How to build a fictional world - Kate Messner

View full lesson: ed.ted.com/lessons/how-to-buil...
Why is J.R.R. Tolkien's Lord of the Rings trilogy so compelling? How about The Matrix or Harry Potter? What makes these disparate worlds come alive are clear, consistent rules for how people, societies -- and even the laws of physics -- function in these fictional universes. Author Kate Messner offers a few tricks for you, too, to create a world worth exploring in your own words.
Lesson by Kate Messner, animation by Avi Ofer.

[@SanaSamaha]

I spend so much time thinking about my fictional world that I don't write anything.

[@yellowpeanutt]

IKR

[@brandenatkins9100]

Same here. But the thing is, do you have the motivation to write it down or are you looking to add or detract from what you currently have on thought. It's better to get everything down in thought firsthand before you start writing it all sown first.

[@NickFisherman]

Me too. I actually don't like the typing aspect of it. I've planned stories decades in advance from when I plan them to be released. That's why I started a website where I post one new story every day. This forces me to ignore my instincts to only think about them, and to just get to it. This comes with plotholes, but I'm learning to enjoy the act of writing more.

[@TheLugiaSong]

Saame! I always think I'll remember it, it's fine, but then I do forget parts of it :( I would +1 your comment but I can't right now.

[@cato6552]

I carry a notebook around with me and write ideas in it when I think of them. I come back to the book later and am often very surprised by the things I wrote because I had forgotten them!

[@EC-ml3rj]

How to build a fantasy world step by step Step 1 : build a fantasy world

[@diegom-a7970]

😂 Step 2: enjoy

[@ariehutomokusuma6693]

But-- but, that is true (?)

[@ra_alf9467]

Instructions unclear, Donald Trump got elected in my world

[@malory8962]

its that easy 😭

[@Samir-kn3jd]

Step 2 : profit

[@R09128]

Not joke Step 1: looking for idea Step 2: watching some fantasy film Step 3: play some game Step 4: try imagine a world Step 5: draw it Step 6: fix it Step 7: draw it again Step 8: profit

[@xtinydemon7631]

P r o f i t

[@edtolentino1692]

@@xtinydemon7631 i made my own fantasy film in my head these are the things i did to make my fantasy film Step 1: Watch fantasy/Sci fi movies Step 2: Watch more movies Step 3: Try making your own world every night before you sleep Step 4: Make the world you thought last night Step 5: Make a story Step 6: Make Characters Step 7: fix it Step 8: Review my story Step 9: Profit And lastly the most important thing you need to do. Step 10: Do it all again and again

[@xtinydemon7631]

@@edtolentino1692 *P r o f i t*

[@kermitdahoe7763]

One problem... I barely can draw a stick man 𖨆

[@ZHH_Studios]

*s t o n k s*

[@bennet615]

the animator's the real deal over here if u dint notice

[@_pg_18]

Yeah even I noticed.

[@joshuatownsend1075]

I came here after seeing the thumbnail. I thought the animation might be good. I'm glad I'm here.

[@vansalvador3575]

Hi bennett!!!

[@theninja42198]

Thank u Bennett a.k.a. BEST PYRO BOII

[@captainkirk265]

Agreed.

[@EpicFishStudio]

For me, making the world itself, characters etc is the easiest part. Making a working storyline is often the thing breaking down everything I have done. So sad.

[@joshuastarkloff9602]

+Dat Epic Fish Same here.

[@morfx9911]

Same here, i have like 6 different world but no complete storyline :v

[@EpicFishStudio]

I also have thing that when I get the "Best-idea-in-century-hurdurrur-so-awesome" -idea, no one is interested. Only comment I get from anyone is "meh". as no one even listens.

[@morfx9911]

Dat Epic Fish haha is hard i know

[@Taranchule]

+Dat Epic Fish Yup.

[@athena8794]

How To Draw An Owl Step 1: draw two circles Step 2: draw the rest of the owl

[@elijahkidd9]

Lol

[@mainspare9903]

What do you think of my owl? 🐓

[@cloudynites1679]

Wtf XD

[@garlicpowder38]

Ah, thank you for giving me this wonderful knolige

[@gebbygeb3547]

instruction unclear, made plague doctor

[@claraashdown2107]

She actually starts talking about the process of creating the story at around 3:14. Up until then it was just her talking about popular stories like Harry Potter. Also, I went to turn on the captions and they have captions in like 50 languages. I've never seen so many options before, it's cool.

[@TheLithp]

Wow, that is an incredible amount of padding....

[@sharky977]

yeah ted ed does that

[@Kaxyla]

Thank you!

[@anotherpotterhead1201]

Thats pretty sick

[@wishingonthemoon1]

Ya, I was surprised, usually Ted Talks aren’t so click-baity. But, can’t win ‘em all.

[@soroushkowsarian3364]

Actal tips( from experience ) Step 1 : get the first idea Step 2 : find out what kind of story you want (romance , superhero ... ) Step 3 : name your basic main characters with code names instead of actual names Step 4 : start drawing a little to get an idea of some of the key things from paper Step 5 : choose the races and characters in your world Step 6 : make a map Step 7 : write

[@Cystlib]

These are helpful!

[@user-qb5tg6eg2e]

wow tysm

[@literallydepressed7508]

lol when I was think about writing a vampire romance (twilight who?) I wanted like... really extravagant and meaningful names (that added to the plot lol, maybe from famous mythologies cuz we all know what happens to the gods/mortals/whatever) but, when that was on hold I just temporarily named my vampire main character - VMC similarly, my human main character - HMC and my special main character - SMC ...worked like a charm (At least for me)

[@justarandomchannel3521]

Thank you

[@NathasyaStellaHermanus]

Problem detected : I'm stuck in step 4

[@ErrorNull403]

I started my fictional world as a child when I was just playing with my stuff animals. Somehow I decided to continue the same storyline for years. And now all my old suffies & handmade toys are now my OC, have a bloodline, generation (timeline), and have a world that isn't always logical. Due to the years, many memories are lost, but certain topics have so much details and thoughts into it that It's very hard to organise it. Hopefully I can write a story off this, and erase alot of cringy parts. Just wanted to tell someone all this. Wish you all good luck with your own! :3

[@hastytkd5768]

Ace I’m the same way. Always very imaginative.

[@tornyiegrace1696]

OMG, SAME! You play with your toys for a reason!

[@chny8521]

I’m just slightly concerned about how relatable this is

[@pinkishhaven5158]

Same here, my characters began 9 years ago. At first imaginary and some imitated scenes from movies, they now became my very life.

[@topic260]

Omg same. Me and my sister used to play with thousands of toys like that.

[@UPlayNetwork]

A big imagination is a plus

[@pearse_memelad7148]

UPlayNetwork same

[@zayzayl2530]

Yeah

[@name1492]

Frank Castle Is Dead that's what i thought.

[@agentcobalt9106]

Frank Castle Is Dead Wanna bet on it ?

[@frankcastleisdead7473]

Protecter the AI Floating in space, you thought I’d say something you had no clue I’d say?

[@moonl0verr]

Honestly I think my imaginary world are based off of music. Characters are defined my songs How they act, how they talk, how they see others are in music.

[@ghettopoodle]

That seems really cool, I would love to see it one day 😊

[@haloum]

@@ghettopoodle the world needs more randomly supportive people like you

[@ghettopoodle]

@@haloum awn, thanks ❤️ I'm genuinely interested, it's a very good idea 😊 btw the world needs more people who make people smile with just a comment like you ❤️

[@haloum]

@@ghettopoodle bless you 😭💖💖

[@thestarryeyedloser]

YES! Love to see this one day 🥰😍

[@DarkandTwisted]

Writing is just natural for me; it's like breathing. I honestly think I feel more comfortable in the fictional worlds that I create than I do in the real world.

[@stormcroc1384]

lucky you

[@NPC-gl8xp]

Cringe

[@maddoxpadgett1525]

thats great

[@maddoxpadgett1525]

@@NPC-gl8xp who asked you

[@NPC-gl8xp]

@@maddoxpadgett1525 lol who asked you to ask me wierdo I can say whatever I want just like you

[@curlytopz274]

My mum's great at this, I really think she should be an author, she wrote a book called 'shards of the greenhouse' which was about history in her more realistic fantasy world, I look up to her so much Edit: Guys, I don't think she intends to publish it. She made it years ago as a personal project and while i would love for her to publish it, I don't think she wants to. The problem is not money or finding a publisher, it's just her preference.

