Alternatives to World Building

[PocketMutt]

So, let's talk about worldbuilding, shall we?
Specifically, I'm going to be sharing a critique of worldbuilding and giving an initial alternative to storytelling but I will also be asking if you can think of any alternatives you would like to share. I've been meaning to discuss this for a while now but I was always hesitant considering worldbuilding and roleplaying usually go hand in hand. For a lot of people, worldbuilding is very near and dear to them and this is especially true for a lot of roleplayers out there. So, I want to give a little disclaimer before I get into the critique since I want it to be clear that there are a lot of good things about worldbuilding. For starters, I think it's one of the best ways to get people into writing and I've known many people who started out this way. Not to mention some of the most beloved series are, in and of themselves, worldbuilding. Think Lord of the Rings, Game of Thrones or even Harry Potter. Many great writers are prolific worldbuilders.
It's also impressive to see the extent to which users craft their world for roleplaying and, although I'm not a roleplayer, I do enjoy seeing all the little details and considerations that went into making some RP groups. From the background narratives that are created to give a sense of the framework for the RP, to the maps designed with the differing clans and seasons in mind; RP groups are always upping the ante in terms of how constructed and predetermined their RPs are.



So, with all that said and out of the way let's consider other storytelling options besides worldbuilding. And to understand better why they should be considered I'd like to share the criticism of worldbuilding in the first place.
Again, this is me sharing a different perspective rather than me trying to put anybody's work down. I think any way in which you write is fine since all that really matters is that you are writing in the first place!

Worldbuilding can be construction for the sake of construction. There is a critique by author M. John Harrison that warns about the perils of worldbuilding that you can read here if you'd like. (There is also a video by Nerdwriter1 that you can check out here that breaks down this topic in a better and more entertaining way and mentions a lot of the same stuff I have). However, M. John Harrison is very harsh about the whole thing so be wary of that but, regardless of his sentiment, it is a good brief read. I suppose a lot of the criticism of worldbuilding can be applied to storytelling in general but I think there are very particular things that arise from worldbuilding. Worldbuilding isn't so much fabricating as much as clumping. In considering the lore and all the topographic and linguistic details, a lot of things end up not being considered and genuine ingenuity is often times left out. Worldbuilding can be a crutch and moreso it encourages story conventions and rigid character motivations. Characters that do evolve in fantasy stories end up evolving in a linear way that matches up so close to what's happening around them, we become used to assuming that a certain action will always equal a reaction that pairs with it. Instead of intermixing, fluid variables, we have these hammered-in rhetorics and character arcs. Instead of allowing a story to breathe, we've crowded it and prioritized lore almost above all else.



My intention here is not to convince you to stop worldbuilding and I hope you never get discouraged with writing. But maybe if you find yourself all wrung out from the last story you've written, we can help each other by showing other possibilities for you to take your writing. More options can be a good thing, yes? The same way it's good to try your hand at other writing styles, I'd imagine it'd be helpful to explore these other storytelling methods.

I'll start of with the most obvious alternative to worldbuilding, which is taking almost a total subversion and having the focus only ever on the characters and never focus on the location of places. Even the characters themselves can be awash of any permanence. This doesn't mean the places can't be mentioned, but rather they are told through observable details instead of anything else. There is only what the character or the narrator sees and not what background knowledge is asserted. This might sound too vague and seems to break things down to the bare bones for some but attempting this can help with being aware of the dependence of worldbuilding. At the very least it can help tap into pure thought (which isn't the same as the stream of consciousness in writing).
Granted, I don't like super loose storytelling with nary an idea of what's going on. To me, it's about balance. But what doing this might show is what else is left of stories when you get rid of information.

So, do you know of any alternatives? How would someone apply these to roleplaying? Please, go ahead and leave a response!

[Bloo.]

Personally, I have to have some sort of world built, whether it's in my head or on a piece of paper, I need some sort of organization and atmosphere to place my characters in when writing or roleplaying. I'll almost always start with a description of the scene and then place the character within it and continue from there. In most cases I build the world as I go, introduce the character in a saloon, when they walk outside they're in a desert, they walk through another door and they're suddenly in a tropical rain forest because the door they went through was a portal of some sort. I enjoy being creative and describing scenes is one of my favorite things to do.

However, I rarely go beyond the immediate scene, I'll describe the rain forest and what not, but I won't mention what's beyond the rain forest, or what country or setting this rain forest is in. Writing and roleplaying in FH is fun because you get to create a map that illustrates the type of world your characters live in without putting too much thought into it. In that case I'll also draw out a map and use it as a reference for when I actually create the map with specific landmarks and locations. All in all, when I'm free style writing, the world is small and specific, when I have an actual visual, the world is large and complete.

[PocketMutt]

However, I rarely go beyond the immediate scene, I'll describe the rain forest and what not, but I won't mention what's beyond the rain forest, or what country or setting this rain forest is in.

This, to me, is the most natural way to go about writing and doing this has a strength that, in and of itself, is the most evocative of harmonious storytelling. I prefer those specificities that come from the immediate rather than amassing and chronicling every bit of the world that a person is trying to write about. Fantasy writers especially think they need to chronicle everything in order for their writing to be legitimate but for me, at least, it has the opposite effect.

Writing and roleplaying in FH is fun because you get to create a map that illustrates the type of world your characters live in without putting too much thought into it. In that case I'll also draw out a map and use it as a reference for when I actually create the map with specific landmarks and locations. All in all, when I'm free style writing, the world is small and specific, when I have an actual visual, the world is large and complete.

I do like the back and forth relationship between rp groups and the maps. The maps can contribute a lot to how we end up viewing the actual breadth of the world.
Thank you for adding your thoughts !

[Edolicious]

Like Bloo, I generally need a basic simple setting to really get involved in an rp or to kick off a story I'm writing (though, the only one I've ever really invested in has been an ongoing project, through 4+ years LOL).

I've found that putting all effort forth into the lore and background of the story doesn't just kill the flow of character's actions, but really kills their dynamics too. Suddenly, Elfor the Wise just becomes that one elf from Alvesta that has some weird powers or somethin. The character starts to revolve around the location, instead of the other way around. This can especially be true when adding in too much background information that doesn't pertain to the story or isn't even mentioned in it. It just gets in the way, and makes for a lot of time taken up trying to think if your character fits into the lore, rather than coming up with a cool character design and fitting the lore around them. The extra extra stuff can be added in after the story is already finished, imo.

I think we tend to forget ideas can be scrapped too. Even the really big important ones can be removed to make way for smaller, intricate ones.

I guess everyone has their own process to things, but I prefer to make the characters and shape the lore accordingly.

[Melon]

Eh, I usually worldbuild when I have a strike of Inspiration~! Sadly, I don't usually roleplay with the idea as I suck at roleplaying... and my commitment is below 0.

But, if I do roleplay with my ideas.. I usually start off with the continent. For example, a story I'm writing is set in the continent of Kastros and in the country of Vulcarum [very major one that's darn huge]. This gives me a example on where I want the story to be. I usually dont roleplay with my ideas, as... to be honest; they aren't very good..

But, that's how I worldbuild I guess?