The nights grow longer, the trees are slowly losing their leaves and the birds are losing their lust for singing songs of summer warmth. The Oak King makes way for the Holly King, for autumn has graced the Northern hemisphere. More than a year ago I introduced you to my homeland of Limburg and its … Read more
November is National Novel Writing Month – also known as NaNoWriMo, or just NaNo. It’s a writing challenge that takes place during the month of November, and the goal is to write a 50,000 word novel in a month. That’s right. An entire novel – Fifty Thousand Words – in one month. You can read … Read more
This article is by Zaivy Luke-Aleman, and is presented by Worldbuilding Magazine. Transportation can reveal the quality of life, stage of development, and interconnection between cultures in your setting. Like all things in worldbuilding, small details can reveal a lot of information. For something so incredibly common in everyday life, transportation has many opportunities to … Read more
In a previous article — called Worldbuilding on the Crossroads — I wrote about a technique writers can use to quickly create cultures for their worlds. For a background group this might be sufficient, but what if instead of a mere outline of a culture, you want to create an in-depth culture? A culture filled … Read more
Sometimes magic systems fail. Instead of wonder they cause confusion. Instead of building conflict they create plot holes. And instead of deepening our characters’ struggles they enable the dreaded deus ex machina. But we can avoid these issues by turning to a classic, well defined system. It’s a trope to streamline spells. Let’s reboot Elemental … Read more
This article is by Seán Gray, and is presented by Worldbuilding Magazine. Revolutions and secret societies have long shared a connection. Whether through military action or fostering divergent thought, these organizations have played key roles in several revolutions around the world. This article aims to help you create truly interesting and compelling revolutionary groups—a valuable … Read more
Carpentry probably doesn’t sound like a subject with much potential for writing fantasy, and I’ll admit the scope is restricted. But sometimes authors want a modest touch for effect, to add depth to the great epic they’ve undertaken. Five types of woodworking industries can be named, from the late Middle Ages: sawyers, carvers, turners, carpenters, … Read more
This is Part 9 of the Mythic Guide to Heroes & Villains. Intelligent Can you think of a few stupid villains that are well known? What names come to mind? If you’re writing for young children or an outright satire, then your villain has an excuse to be stupid. Beyond these exceptions, you will want … Read more
This article is by Eleanor Konik. Gods in Myth Creating a myth cycle is one of the hardest and most exciting parts of worldbuilding. I’ve written previously about how to frame a myth cycle around a war, but another useful trick is to imagine deities as modern-day celebrities. It’s an exercise teachers often use when … Read more
This is Part 8 of the Mythic Guide to Heroes & Villains. The Shadow We spoke of archetypes earlier, and one archetype that we often see in the realm of villains is The Shadow. The Shadow is an embodiment of our darker selves. An apparition is formed — either literally or metaphorically — from the … Read more