[@Maria-cl6mn]

That sounds amazing! -now I want to read that kinda-

[@leopoldzoupounidis571]

Tell her this!

[@muhdaqeel6565]

Where to buy?

[@gebbygeb3547]

I wanna reaaaad

[@laycebug3260]

I like the title

[@SunyiSideUp]

Here's the Character Bio Form I got in one of my film classes (screenwriting.) It can help with worldbuilding, for those of you who came to the video looking for more concrete information on building a world. It's more focused on the character specifically, but going through the form can help you decide stuff about how the world your character lives in functions. (Apologies if this still has any of my character's info in it. I went through and deleted my answers to provide the clean form.) CHARACTER BIO FORM Character's Full Name: Reason or meaning of name: Nickname: Reason for nickname: Birthdate: PHYSICAL APPEARANCE: Age: How old does s/he appear? Eye Color: Glasses or contacts: Weight: Height: Type of body/build: Skin tone: Skin type: Shape of face: Distinguishing Marks: Predominant feature: Hair color: Distinguishable hair feature (bald, receding hairline, etc.): Type of hair (coarse, fine, thick, etc?): Character's typical hairstyle: Resembles: Is s/he healthy? If not, why not: Physical disabilities: Favorite clothing: Why? Least favorite clothing: Why? Jewelry/ Other accessories: Drives: FAVORITES: Character's favorite color: Why? Character's least favorite color: Why? Favorite Music: Why? Least favorite Music: Why? Food: Favorite book: Why? Expressions: Mode of transportation: Daredevil or cautious? HABITS: Smokes? Drinks? What? When and how much? Hobbies: How does character spend a rainy day? BACKGROUND: Hometown: Type of childhood: First memory: Most important childhood event that still affects him/her: Education: Religion: Finances: FAMILY: Mother: Relationship with her: Father: Relationship with him: Siblings: How many? Birth order: Relationship with each: Children of siblings: Extended family? Close? Why or why not? Does character have child(ren)? If so, how many? Are all children with the same partner? If no, Why? If no, what is the custody arrangement? How does character relate to his/her child(ren)? Is relatioinship with children important to character? OCCUPATION Where does Character work? For how long? How does s/he feel about co-workers? Get along with co-workers? Like his/her job? Why or why not? Character's dream job: ATTITUDE: Character's greatest fear: Why? What is the worst thing that could happen to him/her? What single event would most throw character's life in complete turmoil? Why? Character is most at ease when: Most ill at ease when: Priorities: Philosophy: How s/he feels about self: If granted one wish, what would it be? Why? PERSONALITY: Greatest strength in character's personality (whether s/he sees it as such or not): Greatest weakness in character's personality (whether s/he sees it as such or not): Character's soft spot: Is this soft spot obvious to others? If not, how does character hide it? Biggest vulnerability: Which of the 7 deadly sins does your character fight (or give in to, willingly or not)? (lust, gluttony, greed, sloth, wrath, envy, pride) Which of the 7 virtues does your character have (or fight against)? (prudence, justice, restraint, courage, faith, hope, charity) Optimist or pessimist: Why? Introvert or extrovert: Why? Drives and motivations: Talents: Extremely skilled at: Extremely unskilled at: Good characteristics: Character flaws: Mannerisms: Peculiarities: Biggest regret: Minor regrets: Biggest accomplishment: Minor accomplishments: Character's darkest secret: Does anyone else know? If yes, did character tell them? If no, how did they find out? Where does character live? Where does character want to live? Spending habits (frugal, spendthrift, etc: What does s/he do too much of? Too little of? Most prized possession: Why? Play musical instrument? Which? Person character secretly admires: Why? Person character was most influenced by: Why? Most important person in character's life before story starts: Why? SELF-PERCEPTION: One word character would use to describe self: One paragraph description of how character would describe self: What does character consider best physical characteristic? What does character consider worst physical characteristic? Are these realistic assessments? If not, why not? How character thinks others perceive him/her: What four things would CHARACTER most like to change about self? 1. 2. 3. 4. Why? If change #1 was made, would character be as happy as s/he thinks? If not, why not? INTERRELATION WITH OTHERS: Is character divorced? Why? If divorced, how many times? Has character ever cheated on significant other? How does character relate to others? How is s/he perceived by... Strangers? Friends? Wife/Husband/Lover? What do family/friends like most about character? What do family/friends like least about character? GOALS: Immediate goals: Long range goals: How does character plan to accomplish goals? How will other people around character be affected? PROBLEMS/CRISIS: How character faces problems: Kinds of problems character usually runs into: How character reacts to change:

[@dotmhk_7168]

...........this just makes story telling a whole lot more painful than it needs to be... you know being drunk helps the process just slap your senseless words on a piece of paper then organize it when you're sober, works every time ;)

[@dotmhk_7168]

+Necrosis Pain works...

[@SunyiSideUp]

Devin Smith I don't drink. :) This is tedious, but it does help. As I said, I got it from my professor, and we filled them out each time we wrote a new screenplay. But you don't have to fill the whole thing out, obviously. You only do what you think helps with your character and your world. Also, sometimes I just use it to help me think, rather than actually filling it out. Like, I may be writing and then come back to the bio sheet and read a few of the questions just to help me keep a character in character, or keep the world consistent.

[@Lmaoh5150]

+SunyiSideUp Thank you very much for this!

[@SunyiSideUp]

***** No, I'm not. I kind of want to be, because I think the best fictional universes happen when the creator thinks through every tiny detail... But also, I find that it also helps to just write freely, and go back to edit and edit and edit to make sure your writing fits in-universe and in-character.

[@homerperez8481]

My heart cried when she told me "goodluck future world builder"

[@kenji.ryukendo]

i also like that❤

[@hrpang]

In a way, she's explaining from the beginning. Understanding what makes the world consistent basically is the first step. A believable fake world, is a great world.

[@clemente3966]

Amen to that. That's what makes me genuinely love the mainline pokemon games without a problem about the worldbuilding, the logic behind the origins of each recent enough mon (I'd say beginning from Kalos or Alola) and the choice of returning ones (Galar is the perfect example), details that are not needed aren't focused on (like the possible timeline that doesn't matter between each game) etc. And that's why I have more of a love/hate relationship with the my hero academia world, because that's supposed to be our world in a future, but it seems like everyone backpedaled and lost more than a few IQ points for the most important things. And I know that if I try to only tell a little about the problems it has, I would still go on a whole rant, so if anyone who would happen to read this wants to read it, just tell me, I have *A LOT* to say. Anyway, what worlds do you like thanks to that?

[@antonioflorian6785]

3:15 is the time when she actually gives some tips

[@RST_Romeo]

H3royna2 Robotus thanks kinda found out too late doe 🥺

[@themurderouslankyman3630]

@@RST_Romeo same here, dudio.

[@TheSepia1]

Exactly!!! lol!! Thanku!!

[@ldgaming4213]

Thanks bruh

[@icefallssnowstorms3224]

Antonio Florian thanks

[@bluepurge9664]

When im bored at school i just make up a scene in my head, most of them are of me as a superhero 😂 lol

[@thegeneral1007]

lmao

[@MK.DANABNORMAL]

Same

[@morgi5433]

Lmao. Same tho

[@gabrielegenota1480]

I imagine myself fighting terrorists

[@danielarocco7629]

I imagine myself as the supervillain lol, what's wrong with me

[@tabthecabbit3354]

I started on this idea for a graphic novel when I was 17. It has taken me over 7 years to expand the idea, build the fictional world, develop the characters, write the story and how it goes and what the people say, develop three different religions, develop multiple races within that world based on animals (my graphic novel is anthropomorphic animals set in a fantasy world), the flora, the fauna, and even the food they eat.

[@renaissanceAgain]

Have you published it somewhere?

[@tabthecabbit3354]

@@renaissanceAgain not yet. I haven't finished drawing the pages yet.

[@samantham3817]

@@tabthecabbit3354 make sure to let us know when you do publish it... #IwannaReadIt lol

[@Check_001]

So basically it's furry world right lol? "Anthropomorphic animals" sounds less obvious :P

[@tabthecabbit3354]

@@Check_001 Technically, yes. A fantasy world of bipedal anthropomorphic animals.

[@anonymousmadlad433]

Remember, the key part of world building is the story. It's always story FIRST, then you build a world FOR that story. Or at least the heart, substance, and theme of what you're making should come first, I believe that's the best way to make sure it is a quality story. If it's not a genuine story, then your cool world is nothing.

[@Wizard0fDogs]

Lmao, I legit don’t have a main story just loads of world building and smaller stories within those

[@junkosllette]

that's soft worldbuilding, hard worldbuilding is creating a world first and building the story over it (or building the world as the story progresses.)

[@anonymousmadlad433]

@@junkosllette I actually recently saw a video about that, and I understand now that they can be categorized this way. Still, I think a story that's hard on worldbuilding has a theme or heart of it set first.

[@IATEALLTHECHEESE]

@@junkosllette yep!

[@SirConto]

I think that may depend. Tolkien himself quite famously wrote Lord of the rings because he wanted to use the languages he invented in a story.

[@peter2kx]

I have these fictional worlds in my mind, some of them are pretty cool, yet I just never get to write them. I create stories, sometimes just think about them to get my mind off of something.. I'll even go as far as writing down some things and stories here and there and draw maps and concepts but, I never get to fully write these things down as a full story. I want to one day.

[@splatttt]

Peter2kx same, man, same.

[@allenholloway5109]

I used to be the same way - keep a notebook. Something small and easy to carry around. Keep a pen in your pocket. Whenever you think of something, whip it out and jot down a note about it. Whenever you have time later (or then), flesh it out a bit. Even just a one-sentence note will do wonders later. To be organized with your notebook/pad, use some sort of symbol in the corner of the page, to remind yourself what world it is (or other categories you put in the notebook, like maps). Also, use a pen. Unless you make maps, you have no need to erase anything. A simple line-through signifies that you don't want a certain part in your main story, but don't erase or take anything out. You'll lose far too many ideas that could be used later, and it is good to look back on your mistakes for improvement. I actually started out not intending to write, but the notebook was a good place to write down my day-dreams, so I could resume the story later. I hope this helps. And remember - it takes less than a minute to write down an idea, but it takes far longer to remember a forgotten one. Also, I want to impress one last thing on you, ad one of the most important: you will NOT succeed in making a story on your first try. I probably wrote down ten fully completed ideas, and made them into half-stories before having to move on. It took me approximately five more COMPLETED stories before I thought that any of them should be seen by anyone else. Still, the experience is invaluable, and the process is a lot of fun. But don't put pressure on yourself that you have to be perfect. And anyway, the failed stories of my past writing often combine to create a great one.

[@caesural]

Allen Holloway , I find myself not creating stories but I create a main character and the world around him after. I don't have it written down anywhere, I'm working on a magic world. But what you said is true, even though I'm not writing it down I've gone through many main characters and worlds already. I got all that worked on my past worlds and put into this one, its going great! I might start writing it down.

[@peter2kx]

TyCez I would write them down. I usually use my notes app on my phone. just some ideas and thoughts and what not.

[@Nerdosoidexd]

TyCez i do that too,but to be fair, thats the technique many animation programs do to come up with an episode,put a normal situation and make how that character would react to it,we bare bears do it

[@realitypolice470]

Well, first of all you need to t h i n k . Second, you need to make a c o n t i n e n t. Then you make c h a r a c t e r s. Y a y

[@ravikiran490]

*s t o n k s*

[@DESTRAKON]

A continent?

[@notclark7034]

@@DESTRAKON I guess that they want us to make the next Europe or something.

[@tornyiegrace1696]

No, he's probably referencing to Middle Earth from Lord of the Rings.

[@therealswinery5416]

One continent? I have like three hundred multiverses. Is that alright?

[@BIGTONY1027]

I’ve thought of a HUGE fantasy world set on another planet. I’ve thought of and designed hundreds of characters, created sub-categories of them, thought of their leaders, named their towns, events in their world, and EVERY character with a unique name. I hope one day I can bring this ideas to life and make a living building a world I’ve thought of for years.

[@Tuffio]

You have a great mind. Idk why but its just hard for me to make up simple scenarios or daydreams😢

[@slaypops]

same i ahve created a fantasy world too with different countries and cities and history and many more

[@slaypops]

its so fun i imagine that im travelling from a city in a fantasy world to another

[@WolfWriterL.P]

Wow.

[@1000-THR]

i made a fictional world, but i have yet to name the countries because i got so many other ideas such as an endless time loop, ascending into godhood, civilizations living underground, a curse cast upon a civilization causing them to be trapped in a subsurface ocean with a massive creature that feeds on the hope of human beings (in order to prevent people from escaping)

[@pixelfish3395]

I’m writing a whole religion for one of my nations. It’s awesome.

[@pixelfish3395]

Awwwwwww. Yeah. That was a wip that I never finished ❤️

[@Tangerine2600]

I love writing worlds more than I like writing the actual story

[@harlyboy6132]

Tell me about the religion that you created, I want it inside my stories, tell me about their faith, their ritual, culture, rules, bible, behavior, tradition and stuff like that

[@Reggie2000]

@@harlyboy6132 How about instead of a religion, write a cult.

[@aldrichsmith]

I am too! Does yours have a scripture book?

[@Galaxy-qf4vc]

Me: *Makes entire World in my head* Also Me: hat is good yes

[@bhadrapriya7748]

555th like :)

[@lorddarkrai5753]

What is it? It's One Piece!

[@mc6148]

I've found the best fictional stories I've read are always somewhat logical. Not necessarily believable, but logical. The laws of physics and science may be changed, but they still exist, only written differently. The world itself must also be different enough to warrant interest, but the issues, conflicts and emotions reflected must be completely relate-able to that of the real world.

[@leberkassemmel]

You should keep the fictional world as close to the real world in the basics as possible to not draw too much attention from the story to the world around it. You could use a 7 day week with 1 or 2 weekend days. Or you could use 20 days to work and then 4 free. Which one is more logical?

[@tsambkos]

With out a logical base any story will collapse. Or at least in my opinion. I always make a sheet of rules and specifications before I start a story, a sort of brain storm/laws sheet.

[@carolynholler9058]

I think that is what makes a "believable" world: how logically all of the elements interact. It doesn't matter how different the world is, or what physical laws guide it as long as those laws are consistent. What I like about this video is the emphasis placed on the planning and reflection piece to build setting before tackling plot. I like the idea of the plot naturally developing out of the setting instead of trying to force a world to conform to a set of events.

[@cxylagxhh__9825]

Ming Chen

[@male6561]

Any recommendations on books with a logical+ imaginative world? :)

[@coffee-lc]

This is really helpful, because Ive always found a few problems when i try writing or worldbuilding. 1. The timeline thing, i always end up too far back, going into a kind of existential crisis "how does magic exist? who made it? how did they come to be? how did that happen?" and all of a sudden im out of answers, because even the real world cant explain how everything came to be. 2. Making the story. If i do get bast the existential dread, i try to make characters just as in depth as real people, and i try to drive them away from stereotypes, but i forget that sometimes the basic and normal are necessary to have fully realistic characters. Fitting these characters around the world and making a compelling story, which slowly introduces this world instead of just explaining it like a damn documentary is also really difficult for me. 3. Going to far with the variation. Sometimes, looking at other stories, i wonder how seperate life forms or kingdoms just happen to speak english. Then of course, theres culture. Culture shock is a real thing and can be used in stories, but i can never do it right because i seem to never grasp what is good variation and what is too far because we need some similarities between people you meet in a story. Wow. this ended up alot longer than i though. Sorry. Im very passionate about writing, and when i come to these hurdles it upsets me not being able to move past them and do what i love.

