Brandon Sanderson’s Iceberg Method to Worldbuilding | Writing Fantasy

[@CapturedInWords]

Click on the links below to get 50% off your first pair & receive your crazy offer for 24hrs only👇🏽 Ottoto Prospect Park: glassesusa.me/Capwords_OttotoProspectPark Other pairs featured 👇🏽 Muse Romi: glassesusa.me/CapWords_MuseRomi Muse Isaac: glassesusa.me/CapWords_MuseIsaac I hope this video was helpful for you on your writing journey! Have you watched any of Sanderson's lectures on writing? Edit: Sanderson goes on to explain that the iceberg should be hollow, in that you should do just enough work for what you absolutely need for the story. You don't need to actually world build like Tolkien did with the Silmarillion. You just need enough of the small details to allow the reader to trust that you know more than you're showing and will gradually reveal it.

[@kailanerman5090]

YES!!!

[@CATventur]

Can you do the in-depth summary videos? Or you stopped doing those. Those videos are my favourite.

[@CapturedInWords]

@@CATventur I definitely want to make more in-depth summary videos, I was actually planning one this month but since I'm moving this month it will have to be pushed back. But eventually I want to be making a lot more in-depth summaries :)

[@matthewwoolley4131]

Great vid! I often think back to the way Tolkien writes. We tend to think of Tolkien as having one of the richest and most detailed fantasy worlds out there, and while I agree that he does the actual "volume" of text he has is comparatively small, especially when you look at say Sanderson or Robert Jordan. But what Tolkien does with his prose is manage to paint a picture of his own "iceberg" in just a few poetic lines. A lot is left to the reader to imagine the rest, but the words are so good at guiding your thoughts down that path that excessive detail is not needed. Additionally, almost all (but not every) reference and legend and lore detail does have a backstory, and knowing that really helps sell all the details, even the ones that don't have an explanation. You've begun to trust the author that one exists in this world even if you can't ever truly know it.

[@MemphiStig]

11:38 One of my favorite older authors, and maybe the opposite of Brandon, is David Eddings. He had a remarkable way of being sparse with words, but deep with meaning, and even his info dump was terse but dense. And still his stories are rich and vivid and evocative, and you get a strong feeling of being in a real world with real people. His plots were well-conceived, and tied directly to the settings, yet he was never predictable.

[@samwarner6024]

This video is amazing. Props to your grind and dedication, it’s very inspiring. Your passion, your editing and planning reflects your love for storytelling amazingly

[@isengaurd3795]

Your editing is top notch

[@VituKi]

I bet my old torn socks on you having this research enhanced with AI. The ammount of details and statements from different authors pulled is impressive. Not that there is something wrong doing it ;) if so, you made a well researched addition to your channel and if you did all on your own even more impressive.

[@Jpjeff51512]

This is a great video and I don't want to be random, but the talk of world building has me wondering if you'd ever DM a Dnd campaign. You'd kill it!!!

[@CapturedInWords]

I'd love to be a DM one day! I've actually never played D&D but have always wanted to ever since first reading the Drizzt books in middle school and watching Critical Role

[@notsomuch2957]

That's interesting goncho

[@johnmclean6380]

Fast forward to 2:45 for start of actual content :)

[@arenkai]

Hi ! Great video ! However, blue-light glasses aren't effective at reducing eye strain and have no proven effect on health. So, even if there is no harm in wearing them, you would have the same effect by reducing your monitor's brightness. The only effect might be to reduce blue light before bed and make you feel drowsy quicker, but even then it's still unclear at what threshold blue light suppresses the secretion of melatonin. So, even if there's no harm to in wearing those, there's no real point in paying more for them.

[@john80944]

I think, if you're going to put your info-dump into your book, please try to make it fun. Or at least, be like Tolkien: you can make it part of the grander narrative, like a historian trying to comb through all the side evidences. Or like a linguist who studies olden cultures, I guess. Or make it fulled of flavor text, like poems or songs. Just make it interesting, make it gamey, then I will devour all the exposition you write.

