As a fantasy writer, how do you unfold your world in a way that is interesting and makes sense to the reader? Some writers fold elements of their worldbuilding into the action and setting as the protagonist moves through their environment. Others describe the surroundings, then launch the action, not always explaining how some elements … Continue reading DIY MFA: Imagining a Magical World
Katra clawed her way to consciousness one painful realization at a time. Her last clear memory was entering a cave looking for her cousins, Elayna and Eliam, and climbing down a rope to a cavern filled with crystals. She vaguely recollected approaching and reaching out to the formations … then, she was here. Shivering, nude, … Continue reading Chapter 2: Confusion
(C) 2020, JJ ShaunNotebooks detailing the Adaran continent. Twelve or so years ago, I began outlining the antagonists for my unfinished story. I pulled old issues of Dragon magazine off my shelf and pored through the pages. I searched for the “perfect” plot devices for the half-orc twins that were to be the ultimate challenge … Continue reading Worldbuilding, Part VI
(C) 2000, JJ Shaun I have spent the last week creating characters and building a fantasy outpost called The Happy Harpy. This enclave sits along a major trade road on the eastern side of the Dragonspine Mountains, on the Adaran continent. Located in the southern hemisphere of its world, this continent has had virtually no … Continue reading Worldbuilding V
(C) 2020, JJ ShaunThe Happy Harpy Where do you start when a story comes to mind? For me, it almost always begins with a character or two, sometimes with a place. My latest endeavor starts with a little of both. So, where did this idea come from, and how has it been germinating in my … Continue reading Story Creation, Part I
Worldbuilding is part of any fictional story. “But wait a minute,” you say. “What about contemporary stories? You know, those set in the world of today?” Think about any fiction you have ever read. Even those that are as realistic and set in today’s world as anything out there. It’s not just fantasy or sci-fi … Continue reading Worldbuilding, Part IV
It took me a while to find a focus for this post. I started out trying to make it about the spiritual and religious life on the continent but realized that the entire ecosphere of a world is intertwined. Economics is tied into politics is tied to religion, is tied to daily life. The economy … Continue reading Worldbuilding, Part II
As you have probably guessed, Aeryn doesn't occupy the same fantasy setting as Katra. The gods and goddesses are different, and the landscape is dissimilar. Aeryn is native to a campaign world of my creation. So, how did this world come into being? About fifteen or twenty years ago, I drew a map of the … Continue reading Building My World
A piece of my scattered mind.
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J.J. Shaun 