[@Qubaisi4Life]

Personally, I write my own book. It is NOT easy nor hard. Take things slowly, and be patient. Also, keep in mind to live through your own world to keep things going till you reach the very end

[@alicial4857]

That is great advice.

[@Star.Official]

Live that world before sleep, you'll have many ideas , the only price is befriending a total nice friend called " *Insomnia* "

[@enoch8604]

It's not leviosA, it's LeviOsa.

[@whiderboss]

She neeeds to sort out her priorities

[@danielerbe8515]

LeviosAAAAA

[@ainzoshle457]

whiderboss *You do it then if you’re so clever.

[@samuelnwabuokei5470]

no wonder he dosent have any friends. hes a nightmare!

[@swisschris81]

Stop Ron, stop

[@adnanilyas6368]

I'm going to go ahead and answer this question properly based on what I think should go into a crafted world. My thinking on world-building centers on two principles which I will (gradually) explain: 1) consistency and 2) imagining more than your reader. The first thing you need to know about creating a world is that you are limited in your control of the reader's imagination. No matter what you do, you won't be able to put the same image that's in your head into someone else's. And you need to be able to accept that. Second, consider how a bunch of different works created their own fictional worlds. Go look at how Rowling created Hogwarts for Harry Potter, how Tolkien builds layers upon layers of history for Middle Earth for the Lord of the Rings. Now, these examples don't strictly have to be novels. There are comics, movies, and television shows (especially animated ones, or even anime) that do some great world building. I really like how shows like Avatar the Last Airbender build fantasy worlds that do not conform to the medieval European model. I also like how Fullmetal Alchemist weaves together a very authentic steam-punk feel. Now, on to actually creating a world. You are going to need to take some massive notes. You need a very general setting. Is this an alien world? Is this a fantasy world? Is this underwater? Is this a different dimension? Is it medieval? Is it ancient? Prehistoric? These are the first things you need to think about. Maybe you want to build your world within an existing world, like how Harry Potter's fantasy world is built inside of Britain. Once you have something very, very general, you need to lay your world out and begin to put landmarks in it. I like making a map for this. Where do the rivers, lakes, oceans, deserts, and mountains belong? Are there borders between countries? Where are they and what determines them? Where should cities go? Consider where cities go in the real world. It would be odd to find a city in the desert with no water anywhere nearby (or, it might be really interesting. But you'll have to thoroughly explain why it is there.). Similarly, you might have to find ways to put places together in such away that they don't clash. For example, Diagon Ally in Harry Potter is in the heart of London, but Rowling cleverly hides it, which helps create the feeling that the wizarding world really is a secret and hidden world. Now, make sure you imagine a world that's bigger than what you plan to use in your story. If your story takes place in 5 cities, all close together, imagine those 5 cities and an additional 10. That way characters will be able to talk about those places authentically if they have to, even if they don't actually appear in the story. For example, in the Lord of the Rings, the story never goes to the lands south of Gondor. However, there are enemies from there. Tolkien has figured out what those lands are like and what the motivations for these people to fight are, which means that he is able to describe them in a way that feels authentic. It also doesn't hurt that those lands are included in the book's map. Next, you need to make things feel distinct. Within the world, which mountains and streams are important? Which cities? Why are these things important? Within each of the cities, what are the central points? Where do people gather? Where is the center of power? What do people do in this city? What kind of work do they do? Are they farmers, fishers, engineers, astronauts, beggars, or priests? Do the people have a religion? What do they believe in? What do they value? Are they wealthy or poor? Is this a new city or an old one? Are things run down? Is the city big, or is it really just a town or a village? What do the people eat? Are the buildings made of wood or stone? Are houses and stores close together, lined up on streets, or are they spread out and arranged sort of haphazardly? You should give individual places distinct landmarks that make them different from other cities. City 1 could have an amazing bridge. City 2 could have an enormous cathedral. City 3 could have an intricate castle. City 4 could be built on a lake. City 5 could be built on a series of canals. City 6 could have a distinct black market. City 7 could have a mansion built out of spaceship parts. And the list goes on and on. Next, isolate the common elements. If you have a country, what makes all the cities in that country feel like they belong to that area? What are the common elements? Is it in the names? The people? The behavior? Is it in the architecture? Next, you need to make rules for your world. The thing about these rules is that they must be absolutely unbreakable (unless it is absolutely vital to the plot, in which case, they may be broken only one time.) In Aladdin, Genie gives exactly 3 wishes. There is no way to get any more. That is an example of a rule that cannot be broken. In the show/comic, Fullmetal Alchemist, there is a sort of magic with the rule called Equivalent Exchange. If you want to make something, you have to put in an equal amount of the needed parts. In Avatar, the Last Airbender, one of the rules for the world is that there is only one Avatar, a specially powered being. That rule is never broken. In Star Wars, the Force can be used to push and pull things, to heal, to sense things, and even to make lightning. But you can't use the Force to give someone else the power to use the Force. If you break this rule, you risk alienating your reader. The most important thing for the reader while they are reading about your fantasy world is that they stay engaged with the world. They can't be pulled out of the story. And breaking rules is a huge risk for that. Now, you have to populate your world. Start off by building the characters you need for your story. Next, add random people to populate your world What sort of people live where? Are there soldiers? Farmers? Doctors? Prisoners? Where are they, what do they look like, and where do they live? What are the daily routines of the general populace? What is their skin color? What language do they speak? Unless you want a very cosmopolitan setting, don't mix green individuals who speak Elvish with 8th century Mongolian individuals, with contemporary Native Americans. Consistency is important. One of the things that J.K. Rowling did in Harry Potter was create a list of characters from each house in Hogwarts. Whenever she needed someone, she pulled the next name on the list. Finally, the world needs some history. One of the interesting things about a lot of good works is that the backstory almost seems more interesting than the actual story. Harry Potter, Game of Thrones, Eragon, all these series have very involved and interesting backstories that affect how things in the world are in the time of the story. And that gives your world depth. It's not just a randomly created setting, it's a setting that's been around for some time, with characters and places affected by what's gone on earlier, that the reader doesn't know about. And that's how I like to build a world. That's the kind of notes I end up making.

[@Crick1952]

Thank you very much! I'll make sure to credit you in my Hugo acceptance speech ;)

[@angrypredator2704]

Adnan Ilyas So basically: Don't be afriad to go BIG!

[@brandonedwards3175]

I really wish I could copy and paste this into my notepad! :(

[@thetruth45678]

Brandon Edwards You can. You just need to replace the double spaces with two newlines to get the paragraphs formatted properly.

[@brandonedwards3175]

thedrew4you mmm, I was on my tablet when I posted this. I can't copy youtube comments through my tablet. When I was on the computer I copied it and sent it to myself through email though.

[@moonl0verr]

Anyone else finds the world underrated? People like us can make it so much more than what it is instead of the usual school, work, and die setting. Instead there could be championships that can shape the most of people’s perspectives. There could be inventions worth more than restricted.

[@baeseul8185]

Your comment is giving me a great plot idea than the video

[@duxgalore9834]

Me: *clicks this video* KZbin Ads: Hippity Hoppity, let’s help you make intellectual property

[@racheltraintracks3752]

3:17 to get to the actual info

[@flerfalmighty5441]

Rachel Traintracks yeah

[@Tiktokcausesretuuuurdation]

wish ive read that earlier

[@Vegedow]

Thanks, you saved me 2 minutes.

[@AhnastasiaRose]

Wish I read the comments first:(

[@aurourus6894]

Thanks dude.

[@randomthinker8455]

I see everytime a new story playing in My head when I am listening to music, but when the music stops it... disseppears. For the ones reading this, a story will always represent itself one way or another. Try to learn from it when it does.

[@verbulent_flow6229]

Me too.

