This book book is a good reference for those writing speculative fiction, with working examples on how to build your worlds and convey on the page what your characters experience. A wide range of topics are covered, and there is a companion YouTube channel for the book (see below for link).
Goodreads Review:
The JLM Book Club reviewed this book in August 2022. This book is a good book on world building, BUT only for those who have a background in reading fantasy and science fiction.
If you are not already familiar with the genres of fantasy and science fiction, then this book is not for you.
Added Tidbit:
This books is connected a series of YouTube videos. The first chapter in this book can be found on YouTube at: youtube.com/watch?v=Qv9qcTbwAiw
The entire series (and other videos) can be found on the Hello Future Me YouTube channel.
(This book was reviewed by the BW Book Club in August 2022.)
Writing advice tends to be full of ‘rules’ and ‘tips’ which are either too broad to be helpful or outright wrong. With over 35,000 copies sold, On Writing and Worldbuilding: Volume I discusses specific and applicable ideas for your writing, from effective methods of delivering exposition and foreshadowing, to how communication, commerce, and control play into the fall of an empire. Volume II, a sequel with a host of new topics, released in December 2021.
On Writing
- Prologues
- The First Chapter
- The Exposition Problem
- Foreshadowing
- Villain Motivation
- Hero-Villain Relationships
- Final Battles
- The Chosen One
- Hard Magic Systems
- Soft Magic Systems
- Magic Systems and Storytelling
On Worldbuilding
- Polytheistic Religions
- Hidden Magical Worlds
- How Empires Rise
- How Empires Work
- How Empires Fall
Exclusive Content
- How I Plan a Novel