[@Skulldir]

Hey, I feel like this video is already outdated: brandon sanderson has talked about the "iceberg theory" in a more recent lecture series than the one you are referencing in this video (which you should have linked to in the description imo, but that is neither here nor there). kzbin.info/www/bejne/d4Wxp4Khatd8gKM I recommend that you watch around this point of this episode. I dont think it is a good look to push a view that sanderson doesn't agree with onto him, because it align with your view of how things should be and he is a big name (which may not have been your intention but that is what this comes off as)

[@CapturedInWords]

The lecture I'm referencing is from the same lecture series, it was video #4 from 2020. You sent me #5 which was filmed in the same year and it's where he goes on to explain that the iceberg should be hollow, in that you should do just enough work for what you absolutely need for the story. You don't need to actually world build like Tolkien did with the Silmarillion. You just need enough of the small details to allow the reader to trust that you know more than you're showing and will gradually reveal it. "I dont think it is a good look to push a view that Sanderson doesn't agree with onto him" I'm not sharing any view that Sanderson doesn't agree with. I simply didn't mention the hollow iceberg, but I still mentioned the main principle of it and the same idea that he expresses.

[@Skulldir]

​@@CapturedInWords 1. The video you show clips of in your video is not from the 2020 lecture series, it is from the 2016 lecture series, this is why I called this video outdated. I will link episode both episode 4 of the 2016 series: kzbin.info/www/bejne/rGqbi6yVnbVoiqs and episode 4 of the 2020 series: kzbin.info/www/bejne/rGqbi6yVnbVoiqs you can clearly see from what he is wearing to confirm what video is being used in your video, in addition to this, there is no mention of the iceberg as far as i can tell in 2020 episode 4 2. You say that you are "not sharing any viewpoint that sanderson does not agree with", I will type out the quote from the original link and time stamp that I reference in the parent comment (kzbin.info/www/bejne/d4Wxp4Khatd8gKM). "When I first became a writer, I heard a lot of authors on panels talking about how world building should be an iceberg... (gesturing to board) Here's the iceberg, here's the water, and there is a huge body of world building underneath the ice, that the reader should be able to tell that you did but you are not going to show them on the page. Well, this is usually wrong. This is now what writers are doing most of the time... Most of the time what we are actually doing is a hollow iceberg, so that we have done enough work so that if you look down through the water you would think 'yup that goes on'". This is diametrically opposed to the thesis of the video which is the "iceberg theory". Also you should what the 5 minutes in the video I link and not just trust my quote, but that is up to you.

[@CapturedInWords]

​@@Skulldir Ahh you are right, my bad. I am currently making my way through his lecture series and I thought episode 4 that I watched was from his 2020 series. I enjoyed what he shared in the 2016 episode and wanted to share it, as well as add some points from other authors. The beginning part where I explain the "iceberg method" is outdated but I still think all the information is very relevant and helpful. I pretty much explain the exact same thing in my video, I just don't use the term "hollow iceberg". I say that you should only be worldbuilding what's relevant and gradually reveal it all to the reader, and that you don't need to go overboard on details of the world. Sanderson is basically just adding to the iceberg theory by saying it should actually be hollow. A hollow iceberg is still an iceberg. Even though I didn't say the iceberg should be hollow, I'm still giving the same points that Sanderson does in his updated lecture (which again, I didn't watch until after posting my video, that's my bad). But I should have done a little more research to include the fact that he says the iceberg should actually be hollow.

[@Mahoneyyay]

Dunno why Sandos name is in the title of this.

[@LukeAdler]

Because the video is about Sanderson's Iceberg method for worldbuilding? He cites several other authors as well, but it's all relevant to the iceberg

[@tobiass3540]

@@LukeAdler The iceberg method is a concept by Ernest Hemingway. I think he wrote books before Sanderson

[@tobiass3540]

Dude, no offense, but the iceberg method is older than Sanderson himself. The pioneer of the iceberg method who also named it that way was Ernest Hemingway

[@ryanratchford2530]

Loved this video. I’d love to see more like these! I want to rewatch Brandon’s lectures but they are a large time sink.

