Episode 77: Pull a Thread, Build A World w/ KRITIKA H. RAO
May 25, 2022
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KRITIKA H. RAO, worldbuilding expert, joins the podcast to discuss the balance between deep and wide worldbuilding, the process of developing throwaway sentences into significant story elements, and the impact of deep worldbuilding on fantasy literature. They also explore the element of predictability in books and the burden of a unique talking plant on its caretakers.
Depth in worldbuilding allows for realistic and interconnected elements, while breadth can lead to disjointed elements.
Establishing pillar elements early on sets the tone and creates a cohesive and immersive reading experience.
Leaving unanswered questions and including small details can create intrigue, but a balance must be struck to avoid overstuffing the narrative.
Deep dives
Depth vs Breadth in World Building
When it comes to world building, there is a choice between going deep or going wide. Going deep means focusing on a handful of elements in the world and exploring them thoroughly, allowing for innovative storytelling and surprising interactions. Going wide, on the other hand, involves including numerous discrete world building elements that serve a single purpose in the story. Depth allows for more realistic and interconnected world building, while breadth can sometimes lead to disjointed elements. Deep world building also allows for establishing reader trust and fulfilling promises, while wide world building can sometimes confuse readers and dilute the important elements.
The Advantage of Starting with Pillar Elements in World Building
When embarking on world building, it is important to start with a few key pillar elements that serve as the foundation of the world. These pillar elements can include central conflicts, unique settings, or thematic insights that inform the entire world. By establishing these elements early on, authors can shape the tone, aesthetic, and voice of the world and create a cohesive and immersive reading experience. Start with a few tentpole ideas and build from there.
Unanswered Questions and Easter Eggs in World Building
World building often involves leaving some questions unanswered and including small details or Easter eggs that can be developed and explored in future books or sequels. This can create intrigue and anticipation for readers and a sense of continued discovery within the world. However, it is important to strike a balance between leaving breadcrumbs for future stories and overstuffing the narrative with irrelevant elements. Readers appreciate when elements pay off in meaningful ways and when foreshadowing is intentional and purposeful.
The Discovery and Unveiling of World Building
The podcast episode discusses the importance of world building in storytelling. It emphasizes the need for consistency and depth within a fictional world, even if the magic system or rules of the world are not fully explained. The hosts highlight the joy of discovering unexpected connections and inspirations within a well-developed world. They also touch upon the balance between explaining certain aspects of the world and leaving room for mystery and imagination.
Navigating the Challenges of Hard vs. Soft Magic Systems
The episode explores the challenges related to creating and maintaining hard magic systems. It discusses how hard magic systems often evolve into softer systems as more details and intricacies are revealed. The hosts highlight the importance of consistency and believability within a magical world, even if certain aspects are not fully explained. They also touch upon the role of experimental magic, competing theories, and the impact of fandom on world building.
When it comes to worldbuilding, what's the difference between going deep and going wide? Kritika H. Rao joins us to discuss finding the balance between the things that are tentpoles of your world and things that can be window dressing.
How do you choose what to focus on? How many worldbuilding innovations might be too many innovations? In this episode, we discuss different processes of worldbuilding and how an author's choices might cause revelations or problems down the line.
Our Guest: Kritika H. Rao is a science-fiction and fantasy writer, who has lived in India, Australia, Canada and The Sultanate of Oman. Kritika’s stories are influenced by her lived experiences, and often explore themes of consciousness, self vs. the world, and identity. The Surviving Sky, a Hindu philosophy-inspired epic science-fantasy, is her debut novel and will be out in Fall 2022 by DAW Books and Titan Books UK. When she is not writing, she is probably making lists. She drops in and out of social media; you might catch her on Twitter or Instagram @KritikaHRao. Visit her online at www.kritikahrao.com.
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