WORLDBUILDING

CAFE

Warm-Up

1. What are some examples of worlds that are not like ours? (aka, fictional examples that you can think of from video games, movies, TV shows, books, etc.)
2. What are the rules of this world? (is it like our world, except everyone can fly? Is it a world where people can’t go outside during the day? etc.)
3. What are you able to tell about the characters in this story?

Table #1: Location

Location comprises geography, climate, and other such environmental traits. Now, before researching obscure nature facts for hours or attempt to recreate the intricate ecosystems of the Amazon, remember that the goal isn’t purely to decide what the setting is. What’s important is how the setting will affect characters.

Table #2: Culture

Culture is a broad term that encompasses multiple facets of a civilization, but the foundation of culture lies with a society’s values. Everything, from the laws down to the art popularized within communities, reflects the values the society at large holds and what moral truths they deem important. Social rules and expectations form from these ideas as well, and how a world’s society conducts itself will reveal them.

Table #3: History

When writing a world’s history, consider a story’s scope. Determine what historical events will inform a character’s views, the views of the people directly associated with a character, and the current social climate where a story is taking place. Focus should be on events that are recent and relevant. Unless conflicts will affect a character at some point and/or tie into the themes a writer intend to employ, they’re irrelevant.

Table #4: Magic

What kind of magic you implement can alter the course of a world’s history. If a world contains potent healing magic, traditional medicine could fall to the wayside while people grow dependent on magical means of recovery. Likewise, healing magic isn’t a weapon, but it would certainly make wars less deadly, and thus, some leaders might be less hesitant to commit to military campaigns. If anyone could learn to teleport, perhaps wagons, carts, or cars wouldn’t be as necessary.

Table #5: Technology

Technology is going to be an important part of any fictional world. The tech in a story will allow the characters to travel throughout the world. They will also use it to defend themselves, and discover hidden mysteries. Like magic, technology needs to have it’s limitations when in the hands of characters.

Directions

Groups of 5+ go to each table and have 8 minutes to write as many ideas about the worldbuilding element on the poster.

Your idea can be an example from popular culture (i.e. The Force from Star Wars under Magic).

Good artists borrow, GREAT artists steal.

We will do a gallery walk and then share out as a class.

What do we need to think about so that everyone feels safe and heard during the conversations at each table?

Post-Gallery Walk Reflection

1. What struck you from your walk?
2. Which of these FIVE world building elements do you feel you have most developed (which are the most clear in your mind) AND which are the elements that you feel that are NOT developed enough?