[@CapturedInWords]

Glad you enjoyed! I think I'll definitely make more videos on Brandon's lectures!

[@fragwagon]

I watched them sped up. 2x at first then dialed it back.

[@user-gm8jg2ve7g]

Good fucking vid brother

[@cybersketcher1130]

George Lucas did this pretty well, our imaginations might have been a bit more fun than what Lucas had in mind.

[@CapturedInWords]

Good example!

[@Avarn388]

For me if you can give me a great setting with its own internal consistency with regards to culture, geography, people and I’m happy. Cliche as this sounds it’s why I enjoy One Piece so much. Oda developed a living breathing world with its own rules and how islands could be entire series. Or why I like Stormlight or Cradle by Sanderson and Will Wight. The former being a unique fantasy world amongst a traditional setting.

[@CapturedInWords]

I just started getting back into One Piece and am loving it! And I agree, internal consistency to the world is key for immersion.

[@caewing85]

This was helpful with my writing. Thanks for this video!

[@CapturedInWords]

Thanks for watching Crystal! 😀

[@brandonpowell8631]

Man, I was literally just looking up worldbuilding and gave up because all the results just have the same crappy pre-made method. So I gave up and got on KZbin. Within three minutes of you uploading this. Wonderful timing lol.

[@CapturedInWords]

Perfect timing!! 😊

[@lightningtiger7721]

I like the multiple sources you used this time for this video essay. Good on ya!

[@BookCursed]

Thank you, this was very interesting video.

[@errorfree9301]

You have a nice melodic voice. Way better reader than that junk from my audio book.

[@Johanna_reads]

Great video! I love the iceberg-worldbuilding concept! Related to what you said towards the end of the video: I feel like I’m an outlier reader who usually doesn’t click with many current popular fantasy trends commonly promoted-especially if the writing starts to feel too formulaic-but you’re right that there is flexibility within each guideline shared. It’s always within the discretion of the writer, and it’s wonderful that you honor that in sharing what works for you. ❤

[@rachmielshragalichtenstein8225]

The worldbuilding didn't happen in ice-olation

[@cf6755]

Implicit writing isn't limited to scene setting it is important for developing deeper characters by having them have lives outside of the protagonist, or as foreshadowing of plot events that are not at the forefront of the MC's perspective window.

[@אניבאמתיהודי]

You kind of missed a small detail of Brandon's philosophy, the hollow iceberg. It's very impractical to write a full on encyclopedia/history like the simarillion, since then you never get around to writing the story. Brandon there says you should leave hints of a larger world, and have a general structure in mind, so that it feels real, but you don't actually want to have the whole iceberg.

[@CapturedInWords]

Good point to add! I got all my info from his lecture #4 and just started watching his #5 lecture where he goes on to explain that the iceberg should be hollow, in that you should do just enough work for what you absolutely need for the story. You don't need to actually world build like Tolkien did with the Silmarillion. You just need enough of the small details to allow the reader to trust that you know more than you're showing and will gradually reveal it. I do make those similar points in the video, but wish I added a bit more and included the discussion of a hollow iceberg.

[@RiashadHassan]

This was fantastic. Concise and educational.

[@popculturetalk1252]

Top fantasy novel with good wouldbuilding

[@popculturetalk1252]

Video please

[@jimbrown5387]

Once again, you put together a well-crafted and informative video. Thank you. Totally sharing this with other writer friends.

[@avantgardenovelist]

the first I know of to use this analogy was Hemingway in his Paris review interview, vis-a-vis the elliptical wisdom of Old Man and the Sea.

[@ARAD-cx3ov]

Finally 1st one to comment by the way great content

[@brandonpowell8631]

Check again. :)

[@ARAD-cx3ov]

@@brandonpowell8631 well

[@CapturedInWords]

@@ARAD-cx3ov You were still first ;) Thanks for watching!

[@latebreakfast8911]

You putting on glasses gave me a flashback of my math teacher saying "let's put on our Mathematical Glasses"😁

[@XX-nm3kv]

This series is valuable.

