All this sarcasm makes this feel like an episode of Terrible Writing Advice.

@122Delta

3 жыл бұрын

Till she mentions love triangle that is.

@glitzicurities9075

3 жыл бұрын

You know that series too?!?

@beccag2758

3 жыл бұрын

*BRING ON THE LOVE DODECAHEDRON!!*

@glitzicurities9075

3 жыл бұрын

Becca G no, THREE LOVE DODECAHEDRONS!!!

@kazooplayer3

3 жыл бұрын

@@glitzicurities9075 NO, FIVE LOVE DODECAHEDRONS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

This is the only time a “But Jennnaaaaaaaaa” has come before something sensible lol

@toolideal5922

3 жыл бұрын

my world has been shattered. What is real anymore?

@sanctodiablito

3 жыл бұрын

It's spelled "But Ghuiijaaaacceeeeeeeee@eeee", but okay ;)

@Star-ie8br

3 жыл бұрын

Ikr HAH!

There’s someone who skipped past the sponsor section, and accidentally skipped ahead of the sarcasm disclaimer and took you seriously.

@IShipYouNot

3 жыл бұрын

That was me.

@izabels.1226

3 жыл бұрын

I'm still confused if it's sarcasm

@0Aquamelon

3 жыл бұрын

•anxi gacha• Basically do the exact opposite of everything she says and you’ll be fine.

@becuaseimbored3481

3 жыл бұрын

Can you blame them?

@nourahijazi5958

3 жыл бұрын

I heard the disclaimer, and was still confused at first :')

Jokes on you, I only wasted 3 years writing the world building, I wasted the other 7 years creating characters!

@miprimerachamba.s

3 жыл бұрын

Aaaah same here, PLEASE SEND HELP

@ThrottleKitty

3 жыл бұрын

@@miprimerachamba.s On the bright side, characters being worked on for years results in, at least, very deep feeling characters. Ironically, some simple-built worlds feel the deepest...

@AppleCore360

3 жыл бұрын

Haha same, only to realize I had to rebuild and scrap a few characters when actually writing the story. Hope it works out better for you 😅

@ThrottleKitty

3 жыл бұрын

@@AppleCore360 I just chop bits off of them and remold them into new characters. lol

@geraldfrost4710

3 жыл бұрын

I put in a rain storm just so the dew drop could dance in the heroin's hair, and her dress could be clingy for the hero. It seemed a good idea at the time. Perhaps building a weather system was a bit over the top...

I don’t care that the love interest got shot. I want to know about the gun used and the physics of it and the time and place where it was developed and how the killer obtained it

@jh.4761

3 жыл бұрын

I would also like to know how exactly it killed them. Sure, I'm sad they are dead but what would be more interesting than getting the medical info what happens in their body while dying?

@evennot

3 жыл бұрын

I think if an author consciously put their obsession with such details into the character's head, it might work. Like, love interest got shot, and the protagonist starts unhealthily obsessing over every single detail that might be relevant to the incident. Of course this obsession should serve a purpose for the plot, like coping with revenge this way, until it's no longer possible. Also it can be a comedy, where detective obsesses over the most unnecessary evidences (fleshing out author's beloved worldbuilding), forms worst possible conclusions, but those two negative traits combined solves the case. I think mentioned worldbuilding problems are just detrimental to the reader's persuasion, but they too can be utilized with enough conscious effort on the author's side

@jh.4761

3 жыл бұрын

@@evennot If it's on purpose and well handled I would be a fan of it. Your first example sounds very interesting!

@Zack-eq3ou

3 жыл бұрын

....you would if the main character was the villain

@jh.4761

3 жыл бұрын

@@Zack-eq3ou If it's their love interest they could still be very emotionally effected even if they're evil. But the idea mentioned before could be very cool in this scenario. Villain has to kill their love interest and tries to only focus on the details of the action of killing instead of the loss to avoid getting to hurt.

Terrible Writing Advice wants a word with you. Seriously though, you guys should totally do a crossover!

@AuthorGuy1

3 жыл бұрын

With no love triangle? I think not.

@MaximilianNeuer

3 жыл бұрын

Why? She can contribute nothing to their talent. This vid is just a rip off.

@malaineeward5249

3 жыл бұрын

Love your prof pic btw

@guicaldo7164

3 жыл бұрын

@@malaineeward5249 Why thank you! The name's Jaune Arc. Short, sweet, rolls off the tongue, ladies love it!

@malaineeward5249

3 жыл бұрын

@@guicaldo7164 Do they?

“You owe Harrison Ford that much, he saved us from the Nazis” Which ones, the space ones or the earth ones?

@antheathetiefling8581

3 жыл бұрын

Does it matter?

