# World Building Rut



## Arcbound Phyrexian (Nov 5, 2011)

Ok, so I have like a 15-page world document of attempted world building, but I've run into a creative rut, or something, and need some advice, criticism, suggestions, or ideas to get me going again, I guess. Is there somewhere I can post what I have for this?


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## Johnny Cosmo (Nov 5, 2011)

Perhaps you're overdoing the world-building? I was keeping a really large wiki with world information. The amount of effort involved really slowed me down. I stopped writing the story because I wanted to get every little detail written down, telling myself it was for the sake of consistency.

Recently I've reworked my entire approach. I've scaled back the amount of detail, and now I have a new wiki with just one or two lines for each topic. The energy saved on trying to figure the world out can now be directed into imagining it, and I know that I have more flexibility if things need to be altered. Before, the limitations I built myself by adding detail after detail pushed me into a corner, and I lost motivation because trying to fit new ideas into my story was a lot of hard work.

As for posting your info, you could try the brainstorming and planning sub-forum in the showcase. It might be best not to post everything, a lot of people in the community (myself included) find it hard to read through thousands upon thousands of words.


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## Arcbound Phyrexian (Nov 5, 2011)

Yeah, what I need mostly, I think, is somebody to look at what I have and give me some ideas for stories. XD

I'm much better at the world building part, but like you said, it really slows me down on ever having anything written, I just don't know what to write. I have a vision of the setting, just not the stories that take place in it.


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## Johnny Cosmo (Nov 5, 2011)

I've been struggling with a similar problem. I do have general ideas about what I want to happen, but my ideas for the tone and setting are more consistent at the moment.


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## Devor (Nov 5, 2011)

Arcbound Phyrexian said:


> I have a vision of the setting, just not the stories that take place in it.





Johnny Cosmo said:


> I do have general ideas about what I want to happen, but my ideas for the tone and setting are more consistent at the moment.



Why don't you both post your ideas briefly on the Brainstorming and Planning sub-forum and see if there's anything that we can help flush out?


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## Johnny Cosmo (Nov 5, 2011)

> Why don't you both post your ideas briefly on the Brainstorming and Planning sub-forum and see if there's anything that we can help flush out?



I'm not really looking for help, I was just identifying with the original post.


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## FictionQuest (Nov 5, 2011)

As a reader, I can say that for me, the story, characters and innovative ideas are more important than the details of the world. You obviously need to set the scene but don't get bogged down in the details.


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## Devor (Nov 5, 2011)

Johnny Cosmo said:


> I'm not really looking for help, I was just identifying with the original post.



Still, it might help get things going a little more around here.


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## Arcbound Phyrexian (Nov 5, 2011)

Devor said:


> Why don't you both post your ideas briefly on the Brainstorming and Planning sub-forum and see if there's anything that we can help flush out?



I came up with something similar to a plot, so I posted it, and a very brief description of the setting there.


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## Johnny Cosmo (Nov 5, 2011)

> Still, it might help get things going a little more around here.



Ha, I would if I wasn't so paranoid. I think it's because I'm in such a creative lull that I'm protective of every decent idea I get. But I do agree that things are slow around here lately, more so than usual, and I mentioned in another thread that the most active forums don't seem to be the writing forums.



> I came up with something similar to a plot, so I posted it, and a very brief description of the setting there.



I'll check it out and give some feedback if it's not too long to read!


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