[@paulkuchnicki6404]

Me too, but I think about it a lot so I don’t forget ot

[@miriamc2197]

Same here

[@jaimelannister1797]

The moment you have the idea, try to write it down

[@Bianca-iz5wk]

I have found my people༎ຶ‿༎ຶ

[@ewanrawashdeh6375]

Me in 1st grade : talks to imaginery animal friends. My teacher : hey Ewan can we talk for a sec. Me : ye sure! My teacher : who were u talking to? Me : I was talking to creatures from another world. My teacher : *smiles* ohh okaayy- u can go back to ur seat now! 😊

[@bradleyross6621]

I've been working on a world and my strategy for it is to create a history book. Filled with bits of info on people, Events, timelines, and now after a ton of info written out I am working on the personal stories inside this world, and it all just comes to me and it's all already drawn out as well and it's been amazing now being able to focus on the writing aspect and I'm loving it

[@gainaxthehorse5362]

I've spent about 3-4 years on my world and have come up with almost everything, ranging from the physiology of the resident super soldiers to the organisation and operation of the protectorate government... I guess I'm almost ready.

[@hormpir3648]

Jfc

[@gints2766]

Dech Nourtide good luck

[@mewvallouscat4155]

You better make millions

[@NTTofMistery]

lol protectorate. but seriously there is never enough time to actually think of litterally everything, but good luck on working on it, perhaps ill vind it someday and remember this comment

[@danielonenut1864]

good luck on making it work mate

[@user-hb4zz4gh5e]

Step One: Be J.R.R Tolkien Edit: Guys I love Tolkien, I think his work is amazing. If you disagree, there’s no need to start an argument, you can just scroll past😌

[@WSUGLUE]

N True. But he gave some good advice. On world-building, he wrote, “I wisely started with a map, and made the story fit (generally with meticulous care for distances). The other way about lands one in confusions and impossibilities, and in any case it is weary work to compose a map from a story.” From: www.tolkienlibrary.com/press/1152-tolkien-writings-to-understand-rules-of-life.php

[@kidzvidz3262]

It's actually a good step, Tolkien is really inspiring.

[@muhammadhashir6136]

Step 2: Be JK Rowling

[@user-yt5sk7sk6o]

@@muhammadhashir6136 jk rowling took so many ideas from Jrr tolkien its almost not even original

[@user-yt5sk7sk6o]

@@muhammadhashir6136 lord of the rings has something called soft magic while harry potter has hard magic. people dont understand that when they compare the two. every artist also takes inspiration from others but lets be honest..so much from harry potter is influenced from lord of the rings. the villain's soul being in inanimate objects to keep his power and soul alive is one good example lol. Also you cannot say just because one story is written more engaging and exciting it is considered better. theres a reason why lord of the rings is considered a masterpiece. take in the fact of the "boring description of poetry songs and lore" you are describing. its boring to you because you have no attention span to learn every detail of a vast imaginative world, where there are multiple fully created languages, races, lands and gods. JRR tolkien literally created history. middle earth is a whole new world you could even give to aliens and they'd think its real history (simillarion). theres just no comparison when it comes to excellence. (i totally geeked out but ya)

[@maliniasprime5626]

Well then, I already know all this, I already know this, and am starting my own book. My world is big, large, and full of details, five years I have worked on it!!!

[@rawaan8511]

omg that seems so cool!

[@nadhims2329]

Cant wait to see your work!

[@maliniasprime5626]

@@nadhims2329 years worth of work... also I have another account so I didn't see this comment...

[@scr1b3notscribble93]

It feels strange to finally be watching this after so many years of staying on my 'watch later' list!

[@ellies.9474]

Fictional worlds have rules, yes. Breaking it would weaken the plot tremendously. For example, J.K. Rowling created a Time Turner that follows a single timeline rule for time travel (in the third book). When she created the cursed child and introduced time travel once again with MULTIPLE timelines, it just ended up looking like some AU Fanfic. It's a freaking mess.

[@PureeCharm]

Ellie S. JK didn't write the Cursed Child, and that's honestly why I wasn't interested in it at all. I'm sticking with my original Harry Potter series thanks.

[@ellies.9474]

She did. She co-wrote with two other playwrights.

[@savannah-_-]

J.K. Did not write The Cursed Child, but she did supervise in the making. I'm sure if J.K. wrote it herself then it would be much better.

[@ellies.9474]

Spirit Wolfy AJ If, say, I'm complaining about the style and the approach, then it would be the playwright's fault. However, since we're talking about a major plot device that JK approved, the fault is still very much on her.

[@apollosweetberry7301]

The other weirdos who 'helped' with Cursed Child screwed it up and screwed it over, if JK had written it herself it would have come out a heck of a lot better.

[@Scuro1000]

WARNING: the video actually starts at 3:15

[@WLLL____.]

Thank you, I was about to throw a brick at my monitor.

[@HiddelS143]

This was one of the first videos I watched when I was just learning how to write. A few years later, and I’m just starting to write my first novel.

[@CopyLion]

Typing "jump to 3:15 for actual tips", scrolled down and found at least 2 of us have already done so years ago. This is probably one of the less content rich TED videos and the animator deserves 90% of the likes.

[@HolyApplebutter]

Just gotta say, I'm about halfway through all of this, and I swear I'm still in the introduction of the video.

[@max.cr33p]

This video infuriates me. They're trying to be so clever, but it's annoying.

[@Jobe-13]

Ikr

[@ZHH_Studios]

Actual advice starts at 3:15

[@dearcomrade2358]

I UNDERSTAND FICTIONAL WORLDS MORE THAN I UNDERSTAND THE REAL WORLD, TBH

[@InnocentSweetie123]

lowkey stan SAME.

[@UserName-xc4el]

IKR

[@themaximusfactor7849]

IKR

[@joereddam2729]

same here it even talt me the real world

[@BvousBrainSystems]

That's because the entire point of creating fictional worlds is to create a world tiny and simplified enough that it will fit our tiny and simple minds, whereas the real world is more complex and arbitrary than we're willing to accept. At least I think it is.

[@eduardo_corrochio]

I'm so distracted by this winning and fun animation that I have to stop and focus attention to the actual narration. Really nice.

[@anaiya8975]

I've been working on a sci-fi and really needed this.

[@amywan5675]

DON'T USE A BOOK AS AN UMBRELLA

[@johnamil2342]

EARTH IS FLAT

[@user-pj5ht5qx3e]

Don't hold your pizza upsidedown

[@marcelinocarreon9357]

Phat ballz

[@OrionoftheStar]

What if all the pages are laminated, it's really big, and it has a particularly flexible spine?

[@alicekim1334]

+OrionoftheStar Well then, go for it, I guess

[@NickOwens]

I have so many ideas in my head that I need to write on paper, but none of them really created a cohesive world/universe, so I asked myself many of the questions that happened to be in this video and I think I'm on the path to creative a universe with rules and planets and a lore deep enough that I won't get confused and write myself into too many contradictory corners. Now all I have to do is get them out of my head...

[@danielonenut1864]

ikr

[@DrTheda735]

We wish you the best with your Creation.

[@NickOwens]

Stacey E. Lemmon, thanks very much.

[@foxcheetah6035]

Just write something. It doesn’t have to match up to much. Just has to be something. Let it bloom from there. Draft. Get messy. Make mistakes.

[@DrowSorcerer]

A couple advices from my experience writing: 1.- Resist the urge to throw everything in the same story. The world you're creating is ultimately a tool for working in concepts and ideas you want to develop, so tooo many forced world ideas may actually work against you, specially if you want to write in there 2.- Begin to wite the lore and the rules of your world as if you were writing the rulebook of a tabletop game. the more consistent, the better freedom you have to develop a story 3.- try to reduce a small set of golden rules (3-5) that will make the biggest constraints of your world (ex: There is magic users, but using their power drives them mad). This will also help you a lot to define your characters in their struggles and motivations 4.- Write a lot of lore before doing the actual writing. It will help you make a consistent order in your head and a easier writing afterwards Hope best luck, although i'ts been a while since you wrote this post

[@_pg_18]

I m surprised nobody is talking about the cool animation. The animations were so smooth and creative.they added to the writer's imagination. The animator did a gr8 job.

[@alexpage5924]

How To Build A World: Step one: Draw a circle Step two: That's the Earth. (only legends understand)

[@ophie71]

Or maybe your fictional planet.

[@neongreen3232]

It still haunts me to this day...

[@arieleconforti6112]

Oh no is flat for real!

[@JamesLewis007]

I'm 2 minutes in You've talked a lot about what fictional worlds are. I have received no advice on making one.