@zinkheroofyoutube8004

3 жыл бұрын

Luci Harvey That’s fair

@j.mbarlow5952

3 жыл бұрын

yes

@chloeedmund4350

3 жыл бұрын

Yes.

@David-se5ph

3 жыл бұрын

Yes.

Funny you mentioned Tolkien, he was infamous for overthinking the shit out of his fantasy world until he thought out what form of taxing did they use for the northern region and what different accents of his fake languages would be. Hell, he even had two names for each character their "real" name and the name he would use so it would make sense for readers. He localized a culture that he made up!

@LuulitaCD

3 жыл бұрын

Indeed, but in the case of Tolkien, we need to remember that he didn't set out to write something like The Lord of the Rings. That happened almost accidentally. He was a creator of languages first, and a worldbuilder second, we might say. So while all the points in this video are solid advise for authors with a book they want to write, they wouldn't really apply to him in the same way.

@bee.autisma

3 жыл бұрын

Don't insult Tolkien you uncultured swine

@becuaseimbored3481

3 жыл бұрын

@@bee.autisma awww, u mad bro?

@bee.autisma

3 жыл бұрын

@@becuaseimbored3481 I'm actually feeling quite relaxed, thanks for asking. How are you?

@tejpatel5320

3 жыл бұрын

He also made fully functional languages for LOTR. In fact, I think he said somewhere, that the languages was his starting point for LOTR and was the basis for his worldbuilding.

I honestly believe the overuse of Medieval Europe as a basis for fictional worlds is pretty much 95% Tolkien's fault lol

@christopherpoet458

3 жыл бұрын

I would almost agree, but not quite. Medieval Fantasy did exist before Tolkien but Tolkien defiantly popularized it. However, from my understanding of literary history, the majority of his influences are in the modern perception of Dwarves and Elves. Possibly orcs too but I feel that came more from Wolrd of Warcraft. To be honest, I never really understood why European History was the big go too, other than being more developed than American History at that time. I mean, to be fair, the Americas were still tribal-based societies VS Europe who had already surpassed gunpowder and other tech milestones. If they waited a hundred years, do you think we would have had a "Medieval Americas"? I can see the appeal of it too though. Firearms are great, true. But looked at from a climatic point or even the view of a novelist, two people gunning each other down is not as often as personal or emotional. Don't get me wrong, gunfights do have emotional beats, but not in the same way as a clash of swords. Though I have pushed my own work in various ways to break through this issue and it resulted in a very unique world history. I am quite proud of it.

@serge263

3 жыл бұрын

I use Medieval Fantasy as my base, but I built my world into a magipunk-type world.

@ColHanko

3 жыл бұрын

Unspoken Uprising write a novel in word, not KZread comments 😂😂 jk you make some great points

@christopherpoet458

3 жыл бұрын

@@ColHanko See, the sad part is you are not wrong. I have dropped some lengthy comments on music videos on YT. So, in a way, your comment has merit lol xD

@Lady_de_Lis

3 жыл бұрын

@@christopherpoet458 While I think you make good points, I personally still think it's 95% Tolkien's fault. And that's firstly because, as you already mentioned, he popularized the setting. So many people seeing the success of LotR (books or films) would naturally attempt to emulate Tolkien in hopes of gaining similar success. But I also think it's because LotR (and the many other works in that setting) made it feel very familiar to the average reader. We've all probably read/seen/played loads of books/movies/shows/games in that setting. It's become almost as familiar to us as our modern day setting in many ways. And sure, some people prefer to branch out and research new settings/cultures/etc for their stories. But I think a lot more people prefer to write about what they are familiar with, just because it's more comfortable and/or it requires less effort. (Especially people who are not super interested in extensive world building) I know there's probably a few other factors contributing to the huge surplus of medieval european influenced fiction, but I personally attribute that to the remaining 5%. 🙂

To be fair, the "Shdaawuy and it's pronounced Steve"-trend is worst in English literature thanks to the abusive relationship between spelling and pronounciation of that specific language.

@vnolwen_art

3 жыл бұрын

I... always thought it was an ironic reference and still can't believe it's an actual thing...

@beccag2758

3 жыл бұрын

I’m still confused how “Shawn” “Shaun” and “Sean” are pronounced the same way

@vnolwen_art

3 жыл бұрын

@@beccag2758 Honestly, I unconsciously do not pronounce them exactly the same way.

@ColHanko

3 жыл бұрын

Becca G Try pronouncing Sean Bean in different silly pronunciations. That’s the best thing to do 😂

@Nazuiko

3 жыл бұрын

​@@beccag2758 Shawn and Shaun are the phonetic versions, depending on if you first think of AWNing and yawn or if you see a deer and say she's a faun; Sean is the original Irish spelling. Sinead is pronounced "Sha-NAY"; Leanan Sidhe is supposedly pronounced "La-non SHEE". Irish and French are weird; English gets weird when it decides to use their words.

