The Worldbuilder’s Tavern

Join us for a chat about the worldbuilding in the YA mythological fantasy Skin of the Sea by Natasha Bowen. We discuss African and Yoruba mythology, gods, fairy tale retellings, "The Little Mermaid," foreshadowing, and more.

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Next month’s novel: Leviathan Wakes by James S.A. Corey (Disclosure: we are a Bookshop.org affiliate, so if you purchase through these links, we will earn a small commission AND you will support an indie bookstore!)

Intro and outro music: "The Tavern" by Michael Ghelfi

Join us for a hands-on worldbuilding exercise as we create a spacecraft by answering these ten questions:

What is the purpose of the craft?

What scale of distance does this craft travel? Does it orbit a single planet? Travel between multiple in the same solar system? Travel vast lightyears across the universe?

How fast does it travel? If it has FTL travel, what is the mechanism for it?

Is this a populated or un-populated craft? If the former, how many crew/passengers does it carry?

Does the craft possess any level of sentience? If so, what is its temperament/personality like? 

What does the craft look like? Size, shape, colour, etc. 

Is the technology of this craft unique, or widely-used?

What is the craft’s fuel source?

What is the craft’s impact on the world(s) around it?

How do you get from the craft to other places?

Visit the Tavern: Website | Discord | TikTok | Bookshop

Support us and get bonus episodes by joining our Patreon

Next month’s novel: Skin of the Sea by Natasha Bowen (Disclosure: we are a Bookshop.org affiliate, so if you purchase through these links, we will earn a small commission AND you will support an indie bookstore!)

Intro and outro music: "The Tavern" by Michael Ghelfi

Join us for a chat about the worldbuilding in the comedic sci-fi novel The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams. We discuss political humour, absurdism, aliens, the importance of writing craft, and more.

Visit the Tavern: Website | Discord | TikTok | Bookshop

Support us and get bonus episodes by joining our Patreon

Next month’s novel: The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams (Disclosure: we are a Bookshop.org affiliate, so if you purchase through these links, we will earn a small commission AND you will support an indie bookstore!)

Intro and outro music: "The Tavern" by Michael Ghelfi

Join us for a hands-on worldbuilding exercise as we create a superpower-based magic system by answering these eight questions:

Are the superpowers based on magic or science or both?

Do the powers have a theme to them?

Do people gain powers randomly, are they born with them, or can they acquire them in some intentional way?

What can people do with their superpowers?

What are the limits, requirements, or costs of having the superpowers?

Are superpowers rare or common?

Can a person only have one power, or is it possible to have many?

How does society view people with superpowers?

 

Visit the Tavern: Website | Discord | TikTok | Bookshop

Support us and get bonus episodes by joining our Patreon

Next month’s novel: The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams (Disclosure: we are a Bookshop.org affiliate, so if you purchase through these links, we will earn a small commission AND you will support an indie bookstore!)

Intro and outro music: "The Tavern" by Michael Ghelfi

Join us for a chat about the writing and worldbuilding in the fantasy murder mystery novel Voyage of the Damned by Frances White. We discuss genre blends, how to help readers keep track of multiple characters, what makes a novel voicey, and more.

Visit the Tavern: Website | Discord | TikTok | Bookshop

Support us and get bonus episodes by joining our Patreon

Next month’s novel: The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams (Disclosure: we are a Bookshop.org affiliate, so if you purchase through these links, we will earn a small commission AND you will support an indie bookstore!)

Intro and outro music: "The Tavern" by Michael Ghelfi