[@uamsnof]

It’s funny that I found this video. I’m at chapter 4 of the audiobook of The Way of Kings, and every other sentence I’m having to learn a new word or concept, beyond names of people, places, races, languages, etc. that I know I won’t remember, so if this is just the tip of the iceberg,… talk about too many details upfront detracting from the plot

[@ramspencer5492]

Setting is really important.... But if your we're to let character work well worked And meaningful plot atrophy at the expense of developing setting, your story will suffer terribly. It's not quite of the same level of importance as character work and plot! As far as description.... I'd Rather be overburdened like wheel of time, which does get carried away.... Then put into some ADD world where there's practically no description at all. It's important. Even though he often goes overboard.... His world building is phenomenal.

[@sebastianwrites]

This "Iceberg Philosophy" is excellent... I can see him using this in the first book of the Stormlight Archive, and how this allows him to create a more complex world. He's right about Steven Erikson... I do admire these writers for this element, but so often with 'characters' when I am reading stories, I don't find their characters ring true. This was the reason I put down Steven Erikson, I'll see how I go with Branderson, so far... well, really quite good. I found some of the other authors approach somewhat confusing or at least surprising - such as Victoria Schwab in creating the world 'first...?' Yes, as she does say, I would have thought she has to start with a 'seed' of more than just this, or otherwise where is the context? You have to have something, a 'character' to put into a world to build something around don't you? As Schwab said, at least a 'seed' of an idea in that respect? Hmm, got me pondering this one. Excellent video as well per usual Mr Jay. Here's a compliment, and people often fall out with me for being too critical... but I watched your video a couple of times, and I was most impressed how you got so much into such a short video. In fact I thought I was deluding myself at one point, and I had to check the time again. Now I only have to get myself an iceberg or a penguin... penguins are 'cute.' Always... a good reason to get a penguin!

[@ernesto7697]

where do you find all the great art for your videos?

[@CapturedInWords]

I find most of it on ArtStation

[@ernesto7697]

@@CapturedInWords ok thanks, you use it really well in the videos

[@thedankest6928]

World building is probably Sanderson's weakest thing. I'm a big Sanderson fan but his novels are popular for things like the magic systems and simple prose.

[@sskpsp]

There is a bit of cultural bias to be aware of here, and in general with popular writing tips. A western audience, who has grown up with many centuries and even millennia dividing them from an indigenous mythos, only knows how to behold a new world as if they were conquering new and empty lands. But other cultures which do have indigenous mythos don't focus so much on dropping exposition breadcrumbs like this. For example, the Hindu epics assume you already know the Hindu mythos and never bothers to explain stuff like the "magic system," the various epithets of figures, and symbolic things and events. In a sense, there is an "iceberg" though it's there more because you are already supposed to know it rather than it serving the purpose of entertaining you in revealing it. Because culture is a worldview, not a franchise. But my main point is this: if you are writing or reading a completely new world, treat everything as entirely alien. Don't drop a familiar trail of breadcrumbs as a writer, nor expect as a reader to find one. Don't assume European practices eg. bowing in front of a king to be the norm, allowing you to assume the person being bowed to is royalty; maybe it's the opposite in the constructed culture. Instead of treating it like exploring a new word, assume you are thrown into a society where you don't even know the language to begin communicating with. A series I read which blew my mind that does this is The Second Apocalypse. Some of the worldbuilding falls into cultural tropes, but what I appreciated was there was nothing to handhold me through the magic system and plot, which it turned out to be an allegory of a philosophical debate the author wanted to deliver. Just like how eg. the Hindu mythos is a vehicle of philosophy and religion rather than an entertainment franchise.

[@larrykylemoose]

I feel like Pierce Brown does this well. You’re not really explicitly told what a RipWing or Razor are, the text already assumes that you do and you infer it from context.

[@Cam_Wolfe]

Always blown away by the effort you put into editing Jay, 10/10 video. Eagerly awaiting the day you put out a book of your own 😉

[@LukeAdler]

Wow really great research with this one, also your editing is so on point. That intro effect was incredible!

