Category: Worldbuilding

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The End of the World as You Made It

The End of the World as You Made It

Posted on by R.M. Archer

You’ve been imagining your world the way it is “now,” whether “now” is the particular time span for a novel or even a larger time span that you’ve fleshed out around that. You likely also know how your world was made (and what your characters believe about the creation of the world, whether those two are the same or not). But have you ever considered how (or if) your world will end? Well, that’s what we’re about to look at in this post.

Does Your World End?

The first, most obvious question is Continue reading “The End of the World as You Made It” →

Sanderson’s Third Law: When Should You Create a New World?

Sanderson’s Third Law: When Should You Create a New World?

Posted on by R.M. Archer

If you’re constantly coming up with new story ideas, you might also come up with a lot of different settings in which to set those stories. The question is, at what point is it appropriate to create a whole new world and when should you just build on whatever you already have?

Sanderson’s Third Law of Magic states,

“Expand what you already have before you add something new.”

Now, these are Sanderson’s Laws of Magic. He has magic systems in mind. But this one, at least, is applicable to much of writing and today I want to explore how it interacts with worldbuilding as a whole.

Why to Expand First

First off, why is Sanderson’s Third Law good advice for worldbuilding as a whole?

For one thing, it makes worldbuilding Continue reading “Sanderson’s Third Law: When Should You Create a New World?” →

Building Underworlds, Divine Dwellings, and the Afterlife

Building Underworlds, Divine Dwellings, and the Afterlife

Posted on by R.M. Archer

Today we’re stepping back into the mythology and religion of your world to talk about underworlds, homes of the gods, and the afterlife. How much of this is myth and how much is reality will depend on your established rules regarding the metaphysical aspect of your world. Continue reading “Building Underworlds, Divine Dwellings, and the Afterlife” →

Fantasy News & Communication

Fantasy News & Communication

Posted on by R.M. Archer

Hello and welcome back to Scribes & Archers. The weather for today is looking rather crisp, with a chance of flying newspapers. But let’s head over to Worldbuilding with recent news updates. Worldbuilding?

Okay, not the best intro, but today we’re talking about how communication, and especially the news, works in your world. The title says fantasy, but this can apply to any fictional world. And I’m a little brain-dead today, so please bear with me.

What’s in the News?

Let’s start with content. What is considered newsworthy in your world? Continue reading “Fantasy News & Communication” →

Creating a Fantasy World with One Document

Creating a Fantasy World with One Document

Posted on by R.M. Archer

Y’all know I love World Anvil, but if you’ve read my worldbuilding process post then you know that I also make good use of one really long document that holds all of my initial notes when I’m working on Deseran. I call it my brain dump document. Today I want to talk about a couple of different ways I’ve used brain dump documents when creating a fantasy world in the past, and why I like to have them on hand.

Structure or No Structure?

When I mention a “brain dump” document, I’m guessing Continue reading “Creating a Fantasy World with One Document” →