Category Archives: Worldbuilding

Book Review: The Art of Language Invention by David J. Peterson

Posted on January 12, 2016 by J. Sevick

I’m not sure whether it’s an aspect of my love for the written word or a coincidental interest of its own, but language has always fascinated me. I’ve gone through many phases in my life trying to learn a multitude … Continue reading →

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The Normal Threshold

Posted on October 10, 2014 by J. Sevick

When building a world, based in our own, but with supernatural or sci-fi elements, you have to begin with the world we know. A completely alternate world does not need this calculation; a historical world within our own could begin … Continue reading →

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The World is Not Enough

Posted on September 24, 2014 by J. Sevick

I’ve had this problem for a long time now—in fact, it’s always been a big part of my assertion that I’d actually rather be a worldbuilder. I have this entire world that I created… and no story to write in … Continue reading →

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What’s in a Name?

Posted on May 27, 2014 by J. Sevick

[Most obvious title ever…] When you are inventing things and places (and people, though I won’t address naming characters in this post), you also have to invent their names. Especially when you’re working in a genre or world with few … Continue reading →

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Managing Complexity in Worldbuilding: Rankings

Posted on April 26, 2014 by J. Sevick

So the first three posts in this series laid out what I think are the main factors in worldbuilding. You could argue that geography is another (I guess I’d put that as part of “society”), or that distance from the … Continue reading →

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Managing Complexity in Worldbuilding: Society

Posted on April 23, 2014 by J. Sevick

[This is the next portion of this series on managing the complexity of different world elements.] Society/Culture This concerns the amount of differentiated culture and society surrounds the fantasy elements listed above. Think of history, government, religion, language, clothing, and … Continue reading →

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Managing Complexity in Worldbuilding: Species

Posted on April 20, 2014 by J. Sevick

[This is the next portion of this series on managing the complexity of different world elements.] Species This indicates the number, variety, and quality of the “species” in your story. One presumes a baseline of humans and Earth-found animals/plants. If … Continue reading →

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Managing Complexity in Worldbuilding: Magic

Posted on April 16, 2014 by J. Sevick

Worldbuilding is a complex part of storytelling, at least for those looking to write fantasy and science fiction. And the complexity of that world, namely how much it differs from our current world, can be a great blessing for your … Continue reading →

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How to Use the Story Set-Ups–Part Two

Posted on January 8, 2014 by J. Sevick

In this post, I described four set-ups for stories involving a “supernatural element” (includes everything from an entire fantasy world to a single object; also includes science fiction elements from alien planets to advanced technology). That post primarily dealt with … Continue reading →

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How to Use the Story Set-Ups–Part One

Posted on January 4, 2014 by J. Sevick

In this post, I described four set-ups for stories involving a “supernatural element” (includes everything from an entire fantasy world to a single object; also includes science fiction elements from alien planets to advanced technology). That post primarily dealt with … Continue reading →

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