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What styles of writing do you think best fit your world-building (and why you're good at it)?

I've written bits and pieces of narrative when I was in secondary school, which is often discouraged because of exams (because it's harder to score well in papers for narrative, compared to descriptive and argumentative pieces). Fast forward to post-graduation education, almost everything I write is in a scientific and academic manner. I feel that this shift in writing style pushed me towards writing objective-sounding and evidence-based-sounding article entries on the anthropology of the races and their histories. However now and then I do compose some myths and legends that are definitely more narrative in flavour.

Just wondering what writing style you are best at and how do you use that to your advantage?
 

Carolyn

Dreamer
I write mainly narrative, being a novelist. But in terms of my worldbuilding, I have written a few pieces that are intended to sound like they're excerpts from an atlas or encyclopedia. They were fun, but I prefer narrative. I get swept up in it and find it flows more naturally.
 

ThinkerX

Myth Weaver
My worlds began as AD&D settings many decades ago. As such, the initial material reads like something from an old game handbook - sometimes including character stats. That approach proved overly limiting when it came to world building for novels.

So, what I did was write short stories set in various times and places to explore societies and key events.
 
My worlds began as AD&D settings many decades ago. As such, the initial material reads like something from an old game handbook - sometimes including character stats. That approach proved overly limiting when it came to world building for novels.

So, what I did was write short stories set in various times and places to explore societies and key events.

That sounds like an organic way to show the bigger picture of the world. I tried doing that but sometimes my patience gets the better of me.
 

pmmg

Myth Weaver
I dont think an academic style will work for fiction writing but there are pieces of it that can carry over. The idea of topic sentence, three supporting and conclusion still works to keeping paragraphs from wandering.

I find there are only so many narrative voice types and most i read use one i call competent librarian voice cause i dont have a better word. I find this voice to be straight forward and competent but not very artistic. It lacks the real flair of poetry. Its a good fit for most stories.

For myself, i find i try to use words as art. I have an ancient epic tone, and a type of cadence with repeating words and ideas. I often use what i call the rule of three, which is most things presented in threes—the chair was brown, flat and hard. Three descriptors. It is a stylized writing style ive cultivated over many years and occasionally see others use. Id call it epic voice.

Other styles include stream of consciousness, street talk, which is just chit chatting, and i will include academic writing. I think these three have less purpose in creative writing but sometimes are a fit.

Which voice goes with which story or author? Who can say. Your voice is your voice. You gotta write with what you have. And i suspect the story will shape itself around the voice.

I try to write with words as art. Its a challenging way as ideas dont always communicate well. Competent writing is more direct and says it plain. Both are good for story telling. And maybe some hybrid style in between works as well.

If you are in one voice and want to use another you will probably have to work at it a bit before you master it.

Edit. There is another style which i would call putting on airs. Which i think often fails because its not natural. Simply its just trying to write in a high brow manner with lots of big silver dollar words because of an idea that that is how good writing done. But i do know some who pull it off.
 
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I dont think an academic style will work for fiction writing but there are pieces of it that can carry over. The idea of topic sentence, three supporting and conclusion still works to keeping paragraphs from wandering.

I find there are only so many narrative voice types and most important use one i call competent librarian voice cause i told have a better word. I find this voice to be straight forward and competent but not very artistic. It lacks the real flair of poetry. Its a good fit for most stories.

For my self, i find i try to use words as art. I have an ancient epic tone, and a type of cadence with repeating words and ideas. I often use what i call the rule of three, which is most things presented in threes—the chair was brown, flat and hard. Three descriptors. It is a stylized writing style ive cultivated over many years and occasionally see others use. Id call it epic voice.

Other styles include stream of consciousness, street talk, which is just chit chatting, and i will include academic writing. I think these three have less purpose in creative writing but sometime are a fit.

Which voice goes with which story or author? Who can say. Your voice is your voice. You gotta write with what you have. And i suspect the story will shape itself around the voice.

