Writing Excuses

19.09: LIVE Recording - Rituals, Rites, and Traditions

Mar 3, 2024

Explore the creation of traditions in fictional writing and how they shape characters. Discover the intricacies of building believable worlds through rituals and traditions. Learn how blending fantasy with real-world traditions can enhance storytelling. Prioritize depth in rituals and traditions for a more immersive narrative experience.

17:20

Creator website

Episode guests

Mahtab Narsimhan

Fonda Lee

AI Summary

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Episode notes

Podcast summary created with Snipd AI

Quick takeaways

Incorporating rituals in world building enhances cultural depth and character development in fiction.

Authors should balance fantasy elements with cultural respect when adapting rituals from existing cultures into fiction.

Deep dives

Importance of Incorporating Traditions in World Building

Incorporating rituals, rites, and traditions into world building adds depth and realism to fictional cultures. By creating traditions for characters to follow, authors can explore societal values, beliefs, and taboos, making the world more vibrant and believable. These rituals provide insights into characters' values, aspirations, and fears, enriching the narrative with cultural depth and complexity.

Introduction

2min

Crafting Believable Worlds with Rituals and Traditions

9min

Efficient World-Building Through Rituals and Traditions

3min

The Fusion of Fantasy and Tradition

3min

Exploring Depth in Rituals and Traditions for Writing

3min

Hosts Erin and DongWon are joined by Fonda Lee and Mahtab Narsimhan for a special episode about creating traditions in your fictional writing. In this episode, we'll explore some of the following:

-How do you build traditions and rituals in your fictional world (choosing what becomes a tradition or ritual and what doesn’t)?

-How can you use rituals or traditions to advance a novel’s plot, give characters more depth, and create conflict?

-What are the pitfalls to avoid (depiction of closed practices, over-ritualizing common traditions)?

Homework:

Pick a ritual or tradition that you are very accustomed to and make it the center of a fictional scene. You can change its meaning or impact, but the content of the tradition should stay the same.

Thing of the Week:

Shanghai Immortal by AY Chao (especially the audiobook version)

Liner Notes:

This podcast episode idea was inspired by ReaderCon 2023, where Erin Roberts was a panelist.

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Credits: Your hosts for this episode were DongWon Song, Erin Roberts, Fonda Lee and Mahtab Narsimhan. It was produced by Emma Reynolds, recorded by Marshall Carr, Jr., and mastered by Alex Jackson.

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