4 worldbuilding assignments to do at your own pace; and the end of the month won't be the end of access to the Instructor.
Description:
This will be a combination of Timons's simplified Eight-Fold Path to Worldbuilding, and his full-length Worldbuilding for Any Writer workshop. There will be four Zoom sessions, the first hour of each being the must-see/hear information, the second hour being expansion and discussion.
World-Building isn't just charts, maps, forms, voids, elf-clans and tedious courses in orbital mechanics; and it isn't just for SF and Fantasy writers. Every story has a setting, and the setting needs to be convincing. We'll discuss W-B'ing resources; techniques for designing and developing your world; and then selling it to the reader. Metaphor will be mentioned. Emphasis on craft rather than details, though we will address the Moon Muddle, the Pack Animal Question, and other pitfalls.
The first week: The Eight-Fold Path.
This is Timons's quick-start approach to Worldbuilding, especially crafted to be applicable to any type of fiction. Rather than overwhelming checklists and shelves of required research, we'll discuss a few basic elements to focus on, which will enhance your own understanding of the setting you intend to use.
The point of this week's lesson is that Worldbuilding shouldn't slow down the writing of the first draft. In fact, doing it in advance may waste a great deal of time.
Details may include the flux capacitor.
The second week: Broader Topics in Worldbuilding.
We will take a broader look at the subject, as well as addressing the specific topic of The Moon Muddle. We'll discuss the purpose of setting (it's not just for cover art), and deal with the 800-lb. gorilla in the room: J.R.R. Tolkien. We'll emphasize the use of the writer's notebook, and Getting Your Hands on Stuff.
The third week: Logistics in History and in Fiction (The Pack Animal Question).
Timons long ago grew tired of gunslingers, or knights in shining armor, or jeeps going off into the wilderness, one horse (or tank of gas) apiece, for days at a time, and yet they have food, cooking pots, tents, cots, maps, books, and tools. Who is carrying all that? We'll discuss logistics from Alexander the Great to World War II, and from Tolkien to the Little Big Horn.
There will be a slideshow.
The fourth and final Titanic-going-down-by-the-bow week: Remaining Topics in Worldbuilding.
We'll continue the broad discussion of the topics involved, with a special emphasis on resources and on techniques for getting it all on the page. Currency (for invented or historic worlds), weather, and Matters of Scale shall also be addressed.
Customer Benefits/Takeaways: