Greetings!

It's activity time. By now we have already posted two lessons on Setting and World-building, The basics that you need in order to create a new world, or even improvise an existing one - the details have already been given. Do give the lessons a thorough read, and create a world-building doc.

Yes, the world-building doc where you will write everything about the place, space, your story is set into. From culture, to government, to the people, the localities, the lores, etc,. it's time to pour them all onto the paper (document in this case).

Simply create a new document and proceed step by step. Initiate with adding the name of the place, the culture, magic system (if applicable), people, ethnicity, language(s), physical geography, tales attached to the local place, anything to everything else that you can think of. A few checklists have also been added to the Workshop folder (accessible by the participants) that you can use to track your progress.

Keep the doc safe, and try to create a worldbuilding document before the week ends, so that they are up for peer review round and the mentorship round.

General writing prompts:

• Imagine the end of the world you have created.
~ How does your world end?
~ Describe the afterlife.

Use your imagination, creativity, the ability to tell more in fewer words, and comment your write-ups on one of the two prompts in less than 300 words.

Remember, this workshop is not designed to force you to write more, rather we want you to stay motivated and develop a habit of writing on a regular basis. It doesn't matter if you are able to mark the story complete or not, or if you are writing one chapter daily, or if it's an equation of one chapter per week - what matters the most is "you must enjoy the writing process". The lessons will remain here for as long as the community stands, you can keep returning to them and find new learnings.

Keep going, you are doing the best to your abilities!

Genre specific guides

Fantasy:

Experts make it look easy to build a fantasy world. But think about Quidditch in the Harry Potter books. Think about what it would take to make up a sport. Or think of a hobbit and how much detail goes into creating an original and convincing creature and history. We take things like Quidditch and hobbits for granted, but when you are facing the blank page and coming up with completely original material, it can be pretty daunting.

It's essential to spend some time envisioning your world before you start writing. The more work you do here, the more authentic your world will feel to readers. And in fantasy writing, authenticity is a key piece of the puzzle. Whether this involves developing a magic system or envisioning an entire world, part of your job will involve convincing the reader that this place is real. It also has to make sense. The weather patterns have to match both the crops that are being grown and the clothing people wear. The landscape has to match the transportation system. The history has to fit with the system of government that is presently in place.

Inspiration is everywhere.

You can research the geography of far-away countries or the terrain of other planets as you craft your landscapes. You can adapt the flora and fauna of your fantasy world from real-life wonders like the aye-aye or corpse flower. There's an entire globe's worth of mythologies and folklore to inspire stories, characters, monsters, gods, and religious structures. History can tell you what political or economic structures would fuel your central conflict. And of course, you can always return to the fantasy worlds that drew you into the genre. What do you love about those worlds? How can you make that magic your own? If you're inspired by other cultures, be mindful of how you use that inspiration.

Are you perpetuating stereotypes? Reimagining real-life communities as a fantasy race that feels less than human? Hijacking the lore or traditions of real cultures without understanding their context?

Checklist
(Use these points to compile a written document of every key detail you may need further down the plot)

• Landscape
• Map
• Climate
• Flora and Fauna
• Cosmology
• Magic system
• History & Religion
• Language & Tradition
• Social, Economic, and Political scenarios / structure

Questions
(These questions are to keep you rooted to your story)

• What kind of character would be uncomfortable or unsafe in this world? (Or what could you change about the world to make it less safe for your protagonist?)

• Does anyone need to make a journey? How could you use the physical setting to make the trip harder... or more awe-inspiring?

• Where does your protagonist land on the spectrum of power? What does it cost them to be in that position? What would it cost them to lose that position?

• Same question but about the antagonist.

• What tradition or location is most sacred to the inhabitants of your world? What would it mean to set a battle or fight scene in that event or location?

• Who controls natural resources? Is there a resource not available in your protagonist's town/territory/nation that could solve this society's biggest problem? What would it take to procure that resource?

• Does your protagonist have any special powers? If so, do they know how to harness them? What are their limitations?

• How do your characters see the world you've built? Imagine wandering this world as your protagonist.

Historical Fiction:

To write successful historical fiction, you'll need to pay attention to three key elements to direct your research and writing: the infrastructure and sensory experience of your world, the political and cultural structures your characters will navigate, and the relationship between your characters and their environment (why is your story set when and where it is?). Historical scholarship and primary sources from the period should guide the decisions you make about setting, conflict, and character development. But, once you've done enough research to feel immersed in the period you're writing about, you have free rein to shape the world as you see fit. Historical accuracy is important, but so is authenticity to the characters and relationships you've written.

Think about the logic and basic infrastructure that govern your life. How do you find food and what kind do you eat? What's your house like? How do you get from place to place? What do you wear? How do you support yourself? ---Your characters should have compelling answers to these questions, even if you don't state them explicitly in the text. These questions make up the ground rules of your world, drawing boundaries around what your characters need to survive and thrive. The best way to find information about life in the past is to turn to a good library.

When you feel like you've got the lay of the land, it's time to start thinking about the sensory experience of the period. What does it feel like to sleep on a bed made of straw? What does a newly industrialized city smell like? What do homespun clothes feel like?

The past, historians like to say, is a foreign country. Despite superficial similarities, people in the past dealt with a completely different set of assumptions and understandings than we do today, and nowhere is that disconnect more apparent than in the sensory experience of the world. Churches stank of death, doctors tasted blood rather than feeling for a pulse, music was felt rather than heard. Lean into the particularities of historical experience.

Political and cultural context for the period you're interested in should come only after you've done research on day-to-day life. Political norms structure the ideas and expectations individuals can hold; however, it's important not to make modern assumptions about historical politics. For example, though monarchies headed most European states, crowned heads rarely enjoyed political stability until the 17th and 18th centuries, when states consolidated their power away from powerful rival lords. It's also important to remember that the general populace posed a significant threat to wealthy and powerful ruling classes around the world by dint of sheer numbers. Peasants' revolts litter history; a starving or cheated populace could and did wreak death and destruction. Folk justice (charivari, or rough music) also boasts a long global pedigree.

Finally, after completing your research, you'll be in a position to put your story together, paying attention to the ways your characters and story interact with the environment you've chose.

For the remaining genres --contemporary genres and stories-- detailed lessons have already been provided in previous chapters.

Focus on understanding the real world, regional traditions, and people. Even if fiction, the judgements occur through real eyes!

Happy writing!