Thursday, March 22, 2012

Exercises from the book '30 Days of WorldBuilding 'by Stephanie Bryant


interesting. Internet Guide. Devoted to the subject, which I have recently been discussed in detail in his blog - vorldbildingu. The idea is to create a fantasy world, giving him 15 minutes a day for a month.


Of course, the name and the approach chosen for promotional purposes, and not all lessons can be called meaningful and ' professional ', but an exercise in each of these lessons are worth the attention. It's really fast, dynamic, do not require much effort the actions that are, I think, three purposes: 1) stimulating creativity and desire to do, and 2) the development of imagination, and 3) a sense of the concept of the future of your world. From this point of view, this invaluable exercise. Step by step. Here I will briefly discuss each of them.


The rights to the text of the author, when quoting this reference to the source material, and an interpreter is required.






Exercise 1. climate.


Open a large detailed atlas or go to the international geographical sites, for example,. National Geographic.

Look at maps of the main parts of the world, and geographic areas. Antarctica. Saudi Arabia. Tropical forests in Brazil. The tropical forests of Central California. Look at what the climate in these areas, estimate the temperature in winter and summer, and m. Dr..
Take 15 minutes to write down all the climatic conditions that you have seen or had time to think about that, looking at the map - if you simply write the name of the city, do it. Sometimes the ' Seattle ' is more associated with the right climate, than the phrase ' the northern humid temperate climate '. Make a list of all possible types and climate and weather.


Use as adjectives and nouns to give a description of each item, if you yourself have been there.
Keep this list in your notebook. Keep it handy, it may be useful to you.






Exercise 2. Physics of the planet.

What role you will take the weather in your world? . Your task is simple - to save ten story units that are associated with the weather and how they influence the course of your story or character development.





Exercise 3. The mood and setting of the World.

Read the list of exercises number 1, and then take a blank sheet of paper. Close your eyes and think about what feelings you would like to try when you write or read their story. Write down four words that can describe this feeling: two adjectives, verb and noun. Now go back to a page with a list of weather conditions, pereprochtite epithets which you supplied them. Something the same? . If not, try to find synonyms or related words.
If you spent 10 minutes and could not decide, choose two climate that reflect your mood of the setting of.






Exercise 4. Disasters and calamities, and their role in the history of the world.

Within 15 minutes, write down some of the geographical features of the actual land. Write down what ' scars ' can get your world, which ridges formed during disasters and m. Dr..






Exercise 5. map.

Exercise is natural to draw the contours of your card, and then identify at least three places that are suitable for the lives of your people and races nelyudskih. You do not need to name them at this stage - we'll worry about the names of the following week, when we think about the languages ​​of our people. Just draw a dot on the map or, perhaps, a symbolic image of ' house ', warning that people settled here.






Exercise 6. races.

Spend 10 minutes and find out what will look like humans and non-human races that have evolved in different parts of your world. Then dedicate an additional 5 minutes, and devote the question of relations between them (wars, alliances, trade).






Exercise 7. history.

Spend 15 minutes outlining the main historical events of the past 100 years at least before the beginning of your novel.
Include in your schedule:.
The date of the transfer of power in the states (through coups, death of the monarch, the revolution, elections, etc. Dr.. ), And whether the transition smooth - if not, what the consequences conceived.

The date when the increase or decrease the amount of natural resources and the harvest, to which it led.

Dates of the supernatural, magical event or events caused by technology.

Each of these factors has an impact on the history of civilizations. Events can be linked.



Date of the history of your story, perhaps, dates of birth of your characters in stories.



If you have a politically -oriented story, you will need to deepen the chronology of more than 100 years.






Exercise 8. Economy and Politics.

Just as you have created a schedule for the events and influences, now look at your map for resources and their scarcity. Within a few minutes make a few notes on a map, marking the places that have more than one type of resource, and note where there is an acute shortage of certain resources. Perhaps, in accordance with the need to correct the chronology of the last exercise.

Exercise 9. language.
Listen as the syllables sound different to you that you are at the same time experiencing. Write down some general comparisons - ' I want to create a language of elves, sounding like water, and the language of the gnomes, sounding like a hammer strikes the anvil '. Record the sounds that you hear while sitting in a natural source, or substituting a hand under a stream of water from the tap. These sounds can be ' back ' of your language of elves, and m. n.
Bonus exercise:.
If you want to make the language played an important role in your stories, please visit.
exercise name. and decide what to do with the names of your characters and geographical locations. do not forget to mention the latest on his map.






Exercise 10. Mood associated with the civilizations.


What emotions cause you or another civilization? . Past exercise)? .






Exercise 11. Focusing on the main.

This exercise consists of blocks that we have already considered and it is time to consider them in unity and re- edit.



History:.
Create a detailed timeline of what you wrote ( you can extend it, for example, from 100 to 500 years). Can affect the life of your hero.



Economy / Politics:.
Make a description of each major political entity ( church, government, kingdoms, factions, trade associations, guilds, etc. Dr.. ) And call them now, so you can refer to them as necessary in the future.




