Adam Bassett, the Vice Editor-in-Chief at Worldbuilding Magazine and a lead game designer, shares his creative insights. He discusses the success of his Kickstarter for a new card game and the importance of concise conversations in the creative industry. Adam dives into the art of storytelling, emphasizing how immersive world-building enhances narratives. He also addresses the challenges of maintaining creativity amidst busy schedules and highlights the power of collaboration in refining ideas, encouraging writers to enjoy the journey.
Adam Bassett highlights the importance of purposeful world building in storytelling, ensuring it enhances rather than distracts from the narrative.
He emphasizes the value of collaboration and feedback in the writing process to maintain creative momentum and improve one's work.
Deep dives
The Journey of Creation
Adam discusses his journey as an author, including his work on a collection of short stories titled 'A Package of Moods' and his card game 'Frey,' which successfully funded on Kickstarter. He reflects on the transformation of a hobby project into a tangible product enjoyed by others, emphasizing the excitement and challenges encountered along the way. The conversation showcases not only his literary endeavors but also his involvement in game design, where he expresses gratitude to backers who helped bring his projects to life. Additionally, Adam mentions his academic pursuit in user interface design, which signals a transition into a new creative field.
Balancing World Building and Storytelling
The integration of world building into storytelling is a central theme discussed by Adam, as he explains how extensive world creation can enhance a narrative without becoming a distraction. He highlights the distinction between necessary world building that serves the plot and additional details that enrich the setting but aren't essential to the storyline. Adam notes the importance of maintaining focus on the characters and plot while subtly weaving in broader world elements to create a sense of realism. He cites his personal experience of having developed a world map for one of his stories, leading to the creation of around 130 different countries, showcasing how exploration can lead to unexpected creative avenues.
The Creative Process and Collaboration
Adam shares insights into maintaining creative momentum and the significance of collaboration in the writing process. He suggests that understanding one's productivity patterns can enhance efficiency, encouraging individuals to tailor their schedules for optimal creativity. The importance of receiving feedback is emphasized, advocating for the idea that sharing work with trusted peers fosters improvement and growth. Adam concludes with advice for aspiring writers, stressing the need to listen to experienced creators and establish a connection with their target audience while remaining open to personal exploration in their writing endeavors.
Fireside Chats are a new type of episode we're trying out on the Podcast. They're much shorter, and feature just two people in conversation. To begin, we're using it as a chance for you to better get to know the hosts of Worldcasting.
The Fireside Chats will be released in addition to your usual full-length episodes of Worldcasting every other Saturday, starting today, through the duration of season 2. We plan to release three Fireside Chats for now. If you enjoy them, we'll continue to release a couple each season. So, please let us know what you think of the format by leaving a review, or by dropping us a message on social media!
In this Fireside Chat, meet Adam Bassett. Adam is the Vice Editor-in-Chief at Worldbuilding Magazine, a lead game designer at Smunchy Games, an author, artist, and a UI designer. He and Tyler discuss his work, worldbuilding, and more in this episode of Worldcasting.
This episode was edited by J.D. Venner.
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