10 Worldbuilding Mistakes You Don’t Know You Make

today we're delving into the top 10 world building mistakes that can hinder your world's Potential from overexpanded your Universe to neglecting economic realities will explore common errors and provide insights on how to avoid them hello everyone my name is Sasha and this video is part of my ongoing Deep dive into the Realms of World building storytelling and fantasy writing while crafting a believable and immersive world is an exciting Endeavor it's also riddled with challenges many creators inadvertently stumble into traps that can make their worlds feel inconsistent overwhelming or unrelatable as we walk through these common oversights I'll share insights and strategies from my own experiences to help you craft worlds that not only complement your story but also immerse and Captivate your audience let's start with a fundamental error many worldbuilders make overexpanded your world also known as World Builder disease this isn't just about cramming in too many details it's also about stretching your world's scale and scope Beyond what's necessary or manageable imagine you're painting a landscape you start with a detailed tree then at a forest a village some mountains in the distance and suddenly you're sketching out an entire continent while each element might be fascinating the overall picture becomes cluttered and unfocused over complication at the micro level includes packing every corner of your world with intricate lore complex political systems or an exhaustive list of characters it's like focusing on every leaf of every tree in your Forest losing sight of the forest itself on the macro level mismanaging scale in scope is like painting too vast a landscape you might create a world so large with numerous continents Realms or planets that it becomes hard for your audience to stay engaged or understand the relevance of each part to your story the key here is balance your world should be rich and interesting but every detail and every element of its scale should serve a purpose in your narrative it's not about limiting your creativity but about channeling it effectively focus on the parts of your world that directly impact your story to avoid this mistake ask yourself does this detail add dep to my story is the scale of my world manageable and relevant to the plot remember a smaller well-crafted world can be as captivating as an expansive Universe if not more so your goal is to create a world that complement and enhances your narrative not one that confuses or overwhelms it now let's dive into our second mistake misapplying Hemingway's ice bag theory in our world building process you might wonder what does an ice bag have to do with crafting fictional worlds quite a lot actually Ernest Hemingway proposed the iceberg Theory or the theory of emission in writing it suggests that the deeper meaning of a story should not be evident on the surface but should shine through implicitly this is equally crucial in World building many creators fall into the Trap of laying everything out on the table they reveal every aspect of the world leaving little to the imagination but the beauty of a well- constructed World lies in what's not explicitly stated it's in the Uncharted territories the cultural nuances and the historical mysteries that are hinted at but not fully explained for example you might mention a war that changed the political landscape of your world but you don't have to detail every battle the mere mention of the war creates depth and invites the audience to imagine the rest the mistake here is not trusting your audience Enough by overe explaining you rob your world of mystery and your audience of the opportunity to engage their imagination moving on to our third world building Pitfall the delicate dance between between imagination and reality this is particularly relevant when we deal with magic and fantasy elements in all Worlds the mistake here lies in either going overboard with fantastic elements or being too conservative not fully embracing the potential of fantasy it's a tiro walk between creating a world that is wondrous and one that is so farfetched that it loses its Appeal on one end of the spectrum we have worlds brimming with magic mythical creatures and Fantastical Landscapes it's tempting to get lost in the Allure of creating something unusually unique however without grounding these elements in some form of reality or logical consistency they can feel disjointed and unbelievable your dragons might breathe fire but how does this affect their biology their ecosystem or their interaction with other species conversely being overly cautious and sticking too close to reality can make your world feel underdeveloped and Bland if you introduce a magical element don't hold back on exploring its full implications how does magic alter Society politics and daily life the key to avoiding this mistake is balance ensure that your fantastic elements are not just spectacular but also make sense within the world's rules they should feel like a natural part of the world not an afterthought this balance keeps your audience captivated as they explore a world that's both astonishing and coherent if you found anything in this video useful so far please consider giving it a like to help me grow this channel thank you now let's delve into a mistake often overlooked in World building Miss using tropes tropes are like spices in a dish used well they enhance the flavor used poorly they can ruin the whole experience tropes are recurring themes or elements found across various stories and genres they become tropes because they work they're familiar to audiences and can quickly convey complex ideas however the misuse of tropes can lead to predictability cliches and a lack of originality a common Pitfall is relying too heavily on tropes using them as crutches rather than as tools to enrich your world for instance the dragons as guardians of treasure Trope where dragons are Fierce Protectors of vast hordes of jewels and gold is a classic example when overused or used without Nuance it can make your world end story feel derivative and unoriginal on the flip side completely avoiding tropes are trying too hard to subvert them can also be detrimental tropes are part of Storytelling for a reason they resonate with audiences avoiding them entirely can make your world feel disconnected from The Familiar potentially alienating your audience the key to a avoiding this mistake is to use tropes thoughtfully and creatively understand why a Trope works and what it brings to your story or world then put your unique spin on it blend it with other elements invert it or use it to subvert audience expectations for example if you're using the dragons as Guardians for Treasure Trope consider how that guardianship affects the broader world does it lead to a culture of treasure hunters and adventurers does it influence the politics or economy of nearby Realms by being mindful of how you use probes you can create a world that feels both familiar and fresh our fifth World building mistake is what I like to call the isolation error this mistake occurs when creators fail to recognize how every element in the world is interconnected and influences one another imagine creating a world where you've meticulously designed a political system but you've completely ignored how that system is influenced by the culture religion and geography of Your World such a world feels disjointed like a puzzle with pieces from different sets a well-crafted world is like an ecosystem where every part no matter how small affects the whole the geography of a land shapes it culture the mountains rivers and plains influence what people eat how they build and what myth they believe in the political landscape is often a reflection of the history and social structure of the society for example if you have a kingdom rich in a particular resource this would influence its economy its relationships with neighboring lands and even its internal