write compelling and rich lore? Peter Chiykowski has a new tool to help with that. With a focus on building out connections and relationships to establish a lore web with the Lore Master's Deck. During this episode Peter and Seth discuss the nature of lore and its place in your worldbuilding as well as techniques that can help reframe the practice of creating that lore. Key Takeaways: The gaps between elements of your setting is where the story is.A setting doesn't truly exist outside of interpretation. To some extent that means that you're not building a setting in a 'God's Eye' method but rather allowing the space for a visitant's interpretation in that setting. Links: Back the Lore Master's Deck!Get Seth's Latest Book!Join the Club! How to Reach Peter - TwitterInstagram FacebookYouTubeFree Demos!

April Fools! Normally you get insightful worldbuilding commentary. Today you get the server hosting a roundtable about a children’s TV show, Bluey. So sit back, relax, and enjoy a panel of adults thinking way too hard about a kid’s show. Our LinkTree, this has the link to the  Discord on it along with just about everything else. Definitely check it out!

Andor hit different. As far as Star Wars stories go this show fell on the 'grittier' side of things. Much like Rogue One, where we first met Cassian Andor. It also told a story which was more focused on the million small stories that took place around the major Skywalker narrative present in the main trilogy based movies. While the show made a splash on our discord server leading to several gushing reviews, the response was not altogether positive with some members of the community wondering where Star Wars was headed in the future. Per usual - spoilers abound. Key Takeaways: Convey your setting with confidence - this is a WorldCraft Club bingo entry for sure. Andor throws you into the middle of the setting and doesn't stick around to explain much of the 'whys and wherefores' of it. You're just there in the moment. Ferrix was a great example of this. The culture of Ferrix plays an important role in the story but little of it is explained or developed for the audience. We're just placed there.Let your setting communicate your story's themes - several characters are developed by the settings they inhabit, from Mon Mothma's ritzy apartment to Luthen's brutal concrete antiquities store these elements say something about the characters that inhabit them and the ideas the story is trying to communicate.If you major on the majors a lot of peripheral sins can be forgiven - the gang weren't without some criticisms for the series, particularly the lack of alien life found on the prison planet but these doubts were quickly forgotten because of the setting's bold committment to its themes and narrative. The result was that the fans of the show quickly found a way to make the lagging details fit and participated in the growth of the setting.   Links and Sundry: The only link you'll ever need - our LinkTree! The one stop shop to find the Worldbuilder's Journal (our disc bound notebook to lead you through the process of immersive worldbuilding), an invite to our Discord Server (where you can join in on discussions like these), and a slack handful of links to our various social media outlets.

Do you ever stop to ask yourself why? At the WorldCraft Club that’s a yearly tradition. In order to perfect the craft of building exceptional worlds we hold the practice of pausing to reflect. We consider the definitions of our terms and look at how our understanding has changed. In this episode Seth and James discuss the meaning of Worldbuilding and, more importantly, what good worldbuilding is. Key Takeaways: Worldbuilding vs. Story - There’s an ongoing question in creative spaces about the value of worldbuilding and there are markets emerging where having an exciting world is a big part of the value of the property. This is where the rub is with traditionally published authors like Stephen King and something we’d do well to think about in our own creative endeavors.Humility is worldbuilding currency - Participation is about your visitants creating their own head canon for the setting. It requires humility as a worldbuilder to let control of your creation go, at least a little bit, in order to see it flourish in the hands of your audience. This is how you know you’ve completed your path as a worldbuilding and, with the right mindset, can be thrilling to watch.Your world is ultimately a collection of unfinished, unresolved conflicts - Leaving these elements open ended is not only realistic (as life seldom resolves) but is incredibly enticing. “I wonder what happened to that guy?” “Did those two nations ever find peace?” Links and Sundry: The Infamous Stephen King Tweet - What are your thoughts on this? Go ahead and buzz us using our LinkTree below. Where to find Seth’s stuff: Seth’s nifty website - Find out the latest about Seth’s comings and goings on this site as well as catching up on his latest books.Seth’s Newsletter - To make sure you always know what he’s up to. How to reach us: The only link you'll ever need - This is our LinkTree, from here you can get access to our Discord Community (which you definitely need to join) as well as everything else we make including the Worldbuilder's Journal.