Last time I was this early, Jenna still filmed in her guest room-

@patriciawilkin1258

3 жыл бұрын

She still does, just a different tpart

In general, the only time the reader needs to hear about your kingdom’s sewage systems is if the heroes are chasing a baddie through them. Also, I think “A Wizard of Earthsea” was written because Ursula K. Le Guin was getting tired of the same European fantasy setting. More writers could learn from her.

@ayajade6683

3 жыл бұрын

I can't remember the book it occured in but the group had to go through sewers with an immortal historian who wouldn't shut up about how the sewers were made and where the secret tunnels were located, all this was while the bad guys chase them.

@InvisiblerApple

3 жыл бұрын

Also applies to actual-world building. Looking at Les Mis...

@lnsflare1

3 жыл бұрын

Or if one of the characters mentions how their abusive father assigned them to fix their town's sewage system as an insult and said character drastically revamped and improved it out of both a desire to get his acknowledgement and to metaphorically spit in his eye. Also, maybe have said character shoot said dad in the gut while the latter is taking a dump to bookend their shitty relationship.

@jbcatz5

3 жыл бұрын

I want to see a scene where someone is waxing lyrically the exposition of where they are during a chase scene and someone shoots them just to shut them up.

@holycheeseburger2981

3 жыл бұрын

I'm pretty sure there was an anime adaptation, which I watched.

Putting the sarcasm aside European fantasy setting is indeed incredibly overdone and of course, you can give your own twist or style but I think I'm in tired of them. The setting of Avatar the last airbender was such a refreshing change to me even as a kid

@beccag2758

3 жыл бұрын

I FREAKING LOVE ATLA🌊🌏🔥🌪🥬 and yes their world building is pretty amazing

@violetraven8323

3 жыл бұрын

Sammmee, being someone of color and a fiction writer. It’s kinda baffling to me how little mainstream bothers to explore other cultures and mythologies. In the age of Google you can research anything instantly so it’s inexcusable at this point. So doing that not only gives your world a unique flare, you could learn new things daily.

@corenlavolpe6143

3 жыл бұрын

I agree so much. I'd love to see more Eastern inspired fantasy settings. I'd also like to see fantasy that takes place in 1700s (which is what I'm doing for my story) but more so in Biblical/Mesopotamian times. (The only Mesopotamian fantasy story I can think of is Duranki by Kentaro Miura)

@smramos1979

3 жыл бұрын

@@violetraven8323 Probably because it's easier. If you you're white and you try to write diversity, you get crucified. There was a story recently about a white woman who wrote a fantasy novel about the voodoo culture of the American South. She was from the South, and that aspect of Southern culture was something she'd been familiar with since she was a girl. She managed to get a book deal, then the world turned on her and it got cancelled. Or look what happened to American Dirt. People say they want diversity, and then complain when it happens because they don't agree with the author's skin color or gender.

@c.d.dailey8013

3 жыл бұрын

The Asian setting of Avatar is cool. There are other changes that I find refreshing. Game of Thrones shows a European setting with an unusually harsh realism. World of Warcraft had a vast and varied world. It had the European settings, but it went way beyond that.

Here's an additional point: make sure everyone who belongs to a culture embodies everything about that culture, especially the character who joins the protagonist. How ELSE will you know that they're from the same culture if they aren't COMPLETELY identical in skillset, beliefs AND personality?? Planet of hats everyone, you hate to see it.

@Marveryn

3 жыл бұрын

that more of a sci fi troupe. All species of a race behave exactly the same way. Klingons are always war like, Vulcans are all logical. there very little differences between one group or another.

@corenlavolpe6143

3 жыл бұрын

@@Marveryn yeah but it has to do with worldbuilding. If your worldbuilding of countries or cultures creates a purely homogeneous demographic, it needs to be fixed.

@nonymouswisp8176

3 жыл бұрын

Yeah that totaly is not racist

@husband-of-chinggis

2 жыл бұрын

you're joking but this is how some white writers write their characters of colour 😭 the black character HAS to talk with a poorly-written 'blaccent' or how will you know they're black? this east asian character GOTTA be obsessed with honour/The Ancestors TM, or they're not asian enough 😐

@loud6037

2 жыл бұрын

@@husband-of-chinggis This is true, but you can never win with some people. After the TV show 'Luther' came out, the director of diversity for the channel that made it complained that the protagonist wasn't 'black enough' because he didn't eat Caribbean food or have black friends (he only had ONE friend) among other things. Whatever you do, you will never please everyone, and there are plenty of 'progressives' out there who have become SO progressive, they have come full circle! Those people are usually the complainers, and they will find something to complain about in your book or movie, or show if it's the last thing they do.

