Worldbuilding is a crucial aspect of all stories, fantasy or otherwise. To watch all of our videos on worldbuilding, use the embedded playlist. To find a specific worldbuilding video, use the list below or the search bar.
Balancing Backstory
In this Sunday Special live chat, the WordNerds talk all things backstory–when to use it, how much to use, prologues, and more!
Building a Whole New World
Emma Kate talks about getting started worldbuilding without getting bogged down it and never actually starting to write.
Creating Atmospheric Settings
Meghan walks you through the steps you’ll need to follow to create settings that feel dreamy and atmospheric.
Creating Stand-Out Settings
Meghan talks about using your setting to increase conflict and make your story stand out from the rest.
Creating Worlds (and Words)
E. Latimer talks about how to make your sci-fi or fantasy world accessible.
Drawing Scenes
Emma Kate talks about drawing your settings (no matter how un-skilled you are in the art of illustration) to help keep all of those world-related details in your head.
Finding Setting Inspiration When You Can’t Travel
Emma Kate gives advice for writing strong settings when you can’t travel to faraway places.
Getting Inspired by Real Places
Kellie Sheridan talks about the importance of using real places and travel to inspire your writing (and how to do it!) whether your setting is contemporary or fantastical.
How to Get Better at Worldbuilding
Meghan talks about the things she does to improve her worldbuilding. THE SFWA WORLDBUILDING QUESTIONNAIRE: https://www.sfwa.org/2009/08/fantasy-worldbuilding-questions/
Incorporating Real Places into Historical Fantasy
Kristina Perez–author of the SWEET BLACK WAVES trilogy–stops by to talk about using real-life settings in your historical fiction. And she’s at Stonehenge while she does it! Find Kristina Perez: Website: https://www.kristinaperez.com/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/kkperezbooks?s=20
Let’s Get Cultured
Meghan talks about how worldbuilding is all in the details.
Letting Mythology Inspire You
Rachel Sargeant talks about how local folklore can give you amazing inspiration for your writing.
MAP MAKING TUTORIAL: AutoREALM!
Meghan gives an in-depth look at how she makes maps using the safe, free, awesome program, AutoREALM.
Retellings!
In this Sunday Special live chat, the WordNerds talk all about retellings–our favorites and how to write good, unique ones!
ShaelinWrites: Using Specific Details
Shaelin–writer and booktuber/writetuber over at ShaelinWrites–talks about using specific details to enhance your worldbuilding and writing.
The Wonderful World of Worldbuilding
Desiraye Williams talks about worldbuilding, specifically: questions to ask yourself that you might not originally think of.
There’s no Place Like Home! (In Settings)
Kellie Sheridan talks about using settings that you know and love in your writing.
WORDNERDS WORKSHOP: Worldbuilding!
Hello WordNerds! Today we’re kicking off what will hopefully be a series of workshops aimed at helping you develop your own story ideas. It will be part write-in, part live chat on writing, with guided exercises in place of more freestyle word sprints. We’ll be sharing a little of what we come up with, and […]
Worldbuilding (For When You’re Struggling)
Kellie Sheridan helps you figure out where to start when world building is driving you crazy
Worldbuilding with Dungeons and Dragons
Kellie Sheridan has been using D&D to help create stronger worlds. Here’s how she’s done it!
Worldbuilding!
In this Sunday Special live chat, the WordNerds talk about all things worldbuilding and how to craft a world that readers are desperate to visit.
WORLDBUILDING: Talking to People
Meghan talks about those times when you need to talk to real people to help with your worldbuilding, and which things to consider when you’re building a world.
Writing Real Life Settings
E. Latimer talks about writing settings that actually exist in the real world.
Writing Weather
Emma Kate talks about how certain weather always inspires her to write, then goes on to discuss the importance of including weather in your settings to help strengthen worldbuilding and tone.
Yudron Wangmo: Going on an Adventure!
Yudron Wangmo–author of the Cycle of the Sky series–takes you with her as she visits the setting of her newest book. She walks you through her research, and how she uses travel to inform her writing!
The WordNerds 