[@maxerinjames]

Aren't you impatient.

[@RialuCaos]

Given the already short length of the video, and the fact that the title is "How to build a fictional world", I was also expecting less descriptors and more instructions.

[@gaelleschneider1530]

And now I want to write a book...

[@neosharkey7401]

“The Wheel of Time turns, and Ages come and pass, leaving memories that fade to Legend. Legend fades to Myth, and even Myth is long forgotten when the Age that gave it birth comes again...”

[@jeff4762]

Short answer: Write the world's history, anthropology, politics, ethics, and shallow aspects of biology. BOOM LET THERE BE LIGHT.

[@killyourtelevision999]

Video becomes useful at 3:17.

[@welsh7419]

+Em Jay Enn I've watched a few of these videos now and I'm starting to feel like these titles are click bait, the videos end after only providing such vague general information it's almost not even worth watching...

[@ChilledfishStick]

+Holden Weinstein She literally said what is her process for creating a setting. It might not be ground breaking, but for young people interested in writing, or even older ones, it might be useful. Of course it is probably nothing new if you are a literary major.

[@welsh7419]

Chilledfish True, I guess I should have considered the age of different viewers.

[@sapienecks]

+Chilledfish Well, her list of questions that make the world feels so lively is very important element in world building. For instance, when I imagined, I imagined more about items and awesome actions that would describe their feelings and beliefs but nothing about feelings, society, and interactions.

[@DragonActual]

+Em Jay Enn ask spongebob and patrick to build one just make sure they don't use glue

[@ruecumbers]

This video is utterly bizarre without sound lol.

[@itthumyir4569]

lmao

[@griffinheart4697]

I can already imagine

[@uberwolf1424]

I like how back in 2014 people used to be annoyed by everyone being on their phone all the time.

[@aidangriffiths5075]

One thing I miss about reading Harry potter and Lord of the rings is how I imagined the worlds myself as I read them before I had seen the movies. And now i find it hard to imagine them in my own way again. Probably the only way they affected me negatively. I wish I could imagine them for the first time again and create my own world as i read them. I think we all have our version of them as we read. That's what's so amazing about books and fantasy. Love the animation in this video, its how a specific person or group imagined those characters and storys. Beautiful

[@jamieriley8444]

I just wish I could come up with names. Names are so abstract and easily associated with someone else's work. I'm really bad with names and I don't want to just use ordinary everyday ones. I wish I knew how Star Wars characters get their names, or Harry Potter names or anything remotely fantasy-related. Anything ancient or exotic.

[@Rachulie]

Look up exotic baby names?

[@kevinaweber6517]

Jamey Hedgehog try looking for names of places, or for words meaning In other languages and rearrange them

[@RS-gq5ws]

Jamey Hedgehog Aina, Shaheen, Suhan, Zeref, Omana, Mana, Reem, Riza, Kilaina, Madira, Fedesez last 4 were ones I just came up with😂

[@jamieriley8444]

How'd you do it though? Is there a particular language or culture they're inspired by?

[@sleepyyam5391]

a few of those listed were real names (Mana, Riza, Madira are some I recognize) I always worry I'll pick something that has a really inappropriate meaning in a language I don't know or has associations in different cultures that wouldn't fit my character - I know all you can do is esearch and weigh up how likely it is your invented name will draw associations you don't want but it really puts me off xD

[@qawamity]

"I'm not worried about my creativity, Mark, I'm the DUNGEON MASTER! I control worlds! Universes! Every potion you drink, I mixed; every magic item you find, I PUT IT THERE! Do you remember when you killed that Hill Giant? I rolled a 20, double damage. You rolled a 19, Mark... I fudged it. That giant woulda' killed you, man. But I admired your spark. You wanted it so badly, so I helped. Because I wanted to. And I help people when I want to. And right now you're roasting in the hot belly of Platinum Dragon, so why don't you ask yourself where. Your priorities. Lie." - Dead Ale Wives, second D&D skit

[@cozzbutt]

I've never played D&D myself, but it never gets old watching others do it, and this is exactly why.

[@mariaagrippa3381]

The only guide I have for world building are my dreams, so right now I'm trying to weave them all together inside a universe that I dreamt about as well. Sometimes, I actually wonder if I travel to these worlds on my own, or if these ideas and very specific rituals I see in dreams were a product of my subconscious.

[@gooseguyfilms4460]

Yeah I know this comment is old but I just want to say I had a really weird dream that actually inspired me to make a functional fictional world so dreams do indeed help me make storys.

[@evashea2786]

When the person looked up from their book and everyone else was on their phone. I felt that

[@amog849]

We all want to be the next J.R.R. Tolkien. The only issue is separating your work from his and others' Not an easy task.

[@gandalflotr2898]

Fun fact jrr tolkien middle earth saga was inspired from the bible and the anglo-saxon story

[@Reggie2000]

Watching LOTR movies right now. I'm not overly impressed. i would read the books, but a website says it would take 30 plus hours to read all three. Uh, no!

[@notbobby125]

1:08 Correction: MOST fictional worlds TRY to work on a consistent basis. Stories will ignore their own established internal logic of their work. It is easy to forget that one line of dialogue you wrote six months ago that suggests that time travel is impossible only for you to suddenly have a time traveler appear in the middle of your story. This is particularly true of things like television and comic books, where the writers between each story will not be same, and the entire creative team can be replaced. Star Trek Voyager for example rotated through a lot of writers, directors, and producers over it's run, with only a handful who had any experience in the previous Star Trek series. A long established part of the Star Trek franchise is that you cannot teleport (or beam) people through shields. If say a group is on a planet with a giant storm threatening to kill them, but the ship is in the middle of the battle where they cannot afford to lower the shield for a moment, those crew members are stuck on the planet. Voyager would flip flop on this a lot. Sometimes they would note "oh we cannot beam through the shields," but other times they would teleport people when it's explicit that Voyager has it's shields up.

[@ThatZommy]

+notbobby125 And there's the whole warp-10 thing. "Oh, if ya reach warp ten you're everywhere in the universe at once" A couple movies later... "Go to warp 13"

[@notbobby125]

ThatZommy Actually, the mentioning of going to Warp 13 was in the TNG finale, NOT the films. So Voyager was breaking already established canon.

[@ThatZommy]

notbobby125 Ah, sorry. Haven't watched ST in a while.

[@syddlinden8966]

Star Trek in general is notorious for continuity errors. And the movies are Really bad about it (as are many of the books) - they break SO much of the show's established cannon. It drives me nuts! I love them no less, but it drives me nuts. ;) As to the warp 13 thing... wasn't that in what turned out to be basically a parallel, future universe? 'Cause you mean All Good Things..., right? When they're on either Crusher's or Riker's ship? At that point, they can get away with more by assuming that certain principles limiting the cannon universe don't apply here, have been overcome here, etc. There are just as many of these loopholes as there are awful/annoying continuity errors.

[@jetison333]

the warp 10 and the warp 13 work on different scales. in the warp 10 you get closer and closer to infinity the closer you are yo 10. not sure how the other scale works, but it just increases linearly I think.

[@rosestar1324]

I'm halfway through this video and I still haven't been told how to build a fictional world.

[@thefoolwholovestheworld]

what i love most is imagining a combination of all fictional worlds ive liked in one single universe, trying to imagine how that'd work with the magic systems and the classifications etc

[@kanedomican2248]

When does this video start? I watched all of it but I'm still waiting

[@jonkka3]

It's still BS

[@captianmorgan7627]

Skip to 3:15

[@aminihamuli]

Captian Morgan tysm

[@Memington]

60% into the video and the topic is finally reached. It's a 2 minute video with a 3 minute poem before it.

[@seangenesis3349]

+Memington Hey, that's actually pretty accurate. 60.1145038168

[@beverlybordamonteborja6143]

Most of the things i love about this video is the narrator's voice and I can understand every word she stated

[@garbagegamerstreamz3734]

This has helped a lot for starting my fictional world, I already had the story down I just needed some tips on how to create the world they live in, thank you

[@OpticHanAlone]

Instructions Unclear My world became a tv show that plays in my dreams. I got to season 3 so far. Edit: The show has ended, the main character's frog gf has died :|

[@drakonwarlord451]

I'm watching these videos trying to find a way to get it out of my head and on paper/literally anything that's not my head ;-; So difficult

[@sathiyapriyabalasubramania4035]

Wow

[@OpticHanAlone]

My side chatacter just died in the latest episode :(

[@nathanjohnpalaogaming4872]

Me too m8.

