Writing Excuses 20.20: The Lens of Where and When
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May 18, 2025 Explore the powerful connection between setting and narrative in speculative fiction. Discover how time and place shape characters, influencing their experiences and growth. The speakers share tips for crafting vivid, dynamic worlds and highlight the importance of cultural and temporal details. Engaging examples, like time-measuring goblins, illustrate how practical world-building enhances storytelling. Writers are encouraged to experiment with their own narratives by rewriting scenes in different contexts, revealing new dimensions to character dynamics.
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Setting Shapes Story and Characters
- Setting shapes the story by influencing characters and plot through societal constraints and environment.
- Details like transportation and daily life reveal how the world truly functions and affects characters.
Focus on Characters’ World Interaction
- Focus on how characters experience their environment, not just grand worldbuilding ideas.
- Consider everyday challenges like travel methods or sanitation, as these shape character behavior and story.
Meaningful Details Create Vivid Worlds
- Worlds feel vivid when all details have meaning relevant to the culture and setting.
- Using unique time measures, like length of songs or campfires, brings worlds to life.