Why is worldbuilding is essential in your writing? Today, we answer this question and dive into some working definitions of how we want to talk about it. After the break, we discuss why we chose this book Arkady Martine’s “A Memory Called Empire” and highlight what it does well. We dive into the elements that help make Martine’s worldbuilding so accessible and effective.
Thing of the Week:
“Fast Car” by Tracy Chapman (think about what it teaches you about POV!)
Homework:
Pick your favorite fictional worlds and for each write down three defining attributes that establish culture, legal systems, and physical spaces.
Here’s a link to buy your copy of “A Memory Called Empire” if you haven’t already:
https://bookshop.org/lists/close-readings-season-19
Sign up for our newsletter:
https://writingexcuses.com
Credits: Your hosts for this episode were Mary Robinette Kowal, DongWon Song, Erin Roberts, Dan Wells, and Howard Tayler. It was produced by Emma Reynolds, recorded by Marshall Carr, Jr., and mastered by Alex Jackson.
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19.21: Language as a Tool (A Close Reading on Worldbuilding)
19.20: How to Make Worlds Feel Big Without Overwhelming the Reader (A Close Reading on Worldbuilding: Focusing on Scale)
19.18: How to Build Fictional Economies
19.17: Novellas- the Goldilocks of Publishing
19.16: An Interview with Max Gladstone and Amal El-Mohtar
19.15: A Close Reading on Voice: Tying It All Together
19.14: A Close Reading on Voice- Epistolary Storytelling Through Voice
19.13: A Close Reading on Voice: Blue's Perspective - Confidence and Vulnerability
19.12: A Close Reading on Voice - Red's Perspective - Muscular Prose
19.11: A Close Reading on Voice- An Overview, and Why Time War
19.10: Introducing Our Close Readings Series
19.09: LIVE Recording - Rituals, Rites, and Traditions
19.08: NaNoWriMo Revision with Ali Fisher: Working with an Editor
19.07: NaNoWriMo Revision with Ali Fisher: Intention
19.06: NaNoWriMo Revision with Ali Fisher: Length
19.05: LIVE Recording - Revisions with Mahtab Narsimhan
19.04: LIVE Recording - Pacing with Guest Fonda Lee
19.03: Behind The Scenes with our Producer and Recording Engineer
19.02: Q&A Episode with WX Core Cast
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