[@ghostievee8134]

Wait are u just imagining it or actually dreaming of it

[@omatt2469]

Whilst the animation is nice, the first half of the video is nothing but filler. The second half is filler mixed with obvious stuff that most people already know. Disappointingly, the video fails to give an answer :(

[@l.j.hgroenewoud559]

O Matt Well yeah, it is pretty much kicking in open doors. But, if you are a person with a passion for ones own fantasy and the things that come from it, as well as writing, the real question is: Do you really need a video like this to help you do it? You won't find an easy to use, not satisfied-money back package for fantasy building in your local grocery store. It's all about your own fantasy in the end. Videos like these won't throw those worlds in your lap so you won't have to do any work, but they can entice aspiring fantasy writing to step out of the mists of vague ideas and untied knots in their heads, lay back for a minute and see how to build things from the bottom up. The steps are told, the filling is up to the writers themselves.

[@MissCartoonist]

Sometimes videos like this are the inspirational kick in the bum you need to get started. And laying it out in simple terms is good for people like me who have no clue where to begin.

[@sasuke22dante]

It's like watching naruto all over again

[@unurandom8867]

3:00 fron there the tips begin

[@JorainLou]

About eight years late, but the first thing I did was I got inspired by a song. The song for some reason gave me a some sort of magical feeling. I started to gather all the songs that made me feel that way and made a playlist. Listening to it made me start to create scenes. I found names that I really liked and made the characters for the scenes. I already had an idea that I thought I would never use because I thought I would never be inspired enough to actually use it. Anyways now I have a fantasy world that I am constantly working on. (Started about 4-5 months ago)

[@cuterobotsinc.5892]

I spent most of my spare time- sorry- ALL of my spare time for about 2-3 years, thinking up governments, names, heroes, cowards, villains, worlds, devices, ideas, and characters. Nearly ready to write, I think. Just gimme five more... years.

[@aggresstable_cos4039]

CuteRobots Inc. Oh well, we kinda seem to have the same problem...

[@TankTaur]

That sounds like a case of "World Builder's Disease". It sounds scary, but don't worry, it afflicts many a fledgling writer. :) What you need to cure yourself is STORY. What good is a fictional world without some cool stuff happening in it? Where do all those characters you thought up fit in? To get you started (and refresh my own memory), I'll list some things I've learned that might be useful to you (or anyone else in your situation reading here). Tip number 1 on storytelling: Don't make it boring. I define good story as "Fictional people we care about doing things we care about, leading to a conclusion that's memorable." Number 2: Find out if your story is plot-driven or character-driven. This can come down to preference, but might also rely on the budding story itself: if you have a powerful event or compelling premise in mind, or a setting that naturally puts people in it under pressure, it might be plot-driven; or if you have larger-than-life characters with strong ambitions or motives, or an inciting incident that really puts a number on some poor soul, it might be character-driven. Number 3: Find out if you're an Outliner or a Discovery Writer, or a hybrid. Outliners create a detailed plan for their entire story before they start writing, including structural notes for the plot, detailed spreadsheets of characters and setting, and everything else. Discovery writers, in general, don't prepare at all: instead, they start with a premise, character, setting, genre or just a few lines - anything that sparks their imagination - and they just go with it, literally making things up as they go along. Number 4: Writing is rewriting. Your first draft WILL suck. Accept it, get it done, read it, make notes, start Draft 2. The whole objective during Draft 1 is to get to Draft 2. Silence your inner critic, don't wait for inspiration, and write a little bit every day. But watch out for Eternal Chapter 1 Syndrome! Don't start rewriting the beginning before you get to the end. Number 5: Archetypes, Tropes and Clichés are tools, and they are neither good nor bad. Also, tvtropes.org/ will ruin your life :) Number 6: Storytelling has been part of humanity ever since we invented language. It's in our dreams, in our memories, and in the way we speak to each other. It's in you too. Writing is hard, but the world needs your story! Now, go tell it! :) P.S: Many of these tips come from the excellent writing podcast Writing Excuses. I've been listening to them for years - they're funny and I've learned a lot. I really recommend it, and any other podcast or medium that inspires you. www.writingexcuses.com/ You're out of excuses, now go write!

[@aggresstable_cos4039]

Thank you so much for this reply!

[@lightninghawk1014]

CuteRobots Inc. HAHAHA I've spent nearly a decade now... I have no life, thankfully I'm only 17 and can change that if I want.

[@lucasfernandes4629]

I have a folder in my computer that I created in 2010, and it's full of writings, lineages, maps and all that was described in the video. No story and no book, though. I know how you feel.

[@anthonybaso6516]

3:09 is where she actually starts talking about how to build a fictional world.

[@tobymax10]

I like how the animator put a funny spin on all of her ideas. Whoever drew for this video is amazing

[@angelcoffee1972]

Thanks for making my fictional world feel more real! I'm planning on writing a journal about my world

[@PhunkyMunky10]

I recently read that when you DO imagine your world, before you put pen to paper, that you should imagine it as detailed as you can. But WRITE it in such a way as to invite the reader to develop THEIR OWN idea of what your world looks like in their mind. Same with characters. How many times have you seen a character and said "That's not how I imagined him at all!" It's the same concept. The trick, which I am just getting started in attempting to do, is to consistently do this throughout your story. That's what I read, I don't remember the source, and if I am incorrect, my apologies. :)

[@you_just]

Can we talk about video games? They take stories to a whole new level; you can see and explore the universe.

[@fisherwomen1515]

But I feel like most people just buy the games to play with there friends, not really for story mode.

[@Betito1171]

Actually a whole lot of people buy games for their story mode, myself included. games like Halo became extremely popular because of its story, hell its probably the biggest reason if not the only reason Xbox is here today. games like Assassin's Creed and Dark souls as well. Even games like Overwatch that are purely multiplayer, but people still have there favorite characters even if they don't play as them. games like Bioshock, Dragon age, Metal gear, infamous, the elder scrolls, fallout, Gears of war, and anything made by Naughty Dog, CDprojektred, or Telltale are all popular because of the stories that they tell with the games that they make, and that's just to name a few.Big Developers are starting to write better stories because they recognize that their players want good stories, just look at both battlefield 1 and Titanfall 2.

[@you_just]

fisherwomen1515 I play games for the gameplay and story nine out of ten times.

[@NikozBG]

A story of a game is at least partially told by the gameplay, and Battlefield 1 fails miserably in trying to do that. It's gameplay is so unrealistic and it's setting is nothing like WW1, that I cannot feel immersed in the game at all and that makes the story for me utterly ridiculous.

[@sniperking4996]

You_just 👍

[@beneon]

Me: I am god of my fictional world instead of my boring world like here... Me: soooo all i need is multiverse, alternate/parellel universes, galaxies, planets and name them all... Characters from another universe/galaxy/planet and also may add alien countries xD Also me: characters, mythical/made up pets, monster or creatures

[@obrean8795]

Seriously, Ted-Ed is my most favorite creator here in youtube. Their videos really make sense.

[@goji5887]

The way she talks constantly made me think she was going to start to rhyme

[@captaincrunchiii158]

When you have to meet a certain page quota on ur essay. “How do squiggles go to ur brain for light and ........”

[@BiologyIsHot]

Lolol

[@jojolebowski1788]

I was having some problems building my rpg campaign, because I got to a point I didn't know what to do. But because of this video, I noticed I was too focused on the story and the characters that I forgot a more important thing, that is the world building. So, thanks a lot :)

[@georgeb9977]

This was by far the most succinctly perfect video to get me started on extended thoughts for my world. Thanks so much for this.

[@hopelessly.lavenderly]

This entire video is just the "Me, an intellectual:" meme repeated for 5 minutes and a half. Yes

[@Joey-yo8mw]

Izy LMAO This is the best comment on this video

[@jenniferhergert4447]

I actually found the second half incredibly helpful. They give you the questions you need to ask to actually create this world.