[@timothyrosenvall1496]

Okay, all I saw with this thumbnail was Sanderson and Meth. Was about to be real disappointed.

[@PoorPersonsBookReviewer]

Yes please more analyst of Brandon sanderson's lectures

[@Lilitha11]

I feel like this isn't so much of a method, as much just something you do. You can write a story without much of a setting, but if you do create a setting there is a limit what you can write in a practical period of time and what will fit into a book. So it is always limited. So you kind of end up doing this, or just never finishing the story.

[@podeshahejalol]

You say this is a method. Is there any other legitimate method except the iceberg concept? Are there good writers who do it differently or is this just the right way of doing it period?

[@tehufn]

This explains why his writing is so awfully annoying to get through.

[@gabriellewcam]

Brb using these tips for creating my home brew DnD world

[@FadiAntwan]

I’m not even a writer, but this was a fascinating watch. Thank you for putting the effort into making it!

[@theswordandthepenchannel]

This is a fantastic video. I will be repeat-watching. 👍🏼

[@stephenlogsdon8266]

Well … there is SCI FI also. Not arguing, just stating a truism.

[@gamedispute5122]

beautiful. simply beautiful

[@CapturedInWords]

Thank you! Cheers!

[@mdptg1990]

I believe GRRM also used the iceberg analogy

[@sohrabroozbahani4700]

I started writing before the emergence of widespread fast Internet... so over that crucial first decade I had to develop my own method by trial and error. It is indeed great to have access to this amount of experience and expertise to guide your hand, but in my case, my world building have always been in service to the story. My stories are my adventures into my own imagination and so they serve the same when I share them with others, my universes usually emerge through the development of the story, every place the hero/s visit, anything they learn, any secrets they discover adds more details while what lies beyond the reach of the story may or may not be there at the time, what I learned through practice of writing was that I as the author have the power to tie those details in the background even so later no if necessity dictates, in this way only your own imagination is the limit sometimes even creating pleasant surprises down the timeline. And don't forget, reader goes through your story page by page, author has the power to go back, fix, change and trim the story and the setting if necessary, imagine that you can go back and change the outfits, tools, actions, insert or remove certain key words or even characters that you suddenly found a need for say 200 pages down the line, author is God of his universe, timeline does not apply to him😅 at first I was doing so across one story, but now that I am trying my hand on fantasy, I'm actually playing this game on a handful of stories developing concurrently at my hand but happening across thousands of years and different corners of the said world in the in universe timeline... I always ask, if the adventures of my hero's are not fun and adventurous for me myself, how can they be as such for the possible audience 😊

[@Legolas71088]

Beautiful selection of artwork, as always.

[@okanut]

Great video! Not planning on writing anything, but I like how you analyzed the method!

[@danielsykes7558]

I've been really struggling to get through oathbringer ... It just ... I just ... Oh my God. I listen to my books and I've been listening to this one at 2x speed and i still have 16 hours. Reducing that speed somehow only takes it to 20 .. i rarely listen at 1x though because my brain can't handle how slow it is. I get distracted too easily and start to miss what they are saying. I'm starting to wonder if there's a more serious accessibility problem for well-written fantasy novels marketed to adults or young adults. Like ... I really can't read Sanderson as somebody who might have ADHD or who is on food stamps and needs to find a job, and the fact that I'm in the middle of a master's degree. I ... *Sigh*

[@danielsykes7558]

This might sound petty, but it's emotionally difficult. I say i have 16 hours, but I've had 19 hours left for nye on a month. And i started oathbringer probably sometime last summer.

[@Colaman112]

Are you spying on me? I was listening to that lecture just yesterday!

[@CapturedInWords]

👀

[@thelivichronicles]

thank you for this! i love how you interweave other writers' advice and quotes throughout. your efforts in these videos are amazing and the results are even more, i get so much out of them for my own writing so thank you!

[@CapturedInWords]

I'm happy my video can help other writers!! 😊 Glad you enjoyed, thanks for watching!

[@longshot9757]

Ah, the editing of your videos never fails to astonish me.

[@EnergyFlux2012]

Helpful info. Thanks.

