Link Feast For Writers, vol. 19 – World Building

Every writer needs world building (a.k.a. setting), regardless of a genre. Good setting creates and enchances the conflict of the story, and anchors your characters in their world. What characters want and need has no meaning without a context and history.

Hence a big part of the links this week focuses on world building. And well, also because it’s a favourite hobby of mine 😉

You can find the regular features (writing, author platform, deep stuff etc.) when you scroll down further. Happy browsing.

 

If You Have Time For Only One Thing:

More than Magic & Gadgets–Taking Science Fiction and Fantasy to Another Level by Kristen Lamb

 

World Building

How Much World Building Should You Do Before Writing the Novel? by Lynn Viehl

Building a World from Top-Down, Bottom-Up or Sideways by Sofie Bird

World Building Do’s by Lynn Viehl

World Building No No’s by Lynn Viehl

The Elevator Speech For Your Setting by Berin Kinsman(After the first paragraphs the advice might not be 100% applicable to writing since it’s aimed for roleplaying games)

Information Density, or, Cramming a Fifty Pound Sausage in a Five-Pound Sack (Swan Tower)

Creating a Story Bible by Suzanne Johnson

Your Writer’s Bible by Sofie Bird

World Building Questions by Patricia C. Wrede

Building Secondary Worlds by Mark Charan Newton

Using Tarot Cards to Create a World by Raeyn Barclay

Drawing Inspiration From Further Afield: Fantasy Set In Non-Western Cultures by Aliette Bodard

World Building 101 by Charlie Stross

World Building Heuristics by Charlie Stross

“The ratio of the near future is: 90% of it is just like today, 9% is stuff that is on the drawing boards, and 1% is unutterably strange and alien and unexpected.” – Charlie Stross

World Building: Psychology by Charlie Stross

World Building: The Unknown by Charlie Stross

Lost and Found: The Orphaned Hero in Myth, Folklore, and Fantasy by Terri Windling

Overused Tropes of Fantasy (Roleplaying Tips)

Medieval Demographics Made Easy. Numbers For Fantasy World

9 to 5: Character Jobs in Fantasyland by S.B. Stewart-Laing

10 Divine Concepts (Roleplaying Tips)

Magic? It’s Complicated (Old Words for Old Worlds)

Sanderson’s First Law of Magic by Brandon Sanderson

Sanderson’s Second Law of Magic by Brandon Sanderson

Magic Systems by Juliette Wade

How To Keep Your Story’s Superpowers/Magic Extraordinary by B. McKenzie

 

On Writing

Reading Like a Writer by Patricia C. Wrede

Making the Most of Ideas – The Fear by David B. Coe

Story Elements Checklist by Alexandra Sokoloff

Complicated Webs & Pacing by Patricia C. Wrede

Micro & Macro Levels of Writing by Patricia C. Wrede

Deep Characters For Plot-First Writers by Suzanne Johnson

6 Tricks Movies Use To Make Sure You Root the Right Guy by C. Coville at Cracked.com

Making Your Book Memorable: Creating Moments by Roni Loren

Michael Hauge’s Workshop: An Antidote To Love At First Sight by Jami Gold

Michael Hauge’s Workshop: Are These Characters the Perfect Match? by Jami Gold

5 Ways To Respect Your Writing by Krissy Brady

Why Write Short Stories by Sandra Wickham

Idea Prompt: Fairytale/Myth + Genre/Setting by Sofie Bird

Stand Out In The Slushpile: Some Basic Tips by Erika Holt

 

Author Platform, Blogging & Social Media

How To Create Your Own Brand & Find Your Voice by Marie Forleo (5:08 min video)

