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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16.23: Rules and Mechanics
16.22: Scenes and Set Pieces
16.21: Player Characters
16.20: Branching Narratives
16.19: Intro to Roleplaying Games
16.18: Poetry and the Fantastic
16.17: The Time To Rhyme
16.16: Poetic Structure: Part II
16.15: Poetic Structure, Part I
16.14: Poetic Language
16.13: Day Brain vs. Night Brain
16.12 : Singing Versus Speaking
16.11: What is Poetry?
16.10: Paying it Forward, with Kevin J. Anderson
16.9: Crossing The Revenue Streams
16.8: Smart Promotion
16.7: To Series, or Not to Series
16.6: Building Your Brand
16.5: Pros and Contracts
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