class structure if a religion prohibits certain food Foods this would be reflected in the cuisine and potentially in the agricultural practices the mistake here is to treat World elements as isolated silos this can lead to a world that feels flat and unrealistic when each element of Your World influences and interacts with the others you create a rich Dynamic and believable universe that your audience will love to explore let's address our sixth mistake the static World fallacy this is a common misstep where creators build a world that while Rich in detail lacks dynamic ISM and evolution over time a static world is like a snapshot it captures a moment in time but fails to convey the sense of an ongoing living history in reality worlds are always in flux cultures evolve Technologies Advance nations rise and fall ignoring these Dynamics can make your world feel unrealistic and unengaging consider this if you're setting your story in a world that spans centuries how has the world changed over that time what historical events have shaped its current state how have advancements in technology or magic altered everyday life if your world has remained largely the same for hundreds of years it's worth asking why even in a fantasy setting stagnation needs a rational for instance a kingdom might have been in a prolonged state of Peace leading to certain technological or cultural stagnation however even in this piece there should be undercurrents of change maybe an art philosophy or hidden political desent the key to avoiding this mistake is to infuse your world with a sense of progression and history show how major events have left their Mark let cities grow cultures shift and Technologies evolve a dynamic world not only adds depth and realism but also opens up countless opportunities for storytelling as characters navigate the changing Landscapes of the world now on to our seventh mistake missing the mundane this might sound counterintuitive but the omission of everyday life details can significantly weaken the believability of Your World world Builders often focus on the grandio epic battles Majestic castles or in intricate magic systems while these elements are vital they are only part of the story the mistake lies in overlooking the everyday experiences that make our world relatable and immersive consider the daily life of your characters what do they eat how do they commute what are their routine chores these details though mundane breathe life into your world making it tangible and real they help the audience connect with the characters on a personal level seeing parts of their own lives reflected in a fantasy setting for example in a world with a complex magic system how does magic influence ordinary tasks is there a magic equivalent to our smartphones or public transport or in a medieval setting what are the common street foods and how do people entertain themselves by integrating these everyday aspects you create a world that's not just a backdrop for Extraordinary events but a living breathing entity where real people live it's the small details that often leave the biggest impact adding depth and color to the tapestry of your world a mundane setting can also be the starting point for an incredible hero's journey for more about this pillar of Storytelling check out the video at the top sharing my comparison of Luke Skywalker and Green Lantern moving on to our next mistake technological imbalance this is a common issue where the level of technological advancement is inconsistent across different parts of the same world without a logical explanation in many fantasy or sci-fi worlds we often see a blend of various technological eras medieval societies with Advanced Weaponry or futuristic cities alongside primitive Villages while this can create intriguing contrasts it becomes a problem when there's no underlying reason for these disparities for instance if one part of your world has developed Advanced magic powered Machinery why hasn't this technology spread to other regions of the world are the geographical barriers cultural resistances or economic factors at play if a city builds high-tech infrastructure how does it affect its politics economy and daily life compared to a rural area without such advancements the key here is to ensure that technological progress or the lack thereof is Justified within your world's context it should be a reflection of the world's history culture and socioeconomic Dynamics technological disparities can be a rich source of conflict and plot development but they need to be grounded in the world's reality So to avoid this mistake consider the distribution of resources the flow of information and historical events that might influence technological development this approach will add depth to your world and allow you to explore themes like inequality cultural clashes and the impact of of Technology on society our ninth mistake is the shallow social hierarchies error in any society social structures play a crucial role in defining interactions power dynamics and the daily life of individuals when these structures are not thoughtfully developed the world can feel flat and unconvincing a common oversight is creating a monolithic Society where everyone seems to have a similar status or where the complexities of social interactions are glossed over in reality social structures are layered and complex influenced by factors like wealth occupation race religion and gender for example in a kingdom there's more than just Kings and peasants there are Merchants Knights priests and more each with their own roles Privileges and limitations these groups interact in complex ways alliances conflicts trade relations and social Mobility another aspect to consider is how different social structures might exist in different parts of your world a coast City might have a different social hierarchy compared to a nomadic tribe in the desert to avoid this mistake delve into the nuances of your world's social structures and how they contribute to the overall functioning of society moving on to our final mistake neglecting economic realities this mistakes involves ignoring the impact of economy and trade on the society You're Building imagine a world with lavish castles and Grand magic schools but no explanations of how these institutions are funded or maintained this Gap can lead to a lack of authenticity in the world every society whether in a Fantasy Realm or a Sci-Fi Universe operates on some form of economic system the mistake here is not to fleshing out how the economy functions in your world who controls the wealth How do trade and commerce work and what are the common traits and industries these elements can significantly influence your world's social structure politics and daily life an economy isn't just about coins and trade it's about how resources affect the lives of your characters and the functioning of your world for example a scarcity of a magical resource could lead to conflicts shape political alliances or even influence religious beliefs even if your story doesn't delve deeply into economic details having a basic understanding of your world's economy can add layers of realism and complexity by avoiding these 10 common mistakes you can create worlds that are only captivating and rich in detail but also serve the needs of your narrative effectively remember the most comp in worlds are those that feel truly lived in with their own history cultures and intricacies let me know in the comments below if this video was helpful to you in any way and what else you might be interested in seeing me cover next thank you for watching and don't forget to subscribe to the channel for more content like this have a great day and see you in the next [Music] one

Channel: Time Tinkerer

Views: 7,566

Keywords: time tinkerer, timetinkerer, storytelling, fantasy, worldbuilding, world-building, world building, worlbuilding tips, worldbuilding guide

Id: LzWeQoDbGRE

Length: 14min 57sec (897 seconds)

Published: Tue Nov 21 2023