Sometimes the process of worldbuilding can drag and steal your sense of excitement about a setting you’ve been crafting. The antidote? A good story, preferably a short one, set in your world that you can finish and share. Daniel McCormack talks with us about this powerful, instructive process that will make your worldbuilding richer, clearer and more fun than you dared to imagine. Key takeaways: You have a limited reservoir of wonder and excitement for your setting and short stories help fan this affection into flame rather than quenching it.In completing short stories you actually finish projects. Finishing means you have something complete to share and get feedback on, you get the psychic satisfaction of completing a task, and you’re forced to practice skills that can only be practiced with a completed work (satisfying character arcs, understanding the reader experience)Short stories can crystalize your ideas by causing you to interrogate your worldbuilding both adding to it as well as pruning elements that are unneeded, they can also help you determine types of stories that suit your setting and your goals as a storyteller and worldbuilder.Writing about what you love or what you hate can be incredibly powerful as you have a deep well of passion to draw from. Don’t be afraid to major on that major. Where you can find Daniel He wrote a blog on his medium about this topic that you can check out.Here’s his Facebook page. Come hang out with the WorldCraft Club Our Linktree has got everything you need to reach out to use including our Discord server, our Instagram, Facebook, and web store where you can buy the incredible Worldbuilder’s Journal to supercharge your worldbuilding.

Plotter or pantser? Do you take the time to write extensive outlines or do you find that you tend to create on the fly? It’s never really been a true dichotomy but rather a spectrum. The analogy of a garden or the process of cultivation with its pruning, grafting, and tilling earth seems apt. Seth and James talk about the process of gardening your worlds to life. Key Takeaways Don’t get caught up in your identity as a plotter or pantser but embrace the  idea that you’re more likely on the garden spectrum. You may have an organized and well trimmed garden or you may have a wild one, but most worldbuilders will find themselves with a little pantsing in their plans or a planning in their pants.It’s not a bad thing to find that your world surprises you, in fact we’d argue that it’s a very good thing. Your characters and setting have begun to take on a life of their own. Where to find Seth’s stuff. Seth’s nifty website - Find out the latest about Seth’s comings and goings on this site as well as catching up on his latest books.Seth’s Newsletter - To make sure you always know what he’s up to. How to reach us: The only link you'll ever need - This is our LinkTree, from here you can get access to our Discord Community (which you definitely need to join) as well as everything else we make including the Worldbuilder's Journal.

Being GM is not easy. The worlds we create are supposed to ensnare our visitants and draw them in but when our audience have a mind of their own and desire to bring about meaningful change in our settings that can lead to some tricky situations. Greg from Worldbuilding.io joins us today to help us navigate the process of creating a setting that feels grounded but allows for dynamic change when encountering new ideas. Whether you’re into TTRPGs (Tabletop Roleplaying Games) or not, I think this medium has tons to teach us about crafting worlds that feel immersive and yet have vast story potential.   Key Takeaways Know your audience, Greg’s familiarity with his audience helped him know what artifacts to place in his setting that would draw his visitants in. He uses the example of an Arena. You have players who you know are excited about fighting, put an item in the setting that will draw some fun out of them.Kill your darlings. You’re going to have great ideas, characters you fleshed out completely, plot hooks or points that were precious and exciting to you that you’ll just have to lay on one side for the sake of creating an experience for your visitants. Another way I think I’d modify this old axiom is this: ‘Adapt your darlings’. Like in the example of the mayor having the key the vault, he might not have it but the girl at the bar who the players are interested in might. It allows you to retain your plot point while funneling your setting through the interests of your visitants.Your world is founded in its conflicts. Every conflict that exists in your setting provides an opportunity to engross your audience. In this instance the audience are creating some of those conflicts but having the humility to reframe those challenges as a chance to make your world even deeper will yield serious dividends.   Greg's Links Worldbuilding.io - Check out Greg's ite. It's a great clearing house for worldbuilding advice and a suite of tools to help with lots of different elements of your worldbuilding journey to get you ready for your next game.Greg on Twitter - Get your daily dose of worldbuilding wisdom here.Greg on Instagram - Or here.Greg's LinkTree - This contains links to Greg's Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and a host of other goodies that you can find. WorldCraft Club The only link you'll ever need - This is our LinkTree, from here you can get access to our Discord Community (which you definitely need to join) as well as everything else we make including the Worldbuilder's Journal.