The names and language:.
Napishitesat a short glossary or lexicon of some common and important words. Write down a list of geographical names and names of the five characters that you can use when you need them. If you want to use the extra time and fill out your map corresponding names pryamoseychas.






Exercise 12. What if?.


If you do not know in what came to write the genre - science fiction, fantasy, horror, etc. Dr.. - Now better defined ( if the mixture of genres, you have to think about the faces and features of each of them attached to your stories ).
Record excerpts or sketch some of the scenes that you already know from your future stories. Some of them may already be predetermined by you.

Then ask yourself the tough questions. 'What. if. ? ' .

Think about the details of the lives of its characters. Maybe something should not act as they do in our world, but exactly the opposite?.
Discuss your answers to the questions ' what. if. ' With other, perhaps in a conversation are born new ideas, and help you see the mistakes that you yourself could not see.






Exercise 13. narrative hooks.

If you have some idea of ​​the story, then look at the map and write down at least ten key, interesting events that will develop your story from beginning to end. Give space fantasy, maybe in the original time to change something?.
They do not necessarily use all of the novel, but if you understand that the product was at a standstill, you can take advantage of these ' hooks '.






Exercise 14. education.


Your characters, and all the inhabitants of your world, in need of education and learning Environment and Society.

Is there an established system of education in your countries and cities?.


What people learn from childhood in this world?.


Are there any schools or universities? .


What level of literacy in the countries of your world as a whole?.


Answer these questions.






Exercise 15. Relax.


( 15 lessons per day does not exercise, it is dedicated to links to foreign web- resources related to writing and worldbuilding'om, so that - relax:) - note. first. ).






Exercise 16. specific restrictions.


The more limited the magic in your world? .


Can vampires in your product to go out in the daytime? . At least the ones that will be directly used in the product.






Exercise 17. The mood of the fantastic elements of the.


Read again the list of emotions that must be called when reading the book, the reader your world.


Read again especially your magic, and technological systems.


You need to align them with the expected and desired mood. Perhaps for this standard ' Magic ' even have to rename. Act, think, experiment.






Exercise 18. The fantastic elements. Interaction with society.


Remember the results of a small exercise number 10.


How would you characterize that exist in your world, society and country? .


How will this affect the story?.






Exercise 19. character study. Return to ' What if. '.


You need to work out their characters to make them look realistic. Simple description is not enough, as the dry facts. Try to put them in different situations, using the design issues ' that. if '. It's easy and inspiring.


- What would a stranger, had talked five minutes with the hero?.


- What will the hero, if he finds out that his parents - foster?.


- What if the hero meets someone in there who believe not in the state?.


- What if the hero is not really the one who he thinks?.






This will help you in the plot, characters, and exploring.






Exercise 20. Once more on the story hooks and conflict.


You have already figured out what will be the main conflict? .


If not, return to the list of story clues and try to show the conflict of these.






Exercise 21. Flora and fauna.

Answer the questions.



For the flora:.
What plants are particularly useful for your community? . Is there a similar importance of plants in your own world?.

What are the main crops of your people? .



What is considered a delicacy? . Strawberry is a delicacy somewhere, and somewhere - oranges.

Which fruits and vegetables can be turned into alcohol and medicinal drinks?.

What plants are dangerous? .



for fauna.
What animals are especially useful in your world? .

Which of the animals is a facility for people hunting for them? . , A pig or cow )?.



Meat and other products from animals which are a delicacy? .

What animals are used in medicine and drug development?.



Finally, what animals are dangerous in your world?.






Exercise 22. geography.


Recycle your map. You might want to add new items, change some of the contours of a story, swap important for you to locations and m. n.






Exercise 23. Revision of cultures and civilizations.


It's time to describe every nation and people, each state education and culture. Do it today, using the materials of past days.






Exercise 24. Once again, the mood.


Go back to some exercise and make adjustments so that all work on the main emotions that you have chosen at the beginning. Funny is, a humorous story? .






Exercise 25. heavenly bodies.

read. this article. and then find out how many satellites of the planet in your world? .






Exercise 26. Lists for the discrepancies.

After nearly a month of construction of the world you may face the problem of conflicting ideas, facts that are not fished before, or the story moves you love, but who are destroying the overall impression and atmosphere.


I have a separate file on the laptop to fine-tune these things that I like, but which may not be appropriate in a novel.


I also have a file of ideas for the future which are not realized in this novel, but left to the future.


Create a similar list and fill if necessary.






Exercise 27. Again, a plot hook.


If you still do not have a plan of the plot, it's time to put together all the clues invented and milestones on the path of heroes.






Exercise 28. What have we missed?.


Think about the following topics.





- Clothing.
- Food and kitchen.
- Sanitation and Hygiene.
- Illness, medication, medicine.
- Law enforcement, justice, prisons.
- Pets.


and many others.


Diversify your world right now!.






Exercise 29. character.


Organize all the information about your main characters. You may need the details of their childhood or ancestry. Expand its character in accordance with the already elaborated the world as it will fit into it?.






Exercise 30. Do not do anything.


Today, the most important exercise - enjoy the fact that the created. You do not need anything else to do, because you deserved vacation.

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