Writing Excuses

19.18: How to Build Fictional Economies

May 5, 2024

Learn how to build fictional economies in your stories by asking questions about goods and services, exploring a post-scarcity world, and creating catchphrases. Delve into unintended consequences, different economy types, and connecting real-life consequences to fiction. Discover the dynamics of fictional economies, from gift economies to reputation economies, and get ready for a deep dive into world-building!

26:36

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Quick takeaways

Economics in world building involves understanding value exchange beyond monetary systems.

Challenging assumptions about values and scarcity leads to nuanced narratives in world building.

Deep dives

Understanding the Role of Economics in World Building

Economics plays a crucial role in world building as it involves understanding the rules that govern a world, including what people value, what they need, and what they trade for. Economies determine the scarcity, available resources, and systems that shape fictional worlds. Exploring the core of world building through economics provides tools to create compelling narratives, add pressure on characters, and establish reasons for their actions.

Gift Economy vs Capitalism: Collective Needs vs Owed Debts

02:13

Understanding Economics in Worldbuilding

02:23

Challenging Assumptions in Economic and Fictional World-Building

02:21

Introduction

2min

Exploring the Role of Economics in Fictional World-Building

2min

Unintended Consequences in Fictional Economies

9min

Exploring Fictional Economies and Real-Life Consequences

2min

Exploring the Dynamics of Fictional Economies

10min

Fantasy Role-Playing Podcast and Acknowledgements

2min

Sometimes we know the action and themes of your story, but you don’t know how to build an economy that supports those. Well today, we explain just how to do that! What are some questions you can ask yourself about the worth of certain goods and services in the world you’re building? What would a post-scarcity world look like and ask of your characters and how would it shape their wants? We loved recording this episode, it brought up so many interesting questions for us, and we hope it does the same for you!

Thing of the Week:

Bury Your Gays by Chuck Tingle

Homework:

Come up with three catch phrases that someone who grew up in your economy would know. For example the difference between “There ain't no such thing as a free lunch” vs. “See it, fix it.”

A Reminder!

That starting next week (May 12th!), we'll be focusing on Worldbuilding and reading A Memory Called Empire by Arkady Martine. If you’re going to buy this book, we have this bookshop link available for you to do so! (If not, go support your local library!) https://bookshop.org/lists/close-readings-season-19

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Credits: Your hosts for this episode were Max Gladstone, Amal El-Mohtar, Mary Robinette Kowal, and DongWon Song. It was produced by Emma Reynolds, recorded by Marshall Carr, Jr., and mastered by Alex Jackson.

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