[@Gio98art]

I once tried to mske afantasy world. I stopped after 6 months, 4 dimensions, 16 species, 7 continents, 27 characters, 6 types of magic, 200+weapons,45 cities and ahistory spanning 140000 years It's not impressive, rather shallow and unrefined

[@wiertara1337]

Could you share it with the world?

[@Gio98art]

Wojtek Kiraga if you'd like to I could send you some stuff

[@wiertara1337]

Gio98art Please, send me. I'd be very honored if you do. My curiosity is on a very high level.

[@Gio98art]

Wojtek Kiraga I have some lore laying around some characters aswell and alot of other stuff just collecting dust what would you like? I'll see what I have laying around

[@Gio98art]

Wojtek Kiraga I have found some stuff, anything specific or should I just send you some random stuff?

[@zaphkiel5172]

I think of imaginary world everyday so i want to write it, just a few days i've search some tutorials on how to draw a manga and when i finished watching those tutorials youtube recommend this video to me. What a cool world.

[@GloriousDestiney]

I make a story in my head and as soon as i write the beginning and get half way through my brain just stops working i dont know what will happen next its like my dreams i just never know the ending of it i wrote a lot of stories and most of them dont have endings im confused of how to end them even as a mystery, sometimes i even try to write my life and add a bit of imagination into it and make weird new creatures and stop as if i dont know anything about my life..

[@ramprasath8091]

Try outlining your story before starting to write the first chapter in a paper or even in your head. Will work if you are a plotter. For more ideas, search plotter vs pantser and find out which type of writer you are. And then write accordingly. Hope this helps.

[@Reggie2000]

Writing is compelling conflict. Meeting strangers. Deaths. Births. Getting a job, losing a job. Getting into a car accident. Anything that creates problems and tension. Go watch Ozark or Riverdale. (I don't watch a ton of TV) Every five minutes new BS is piled on. That's writing. Creating conflicts that have to be dealt with somehow. Solved, avoided, passed on to someone else. Example. End of Chapter **. Important person to the plot (Heist?) gets run over by a car. Now everyone has to scramble to fill the void. Example. Character meets love of life. It turns out that she/he is secretly (fill in blank) married? A spy? Illegally here? A space alien? Hired to kill main character? Not said gender? Biologically related to you, but didn't know it? Mentally unstable? Drug addict?

[@what7368]

What if each time we dream, we're in a universe made up by our brain. Each time we wake up, we "die". Each time we dream again, we reenter the world, reincarnationed.

[@crystalcat3877]

CursedPugs OMG

[@installationwizard2064]

CursedPugs wow... I was kinda thing the same thing

[@DuskPShermanWallaby123]

Oh

[@briciolaa]

So our life IS indeed all a dream

[@a.frisch4735]

I think the same thing!

[@mollymcdade4031]

I personally always come up with my characters before the world (as I see my characters to be more important than plot, if your characters aren't believable it won't matter how great the plot is). The world then comes from the characters (How did it create such characters?)

[@onionsoup7290]

+Tilda Adade | But if the plot isn't good then it won't matter how good the character is. Although I get your point.

[@croisaor2308]

I focus on the world first, then a character, then see how the world would change or shape the characters views or personality.

[@bonbonpony]

+Tilda Adade Although I agree that characters have to go before the world, personally I put several more pieces before the characters: the _premise_. Or what is the _point_ of the entire story. The premise is what I want to tell to the reader. *The premise is the promise, the story is its fulfilment.* The premise helps me to come up with the idea of how the story should end. And it is very important to know how the story will end before you start writing it, because when you know where you're going and what point you want to prove by your story, you can simply head into that direction all the time. (Although, to make the story more interesting, you can introduce some plot twists by changing the direction in the middle of the story ;) ). Only when I know what I want to tell through my story, I "make a casing" for my characters, trying to choose such characters which would fit my goal. E.g. if I want to contrast several different points of view, I associate each of them with a different character who then experiences the story and the world from that perspective. Then comes the story itself, which is there to "prove my point" from the premise. And there would be no good story without a good plot, so these are the elements I work on next. So what about the world? Well, I can explore it along the way, by creating places and situations which I need to make the story going. It then comes more naturally, to the reader as well as to me as a writer.

[@bonbonpony]

+OnionSoup You have a point, but notice that there can be no plot without the characters because, quoting Harvey Chapman, "A plot is a series of linked events *concerning a character* who urgently wants something important that won't be easy to get. The events should reach a satisfactory conclusion." Since the plot is concerning a particular character, and _only one_ character (!), there is no way to come up with a plot without having that character in the first place. You need to know who that character is, what he "urgently wants" and why, and what is stopping him from reaching that goal.

[@nahari6984]

same.

[@ahmadraja5589]

This is one of the finest video I ever seen.. Kudos to the animator.

[@FrancoNSosa]

So what I realised with this video is that it doesn't really seem hard to build a fictional world, as long as you have a concept or idea to communicate through the story. It's about taking the real world (regardless of what moment is chosen), observe it and then wonder how to tweak it for it to be coherent with the message and the way we want to show it.

[@flibbernodgets7018]

I run a Pathfinder role-playing game for my buddies, and I liken it to trying to write a novel where the readers control the main characters as you're writing it, and the end you have in mind may never come up because of the choices they make. I've had a lot of fun building the world they adventure in on my own time, but sometimes the player characters go off and do something I didn't expect, and I have to make up stuff on the fly. That's really fun. One thing I like to do is to purposefully include misinformation or inconsistencies from multiple sources. "This historical figure is sick and dying" "No, I assure you he is alive and well." "No, he's dead." But then they'll realize how no one person has the whole story and quite often all of them are maybe a little bit correct. I think this adds verisimilitude to the world, because our world is unclear. How can we tell what's really true if we have two conflicting sources we trust? This is particularly fun as the way we play it includes a lot of detective work, as when they need to find a monster that appears perfectly human during the day but attacks people at night. Consistency is great, but once you firmly know your rules, the ability to break those rules in a way that pushes the story forward or makes the world more complex and real-seeming can be a powerful tool.

[@cobrakingofeart]

i, a PC in PF campaign, am having problems with my GM being upset by how competent i am; even though i am following all the rules he feels i'm too powerful, any advice?

[@flibbernodgets7018]

I ran into the same problem when one of my players figured out a way to do 100+ damage in one swing... before level 10 (or something crazy like that). Pathfinder is kinda unbalanced sometimes. The solution that he came up with is he went for a more story-oriented build and didn't try to optimize so much, to keep it fun for the rest of the group who were pretty new to the game. Maybe try and develop your character's... well, character, rather than trying to kill the things as fast as possible. That's all I got.

[@JakubNaceradsky]

By the all fantasy gods, men, its a rule set!!! Just your DM/GM must balance the rules, hes there for game, not only to follow a standard ruleset... Is your player too much strong? Weak them down... Some sick, curse, or some bandits just capture entire fellowship and stolen all your things... Too much powerfull warrior? Wound his arm, and give him a permanent negative bonus in attack power... Or just kill the char and force player to create new one (too much radical for me)... Ok, im not friend of that statistic rulesets as Pathfinder, D20 and D&D3e, rather i like more storybased rules like Fate and Fudge, or main own Modus (Universal simple rules based on d20 dice). But im Storyteller for 11 years (im 24), and for 100% i known that if you are bad with some rules, you can change them, everytime, in D&D, Pathfinder and whatever else...

[@MsAngelique]

... I'm beginning to think that whoever wrote the script for this video wanted less important stuff and more fancy filler. That's not how you make a good video.

[@Freqsheux]

I've always been enamored with the concept of complex world building, ever since I was little. The very idea that I can conjure up an entire world full of people, histories, myths, conflicts, stories and lifes from my own mind that someone else can plug into and experience. Its like I'm creating a real world with real people and events. Its always fascinated me, I'll die a happy man if I can successfully finish my novel and make that connection with just one person. If just one person can jump into the world I conjured up and love it. I can't wait.

[@chipaanderson4585]

This is super helpful, I always struggle on getting my world started.