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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17.26: Hanging Separately
17.25: Archetypes, Ensembles, and Expectations
17.24: Ensembles and Genre
17.23: Are We Stronger Together?
17.22: Establishing the Ensemble
17.21: Casting Your Story With Character Voice
17.20: Basics of Ensemble Characterization
17.19: Working in a Collaborative Environment
17.18: How to be Funny, with Jody Lynn Nye
17.17: Writing in the Public Domain
17.16: Miscellaneous Structures
17.15: Storytelling in the Footnotes
17.14: Structuring for Disordered or Order-less Reading Order
17.13: Structuring Around a Thing
17.12: Structuring a Story Within a Story
17.11: Structuring with Multiple Timelines
17.10: Structuring with Multiple POVs
17.9: Let’s Talk About Structure
17.8: The Alchemy of Creativity
17.7: Dissecting Influence
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