Careers for Worldbuilders?

[CupofJoe]

Hey guys,

I am new to this forum, and I was the one who posed this question to the administrator. I super appreciate Black Dragon for bringing this to the forum. I want to put this question into context a little bit.

My problem is that world building for me has been a serious obsession for over a decade now. It can almost be diagnosed as escapism if you will. It is mainly centered around medieval fantasy genre, more specifically the Game of Thrones world. I would create the world in my mind in the most minute detail as possible with an intense and compulsive desire to live there. You can imagine how that would affect my regular day to day life.

So the question of career out of world building stems from that psychology. That since it has such a grip on my life, is there a way to convert it into some productive venture that may sustain a decent livelihood.

But a more essential question to me that I would ask is how does one manage this passion/hobby with regular day to day life. I am curious to know, are there others who are also similarly struggling to strike that balance. In fact, this central question among other things, drove me to seek out membership here.

Thanks.

For me the last bit is simple. I need to eat, a roof over my head and clothes to wear [and a method of transport I can rely on. so I do a job [roughly 9 to 5] to get that dealt with. After that I can spend as much or as little time as I want on everything else.
If I didn't have to work and could do world-building and writing full time?
I wouldn't write all the time. I'd find something to break up the day, every day. To give my imagination a chance to catch-up. A good walk, or maybe bake bread. I used to cycle and that was amazing at clearing the mind and recharging the mental batteries. I'd read a lot more too.
And welcome!

 

[Malik]

But a more essential question to me that I would ask is how does one manage this passion/hobby with regular day to day life. I am curious to know, are there others who are also similarly struggling to strike that balance.

I am probably not the person you're looking for to answer that. Forum regulars know this already, but I spent most of my younger adult life doing all my characters' stunts in the name of worldbuilding, taking up fencing, mountaineering, and traditional archery; building conlangs and learning to speak and write them; traveling to Europe to explore castles and ruins. Hell, I once had sex with a professional clown.

You're a writer. The only balance to be had is what you think it should be.

 

[elemtilas]

Hey guys,

I am new to this forum, and I was the one who posed this question to the administrator. I super appreciate Black Dragon for bringing this to the forum. I want to put this question into context a little bit.

My problem is that world building for me has been a serious obsession for over a decade now. It can almost be diagnosed as escapism if you will. It is mainly centered around medieval fantasy genre, more specifically the Game of Thrones world. I would create the world in my mind in the most minute detail as possible with an intense and compulsive desire to live there. You can imagine how that would affect my regular day to day life.

So the question of career out of world building stems from that psychology. That since it has such a grip on my life, is there a way to convert it into some productive venture that may sustain a decent livelihood.

But a more essential question to me that I would ask is how does one manage this passion/hobby with regular day to day life. I am curious to know, are there others who are also similarly struggling to strike that balance. In fact, this central question among other things, drove me to seek out membership here.

Thanks.

Greetings and welcome!

Several things spring to mind:

I don't think I would change my answer to the inverted question. Simply put, reasonably well paying job opportunities for the geopoet really just don't exist. Especially when you're looking at a known third-party intellectual property like GoT. Martin already invented the world and wrote the books. Peterson was in the right place at the right time to get the job of language inventor. The HBO series is over and done. That doesn't leave a lot of room for work in that particular world. I'd ask for clarification, though: is your obsession and your creativity focused on GRRM's world? Or have you been working the last decade on a world of your own that is reminiscent of GRRM's world?

I am concerned any time a fellow geopoet speaks up front about the possibility of psychological issues relating to their art. Obsession is not a good thing, especially when what you're obsessed about is someone else's property. (When you say "especially the Game of Thrones world", we call this coveting one's neighbour's goods.) I can't diagnose or prescribe, but I can offer friendly advice: and that would be to please seek help (priest, minister, counsellor, psychologist) with the obsession that you're struggling with. That will lead you nowhere good.

Coming from a similar perspective, I have been working on the same world for 30+ years and have at times wished I could live there, I do think you need to step back and work on the realisation that our worlds are works of art, secondary creations only. They are fantasies and not real places we can go to in reality, apart from in our dreams. What you're describing is an unhealthy attachment to your work; but the fact that you understand this makes me hopeful.

As for your actual question, the one of balance, I think the real answer to that can only be found in how you approach and deal with the obsession. You will never find balance so long as you are obsessed, with your own world or especially with someone else's world. Obsession first! Balance second!

I honestly think, given what you have said here, that you need to work on the underlying issues before you start to worry about careers as artistic outlet.

That said, I hope you'll continue with your journey here with us!

 

[elemtilas]

I am probably not the person you're looking for to answer that. Forum regulars know this already, but I spent most of my younger adult life doing all my characters' stunts in the name of worldbuilding, taking up fencing, mountaineering, and traditional archery; building conlangs and learning to speak and write them; traveling to Europe to explore castles and ruins. Hell, I once had sex with a professional clown.

Well, to be fair, I'd just consider all that...er...in the field research! Seems to have been a relatively healthy approach to worldbuilding for you. I never had sex with a professional clown, but fencing, visiting ruins, archery, making languages, sure that's just part of the art, whether writing or whether geopoesy.

 

[Ban]

I am probably not the person you're looking for to answer that. Forum regulars know this already, but I spent most of my younger adult life doing all my characters' stunts in the name of worldbuilding, taking up fencing, mountaineering, and traditional archery; building conlangs and learning to speak and write them; traveling to Europe to explore castles and ruins. Hell, I once had sex with a professional clown.

For gods' sake Malik, keep your fetishes off the forum!



I mean, conlangs? That's just too dangerous of a term to bring up around worldbuilders. Before you know it we have them running amock doing who knows what with words and sentences...

 

[Malik]

For gods' sake Malik, keep your fetishes off the forum!

Fetish, shmetish. When I was living in Hollywood I dated a girl who was going to clown college, and . . . well . . . ahem. I take my research opportunities where I can find them, okay?

Besides, I'm now uniquely qualified to write a scene where a Faerie woman saunters into the MC's chambers after "slipping into something more comfortable."

 

[A. E. Lowan]

I've never had a career beyond writer, but I have had a whole lot of jobs. I've sold cars. Done fast food for about a week. I'm a terrible waitress. I've worked at a movie theatre. I used to be the best engraver in the city. I owned a period costuming business for about two years, which is also the longest I've ever worked. Anywhere. I worked as the camera op on a rural morning newscast. I've managed strippers for private shows and even sent my own wife out with one of my best to bounce a going away party for a young soldier. Turns out she can catch a bra like a pro. I fell into staffing recruiting, did that for a bit, got into teaching... and after all this I asked myself what the hell was I doing, besides racking up experience points? So I did what my mom always wanted and became a full-time writer.

Someone along the way told me to go in search of experiences, and boy, did I listen. I've had over 30 jobs, and each one has brought experience to my life and informed on my world building. If I could go back and only pick one to best backup my writing, I would have stayed in academia. Nothing teaches you how to research like being in a university library with intent and full access. God, I miss JSTOR.

Or maybe the stripper job, 'cus that was an education all on its own.