WorldCraft Club

Verticality, outfits and styles, customization, vehicles, kitsch and radio show hosts. We break down the worldbuilding content of Cyberpunk 2077 by trawling through hours of YouTube videos and articles so you don’t have to. We also plan on playing the game with some unique styles and options so when we talk through our Post Release show you’ll get as varied a picture of the game as possible. James...

People aren’t self motivated so much as faction oriented. Belonging is a powerful part of the human experience whether it’s a family, a guild, a rebellion or bowling league we tend to seek the best for the people we’re closest to. These kinds of ties and relationships can create great conflict and add real depth to your worldbuilding. Seth and James dive into some of their favorite factions and ex...

Ah yes, the brain melting question of every Worldbuilder. It’s clear that the worldbuilding that inspired 3 generations of writers and Worldbuilders can’t fairly be called bad but all of us can point to moments where it was real hard to call it good. Midichlorians, sar’lacs, the expanded universe, KOTOR, the Force Unleashed, James and Seth dive into the Star Wars Universe in search of an answer to...

Fantasy science or deus ex machina? What is magic? Is it a set of physical laws that govern elements of your setting? Is it the unknowable will of the gods? Can it be learned, mastered even? Is it opaque and mysterious? Magic is ever present in fantasy (some would argue it’s the essence of the genre) but grappling with its implications can feel daunting. Seth, Marcos and James do a dive into magic...

War, war never changes, and it’s everywhere. At least in fiction. When we think about war in stories (except for the most gritty retrospectives) we think about glory, battle and the horrors of conflict but we rarely think about the folks at home and what troops would get up to during downtime. What does an average Imperial in the 41st millennium think of the never-ending war? What is it that drive...

Adventure Time and Lord of the Rings obviously have a lot in common, but how much? There is a strong temptation to write worlds that entirely consistent ships in a bottle, where all the details are ironed out. That world, as long as it stays bottled, is perfect. When you put characters in it, though, and start writing your story you’ll find that the ship in a bottle is insufficient and the world m...

“Space is big. You just won't believe how vastly, hugely, mind-bogglingly big it is. I mean, you may think it's a long way down the road to the chemist's, but that's just peanuts to space.” Douglas Adams Seriously, he had a point. The amount of space in, well, Space is just mind boggling. In science fiction we need a way to get from point a to point b and we need to break light speed to do that. B...

The Shaper's World is not limited by standard fantasy tropes or callbacks, it's built on a system of real world physics. You won't find elves or dwarves in The Light of the Outsider. But, what are the pitfalls of creating something altogether different? How do you manage a world where you can't lean on tropes without drowning your readers in endless exposition? The answers to these questions are s...

Happy anniversary! It's been one year since we've been publishing content related to Worldbuilding for you! We're excited to continue that journey, but we first wanted to explore the ways we've been learning about worldbuilding. What new tips and tricks have we discussed? What sorts of things are we looking forward to in the future? What is fairy cake and what are believable spaces again? Join us...

Join us for the whimsical and adventurous tales of Jon, Marcos, and Seth as they explore the deep unknowns of the pulp setting! Will our intrepid archaeologists get lost in an ancient tomb with cursed treasures, or get held up by ne'er do wells as a hardened gumshoe? Join us as we discuss what made Pulp writing a staple of American story telling, and how your worldbuilding can lean into this fun b...

What does the WorldCraft Club even do when they're not on air? Why, they build worlds, obviously. Today Marcos and Seth are questioned by James about the worlds they've been making. Seth dives into his digital world of Nova Terra and talks about its origins in the world of programming and testing extreme variables. His world was constructed as the result of a thought experiment, 'how would an AI c...

Advanced technology beyond our imagination. Unbelievable discoveries. Dimensions and galaxies unknown. What happens when you push science fiction to the limits? Super Science is a tone where scientific discoveries that push past the boundaries of our real world are found, allowing the audience and readers to explore a world beyond what we can normally conceive. Where the best science fiction relie...

Writing engaging worlds and creating evocative settings with words is good, but what kind of feelings and character can we portray from visual worldbuilding? In studio we have Jog Brogzin, an accomplished fantasy cartographer and artist, who is known for his detailed pen and paper maps. Join us as we see how each dungeon, landscape, and set piece is crafted to present a your world in a clear, yet...

Description - What if it's better to leave some parts of your world unwritten? It's entirely possible that your audience will do a better job at building your world than you will. Seth, James and Jon talk about the deep mysteries in your world and why sometimes they should stay just out of your audience's reach. Contact - Join the Club! Facebook Group WCC Twitter Worldcraft Club Blog

Description - Okay folks, time to put our money where our mouth is and make something. Seth and James are joined by Dave Schmidt, webcomic artist, friend of the show, second time visitor and all around great guy to build a world off a few pieces of rich fairy cake. This results in a pretty zany pairing of totally unrelated ideas to make a unique universe to write our stories in. Quick Worlds are a...