Developmental editor and anthropologist Andrew Hodges shares his view of the editor’s role in shaping fictional worlds—especially in speculative fiction. He brings a unique perspective to the craft, blending editorial expertise with a background in cultural anthropology. We discuss:

How editors can guide world-building without taking over the creative vision
Common mistakes writers make when creating new worlds
Approaches to handling culture and social structures with nuance
Tools and frameworks that make complex worlds easier to manage
Why developmental editing for world-building is really about strengthening the story’s core

If you’re a developmental editor working with fantasy, sci-fi, or even historical fiction, this episode is full of ideas for making world-building more intentional, inclusive, and story-driven.

Andrew Hodges is a developmental editor and the founder of The Narrative Craft (TheNarrativeCraft.com), where he works with speculative fiction authors to bring their stories to life. With a PhD in social anthropology, Andrew offers deep insight into how culture, structure, and meaning shape the worlds we build.

Here’s a detailed list of the resources mentioned in this episode:

Andy’s podcast: https://www.thenarrativecraft.com/the-free-lancer-podcast
Andy’s webinar https://payhip.com/b/UTCN9
Sophie Playle Guiding Principles for Developmental Fiction Editing (Webinar) https://www.liminalpages.com/
Jennifer Lawler Developmental Editing Courses https://www.clubedfreelancers.com/jennifer-lawler-editor/
Beth Hill’s book, “The Magic of Fiction” https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/29510704-the-magic-of-fiction
Janice Hardy’s “Revising Your Novel: First Draft to Finished Draft: A step-by-step guide to revising your novel”: https://a.co/d/f5y6PQu
Wonderbook: https://a.co/d/3YCnoWJ
Blog, podcast, discord: https://mythcreants.com/

Leave a review or share this episode with your fellow word nerds and editing enthusiasts!

Check out other episodes of The Editor’s Half Hour: piquepublishing.com/podcast

Connect with me on Instagram: @Editors_Half_Hour

Subscribe to my newsletter: tinyurl.com/EditorsHalfHour

Become a Patreon Sneak “Pique” supporter: patreon.com/EditorsHalfHour

The Magic of Fiction

Mentioned by

Mentioned in 1 episodes

The AI-powered Podcast Player