I try to write with words as art. Its a challenging way as ideas dont always communicate well. Competent writing is more direct and says it plain. Both are good for story telling. And maybe some hybrid stories in between works as well.

If you are in one voice and want to use another you will probably have to work at it a bit before you master it.
Spoken like a true artistic writer! I have to admit years and years of writing up academic articles and reports really killed that artistic side of mine. As you said, going back the rule of threes and other basics can almost never go wrong.

Thank you for your wise words, I feel like I'm fired up to go write more again.
 

skip.knox

toujours gai, archie
Moderator
>years and years of writing up academic articles and reports really killed that artistic side of mine

Well I spent 11 years in grad school, followed by a few years of academic writing. The research process definitely hurt my ability to read fiction. After so long spent scanning entire books for a single fact or insight, I had to learn to slow down and give the author an even break. I'm still not sure I've got the hang of it.

But I do write fiction. Five books published and more on the way. Don't be too quick to claim you cannot do a thing and then blame something for it. Keep trying and you may find your habits as a writer change over time.

Somewhat to my surprise I find writing dialog to come most readily. I often have to go back in a scene and fill out the room; rarely do I have great description that finds itself in need of a conversation.
 

A. E. Lowan

Forum Mom
Leadership
Even after seven years of training in poetry and then academic writing, which violently changed my writing style, my natural fiction style is very lyrical. So of course, my team writes urban fantasy at a thriller pace. It forces me to really focus on my pacing. Sometimes I need short, violent, and hot. And other times we need to give the reader a break, and I get to pull out my more flowery pace.

We don't give the reader a lot of breaks.
 

Mad Swede

Auror
>years and years of writing up academic articles and reports really killed that artistic side of mine

Well I spent 11 years in grad school, followed by a few years of academic writing. The research process definitely hurt my ability to read fiction. After so long spent scanning entire books for a single fact or insight, I had to learn to slow down and give the author an even break. I'm still not sure I've got the hang of it.

But I do write fiction. Five books published and more on the way. Don't be too quick to claim you cannot do a thing and then blame something for it. Keep trying and you may find your habits as a writer change over time.

Somewhat to my surprise I find writing dialog to come most readily. I often have to go back in a scene and fill out the room; rarely do I have great description that finds itself in need of a conversation.
Yes, I find that the dialogue usually comes most easily. Sure, I write some of the actions scenes first, and in particulat the opening. But it's the interactions between the characters which set the real plot going and then keep it moving.
 

A. E. Lowan

Forum Mom
Leadership
Yes, I find that the dialogue usually comes most easily. Sure, I write some of the actions scenes first, and in particulat the opening. But it's the interactions between the characters which set the real plot going and then keep it moving.
Curiously enough, dialogue is my weak spot. Fortunately, my wife is very good with it, so it all balances out.
 

Demesnedenoir

Myth Weaver
My style. Whatever the hell that is. I've written academic, technical, screenwriting, and narrative but these seem pretty damned broad as categories. My writing might be considered more literary than pulp. A computer program that can supposedly identify who you write like says my writing (overall) is closest to Joe Abercrombie when taking three categories into consideration, but my grammar is rather different than his. It's the tone and such where we match up best.
 
>years and years of writing up academic articles and reports really killed that artistic side of mine

Well I spent 11 years in grad school, followed by a few years of academic writing. The research process definitely hurt my ability to read fiction. After so long spent scanning entire books for a single fact or insight, I had to learn to slow down and give the author an even break. I'm still not sure I've got the hang of it.

But I do write fiction. Five books published and more on the way. Don't be too quick to claim you cannot do a thing and then blame something for it. Keep trying and you may find your habits as a writer change over time.

Somewhat to my surprise I find writing dialog to come most readily. I often have to go back in a scene and fill out the room; rarely do I have great description that finds itself in need of a conversation.
You're right, one shouldn't let oneself limit their own potential. I shall remember that and experiment when I can. (Also should get back into actual reading when I have the chance.)
 
