The Art of World Building: Creating Breakout Fantasy and Science Fiction Worlds In Stories and Gaming
Randy Ellefson
In every episode of The Art of World Building podcast, host Randy Ellefson discusses how authors, screenwriters, game designers, gamers, and hobbyists can do world building better, faster, and have more fun doing it. Popular topics include creating gods, species, animals, plants, races, monsters, undead, continents, settlements, kingdoms, star systems, time, history, cultures, magic systems, religions, the supernatural, naming everything, and travel estimates for land, sea, and space.
Episodes
Mentioned books
Oct 20, 2020 • 39min
EP 33: World Building Strategies
The podcast presents approaches to world building, how to organize files and folders, ideas on partnering with others, and more.
Oct 6, 2020 • 46min
EP 32: Other Systems
Explore how to create other systems, including legal, health, IT, education, and more.
Sep 22, 2020 • 39min
EP 31.2: Magic Systems
Dive into the fascinating world of magic systems! Discover the different types of magic and how rarity influences societal views in fictional realms. Learn about alchemy and the cultural significance of practices like witchcraft. Explore essential principles for crafting your own systems, including limitations and structured spells. The discussion highlights how word choices and environmental factors can add depth to your storytelling, making magic not just a tool, but a key element in narrative conflict and transformation.
Sep 8, 2020 • 34min
EP 31.1: Magic Systems
Explore how to create magic systems, including whether we need to create them, sources of magic, whether spells are needed, a look at the life of wizards, and more.
Aug 25, 2020 • 37min
EP 30: Creating Items
Explore how to create items. This includes regular ones, supernatural ones, and technological elements, like an AI, and more.
Aug 11, 2020 • 20min
EP 29: Creating the Supernatural
Explore how to create the supernatural. This includes supernatural energy, magic paths, alternate realities, supernatural beings, and more
Jul 28, 2020 • 29min
EP 28: Creating Languages
Explore how to create languages, including whether we should, what’s involved, how to hire someone, and more.
Jul 14, 2020 • 34min
EP 27.4: Creating Culture
Explore how to create cultures, including rituals, pastimes, daily life considerations, and more.
Jun 30, 2020 • 27min
EP 27.3: Creating Culture
Explore how to create cultures, including greetings, farewells, language issues, and more.
Jun 16, 2020 • 33min
EP 27.2: Creating Culture
Explore how to create cultures, including how the body is part of culture, from clothing to hairstyles, body modifications, and more.