This Netflix series by Studio Trigger brought Night City to life in new and unexpected ways drawing so many of is in from the first episode of it’s tragic run. The Discord server was abuzz with ideas about it for weeks and many of us couldn’t wait to grab the mic and talk about it. What follows are some highlights from that conversation where we critically analyze the show and uncover some solid world building secrets from a setting that blew us all away. If you’re looking to grow as a storyteller and worldbuilder you’re going to love this one. Major Takeaways: Confidence in your setting and trust of your audience is key. Be bold about what you're making and resist the desire to breakdown and explain every element of your setting.The topics Edgerunners explored are timeless and run deep in the human soul: Identity, choice, love, death, and freindship. While the setting is contemporary and topical the world's deeper themes are what keep the setting perrenial. Links: The David Martinez - Marcos referenced this when he went on his riff about the origins of the ‘Cyber’ in ‘Cyberpunk’Manga Shakespeare illustrated by Sonya Leon - Rach referenced this as being a great basis for a cyberpunk dueling corps romance. It’s a terrible idea. An amazing terrible idea.WorldCraft Club Link Tree - Get access to the Worldbuilder’s Journal, our nova Discord Community, social media channels and much much more through this link.

The best worlds might be grown rather than made. We often talk about these two separate concepts that exist in tension in solid worldbuilding. There’s wonder, this feeling of getting wrapped up in the scale of a setting, the sense of the unknown just beyond your eye line. Then there’s immersion, the grounded sensation that the world is understandable and predictable. Both of these ideas play off one another to create a setting that excites your audience but doesn’t alienate them. What is the bridge between these two seemingly opposing ideas? Questions. This is how you cultivate a setting that grows into more than a core concept. Andrew Zimba joins the show to reveal some sound world building tips. Key Takeaways Don’t be afraid to start with something not blankBut then explore and color that setting with questions Explore Ardalencor Andrew's InstagramIn Times of War: A Tale of Ardalencor on AmazonArdalencor Website - Read the opening chapters for free! Links and Sundry George RR Martin - GardenerWim Hoff - The Ice Man - This man is... nuts. WorldCraft Club  LinkTree - This contains all the things, our Discord, The Worldbuilder’s Journal, Email, you name it.

Horror lives just outside of our eyeline. In the peripherals of our vision. It's a feeling we can't quite shake when something seems amiss and the hairs on the back of our necks rise as our pulse quickens. To that end, world-building is absolutely critical to that tangible atmospher of dread. But how do we create this sensation in our visitants? Happy Halloween everyone! For this spooky episode of the WorldCraft Club Podcast we dive into how we can create horror in our fictional settings by twisting familiar stories. Ramp up your spooky worldbuilding and give us a listen. Key Takeaways Horror is found in the gaps - A lot like wonder, horror is really based in what is not known more than what is. Leverage this by resisting the urge to lavish details where they may not be needed. Let your visitant's mind wander into grisly possibilities.Twisting tropes is powerful - Fear is often based in seeing something that should be familiar but finding that it's altered in some unsettling way. This is true for familiar stories and tropesWorldbuilding is critical for horror to land - The atmosphere of dread is almost as important as the dreadful elements of the story itself. It's the setting that tells a reader the situation is unusual or that something is amiss before even your protagonist has become fully aware. Links and Sundry Zack Goings interview - More on horror from our interview with the excellent Zack Goings.Uncanny Valley - You know when something doesn't look quite right? You're in the uncanny valley. Nearly human... but not quite.Review of The Conjuring - If you love movies and don't mind missing a few weeks of sleep I highly recommend this movie. Check out this review from Ryan Hollinger, my go to source on horror filmography.Bug Man Men in Black Scene - This scene still freaks me out to this day. Come hang out with us! WorldCraft Club LinkTree - This is our LinkTree, here you can find the Worldbuilder's Journal, access to our fantastic Discord community as well as other ways to get in touch.