[@deeebeee1758]

Sanderson, Hemingway, tomayto, tomahto.

[@splintershield]

Great video!

[@Nethan_The_Drawer]

Where can I find the music you use in your videos?

[@CapturedInWords]

I'm subscribed to MotionArray and get most my music from there, here's a link to the first song I used: motionarray.com/royalty-free-music/orbit-of-uncertainty-143157/

[@Nethan_The_Drawer]

@@CapturedInWords thanks!

[@karlmiller7188]

Very good!

[@smashOsmash]

Oda does a similar thing with One Piece, i genuinely think that Oda should be held in the same regards as Tolkein, Terry Pratchett, GRR Martin, and Brandon Sanderson. His way of storytelling and worldbuilding should be studied.

[@NellyVilla09]

The way you edit your videos is just 🤌🏽🤌🏽🤌🏽 you are a god-tier booktuber

[@devonology]

This is my comment for the algorithm.

[@CapturedInWords]

Appreciated!

[@chellybub]

I find that when I hear a tip like this, I like to go back and read a few chapters of several fantasy novels or seires which I love to get a feel for how authors manage this sort of thing. Just as an example, if you look at a song of ice and fire (i mention it because a lot of people have read this series) you can see that sometimes GRRM will give you detail through description, but sometimes there are these exposition dumps. It just goes to show that these tips are great rules to guide you back to the "show dont tell" guideline, but sometimes need to be ignored if you have to convey a lot if background information all at once. Using the same example, the astute reader will notice that George was much more clumsy with exposition writing style in AGOT, but as the series progresses he will tie these sections of information into vivid flashbacks or inner monologue or, in a couple of cases, having characters discuss some aspect of lore. A great example of the last example can be seen in The Witcher Saga, where Getalt meets with Vilgefortz on the Isle of Thanedd. Sapkowski does a great job of using the iceberg, and managed through conversation to artfully divulge deeper lore.

[@arabellawillow]

Fantasy setting is THE BEST ☕ Loved hearing your thoughts on it!

[@kctravis8122]

Enjoyed it

[@CapturedInWords]

Thanks for watching!!

[@ancv65]

This is pure gold!

[@CapturedInWords]

Glad you enjoyed!

[@alimansoor5580]

Nice and informative video. Great Work!

[@stephenlogsdon8266]

I don’t know if I necessarily buy this iceberg-ism. Personally, as a pantser, I kind of learn about the world as I live my life through my characters. Those who outline, certainly do it Sanderson’s way. I like the window analogy.

[@tetri90]

Funny thing is Sanderson does not buy into the Ice-berg methode and explicitly stated it both in his lectures and in his podcasts. He specifically recommend author to develope an "hollow Ice-berg" where you allude to a lot of supposedly well detailed world-building that you have not actually invented yet, so that you can give the illusion of a rich world to the reader and that you have "pre-established" lore to tie back into when you want to push your storie into a new place / a new direction. The Iceberg analogy for world building is an old classic in fantasy circle, but it's pretty rich to use Sanderson name to promote it when he is one of the only big Fantasy author to have publicly admited that he thought that was BS and autors should not try to write their Silmarillion before they can start writing their Hobbit or LotR ...

[@tobiass3540]

The true origin of the iceberg method is Ernest Hemingway. He was also a pantser

[@SIGuy7480]

Maybe if Sanderson focus on character half as much then maybe his books would be better then "ok"

[@thomascleveland]

I just started Mistborn, I've never read a Sanderson book. I am told I am in for a treat but it sure doesn't seem to me like Sanderson was taking his own advice.

[@parkercrystal1]

Trust me, you are only seeing the tip of the iceberg.

[@arenkai]

Mistborn 1 isn't even the tip of the iceberg, it's a snowflake gently falling on the iceberg

[@Dizaster977]

"First and foremost, a world of Fantasy can exist without characters, but characters cannot exist without their world. Whichever comes first, there must always be a place for the story to unfold within, and if that place doesn't posses a considerable amount of character itself, then you may as well just be writing dialogue for a screenplay."