Even after seven years of training in poetry and then academic writing, which violently changed my writing style, my natural fiction style is very lyrical. So of course, my team writes urban fantasy at a thriller pace. It forces me to really focus on my pacing. Sometimes I need short, violent, and hot. And other times we need to give the reader a break, and I get to pull out my more flowery pace.

We don't give the reader a lot of breaks.
I think I understand how it's irresistible how there's this constant urge to force-feed readers plot plot plot. Thanks for the advice.
 

Julia

Acolyte
I tend to think up very specific scenes. So I'll start with a sequence of instances, and then figure out a way to string them together. I admit this is not the best approach since I tend to get lazy with the stringing-together bit, so my writing always has a rushed feeling to it.
 

GM4LSWC94

Scribe
I've written bits and pieces of narrative when I was in secondary school, which is often discouraged because of exams (because it's harder to score well in papers for narrative, compared to descriptive and argumentative pieces). Fast forward to post-graduation education, almost everything I write is in a scientific and academic manner. I feel that this shift in writing style pushed me towards writing objective-sounding and evidence-based-sounding article entries on the anthropology of the races and their histories. However now and then I do compose some myths and legends that are definitely more narrative in flavour.

Just wondering what writing style you are best at and how do you use that to your advantage?
My world building and the lore I write for different creatures sounds like a history book or an encyclopedia.

I've written bits and pieces of narrative when I was in secondary school, which is often discouraged because of exams (because it's harder to score well in papers for narrative, compared to descriptive and argumentative pieces). Fast forward to post-graduation education, almost everything I write is in a scientific and academic manner. I feel that this shift in writing style pushed me towards writing objective-sounding and evidence-based-sounding article entries on the anthropology of the races and their histories. However now and then I do compose some myths and legends that are definitely more narrative in flavour.

Just wondering what writing style you are best at and how do you use that to your advantage?
 
This question got me thinking, but all I can come up with is ‘narrative’. I write in a traditional narrative style for my fiction. I’ve been playing around with trying out different tenses and that has actually been really eye opening. My short stories / novellas are sometimes written in the perfect or progressive present, but also the past tenses, while my longer work is written in the past tense - not only because I have multiple characters, but also because it does a good job of still sounding like it is happening in the present. I have yet to mix things up with tenses.

Genre wise, I’m learning that I like to write fairytales and fable / retelling type stories for shorter works, and verging on epic multi-layered fantasy for longer works.

Themes I like to explore are: class divides, poverty, womanhood, feminism, folklore, morality, the environment and nature.

And I always set my worlds in a historical context.

Is that a specific ‘style’? I’m not sure! 😅
 

GM4LSWC94

Scribe
If there's a technical term for it I don't know it lol. I like how you describe your writing. My worlds are usually loosely based on real world places but some are just entirely different.
I think I am still learning my writing style and I have some terms I probably need to learn that will probably help lol. I am working on my first chapter and I can see it's becoming a challenge.
Writing like a monster encyclopedia seems to come more naturally to me than novel writing I suppose.
 
If there's a technical term for it I don't know it lol. I like how you describe your writing. My worlds are usually loosely based on real world places but some are just entirely different.
I think I am still learning my writing style and I have some terms I probably need to learn that will probably help lol. I am working on my first chapter and I can see it's becoming a challenge.
Writing like a monster encyclopedia seems to come more naturally to me than novel writing I suppose.
I started reading ‘Emily Wilde’s Encyclopaedia of Faeries’ (I think it’s called) and a good chunk of it is written as an encyclopaedia (obviously) and it’s also written as a diary entry where the main story occurs. Might be of interest for inspiration? It’s a clever concept, but admittedly I was more interested in the dialogue than reading footnotes. It probably enders the genre of ‘dark academia’ or ‘fantasy academia’.
 
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