Digital Self-Publishing Checklist by Lori Devoti

Advertising Your Freebie eBooks by Karin Cox

Building a Following: The Four Types of Bloggers by Roni Loren

Why I Quit Blogging (and What To Do If You’re Struggling) by Jon Morrow

5 Ways To Systemize Your Blogging by Nick Thacker

How To Legally Use Your Own Photos On Your Blog by Melinda Van Lone

8 Ways To Grow Your Social Media Footprint by Jenny Hansen

How To Build A Rabid Following On Twitter To Promote Your Blog Posts by Jon Morrow (4:56 min video)

Facebook For Authors: Understanding EdgeRank by Chris Robley

 

Collected Wisdom

Twitterific by Elizabeth Spann Craig (August 12)

Friday Features by Yesenia Vargas (August 10)

World Building Resources by Juliette Wade

(In case you are wondering, there are no links to Gene Lempp’s Blog Treasures and Roni Loren’s Friday Features this week because those formats were on a short break)

 

Deep Stuff

5 Important Things I Learned Teaching Autistic Kids by Jenny Hansen

Modern Heroes by Kim Vandervort

Sisterhood by Karin Rita Gastreich

Chasing a Storm & Finding One Inside by Lara Zielin

 

Fun Stuff

Behold Fantastic (Pinterest boards for lovers of history and fantasy)

Immortal Monday: Death Deities & Meg Cabot’s Abandon by Debra Kristi

10 Fantasy Must Reads by Patricia C. Wrede

When Giants Walked the Earth by Ash Silverlock

12 Comments

  1. Jami Gold
    Aug 15, 2012

    Thanks for the links to my blog! I love coming to your link roundups. I always find the best stuff. 🙂
    Jami Gold recently posted..The New Publishing Paradigm, Part Two: What Value Do Publishers Add?My Profile

  2. Reetta Raitanen
    Aug 15, 2012

    Thanks, Jami. I loved the romance tips you shared. I got a huge eureka.

  3. Jenny Hansen
    Aug 16, 2012

    Sweet lady! Thanks for the shout out on my autistic kids post. I enjoyed writing that one. 🙂
    Jenny Hansen recently posted..Wishing Y’all A Belated National Underwear Day!My Profile

  4. Raelyn Barclay
    Aug 16, 2012

    What a fabulous roundup! Thanks so much for including my blog in the list!
    Raelyn Barclay recently posted..Video I Love: The Fool’s JourneyMy Profile

    • Reetta Raitanen
      Aug 17, 2012

      Thank you, Raelyn. I really enjoyed all your Tarot posts.

  5. Debra Kristi
    Aug 16, 2012

    Thanks for including me. I’m so not deserving. Once again you have a ton of things I need to read. Why do I need to sleep?

    Fun fact: I’m planning on highlighting your link feast on my sidebar when I get organized. I need to find someone to set up my site. I’m so lost over there. 🙁
    Debra Kristi recently posted..Vampire Truths on Immortal MondayMy Profile

    • Reetta Raitanen
      Aug 17, 2012

      Aww, thank you so much, Debra. I hope you’ll find someone to help you out. Websites can be confusing even if you know your way around a little.

  6. Juliette Wade
    Oct 9, 2012

    Thanks for linking to my blog! Your readers might also like my series of reports on worldbuilding topics, which can be found here: http://talktoyouniverse.blogspot.com/2011/12/series-worldbuilding-hangouts-on-google.html The list includes Gender, Manners, Colonialism, Economics, Language Design, Pets, and many other topics.
    Juliette Wade recently posted..I finished my revisions! And the nerves are ramping up…My Profile

  7. Juliette Wade
    Oct 9, 2012

    Dear me! I just noticed you already had it, later in the list. Sorry about that, and thanks again!

    • Reetta Raitanen
      Oct 9, 2012

      No worries 🙂 Your worldbuilding links are a great resource. Thanks for dropping by.

Trackbacks/Pingbacks

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  2. Link Feast, vol. 25 – NaNoWriMo Special | Reetta Raitanen's Blog - [...] World Building Link Mashup by me [...]
  3. World-building toolkit « amuteforamuse - [...] Link Feast for Writers, vol 19 – World-building [...]

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