Probably not relevant to most people here as this is a writing channel, but worldbuilding is it's own hobby and if you're not writing a story or creating some other form of fiction then it's totally fine to worldbuild every tiny little detail. There's no story to detriment or that you're not getting distracted from. You do you. Enjoy worldbuilding for the fun of it.

@Califragistico

3 жыл бұрын

If you want , in reddit there's a big community.

@Manuelomar2001

3 жыл бұрын

It's also a pointless waste of time if you never actually get something written.

@earlknit5372

3 жыл бұрын

@@Manuelomar2001 From your perspective. Some people worldbuild just because they enjoy it. Not everyone worldbuilds for a story. As I said, it can be it's own hobby.

@daceycantwell4500

3 жыл бұрын

Keiran that’s why worldbuilders and writers can be amazing friends 🥰

@subice2158

3 жыл бұрын

Manuelomar2001 Worldbuliging can be it’s own thing. I find it very cathartic and relaxing, kind of like playing Animal Crossing. I don’t have a strong desire to write.

Someone's been watching Terrible Writing Advice...

"Be like Tolkien..." who spent so long in the editing and worldbuilding phases that he never finished his main work. Only the two spinoff books.

@KatieMaddalena

3 жыл бұрын

So that's why they're so long and boring.

@AudrinaMystique

3 жыл бұрын

@@KatieMaddalena That, and because he intentionally wrote them to be just above average reading level, and they're written in a Victorian style, which favored the passive voice over the active voice more favored today.

@KatieMaddalena

3 жыл бұрын

@@AudrinaMystique Wow, that really does explain a lot.

@chansesturm7103

2 жыл бұрын

Okay, so I've only read The Hobbit so far (though I do intend to read the LOTR trilogy eventually), so I'm a little confused. Are you saying that the trilogy wasn't meant to be just a trilogy? Or what?

@AudrinaMystique

2 жыл бұрын

@@chansesturm7103 The Hobbit was originally supposed to be a standalone book and LOTR was supposed to be a short sequel. Instead, they ended up being the end of The Silmarillion, which was never published in his lifetime. He was in the middle of another rewrite, which he was doing mostly for worldbuilding purposes. He wanted it to read like real history, but in a lot of ways this overcomplicated the story for the sake of "realism." In a lot of ways, the easiest version of The Silmarillion to read is the original, which is now called The Book of Lost Tales, volumes 1&2.

"Make sure it's pronounced using none of the letters available" so... make it a French word, then?

@inertian4723

3 жыл бұрын

Rebekah Price No, Swedish.

@Andrewtr6

3 жыл бұрын

oiseau

@AuthorGuy1

3 жыл бұрын

Welsh, Gaelic, or Celtic.

@issgz557

3 жыл бұрын

phoque the land of seals

@thornwalker8970

3 жыл бұрын

Je vois pas de quoi tu parles

Jenna: Wanna annoy the crap out of your readers? Me: Sure?? Jenna: There will be a test and you will be graded. Me: **freaks out** **scrambles for notebook ** oh no oh no oh no

@monsterz1373

3 жыл бұрын

Asmita Nauduri this gives me online school vibes

@asmitanauduri5290

3 жыл бұрын

@@monsterz1373 exactly

I like to name my character after my WiFi password

@cmd0317

3 жыл бұрын

That would be....interesting

@witoldkrasuski2784

3 жыл бұрын

Your protagonist must be Polish

@geraldfrost4710

3 жыл бұрын

someone figured out my password. now I have to rename my dog.

@Emmatriaaa

3 жыл бұрын

@@geraldfrost4710 What’s your dog’s name?

@geraldfrost4710

3 жыл бұрын

@@Emmatriaaa Oh, dear~! Someone's been reading down the comment list! Well, since Emma is such a trustworthy name, I'll tell you. My dog is named Sir Marksalot Rumpelstiltskin Levistine Edwardo Curly Yamamoto Johnsonlicker Savage Carpetspoiler Smith the third.

Jenna invented a new sentence I've never heard in my entire life. "Readers are... stupid." 🤣

The worst is when the writer baits you in with a good first chapter then immediately throws the Book of Lore at you.

Ok ok, BUT HER SHIRT *LOOK AT IT*

@QuanticDreamer

3 жыл бұрын

Can't see what it shows, help plz?

@Coffnist_Charm

3 жыл бұрын

@@QuanticDreamer I... don't how to describe it. It's something else

@firstnamelastname6016

3 жыл бұрын

Gina Black photoshopped heads on pictures with (ideally) living bodies wearing blue dresses (the bodies were bridesmaids if had to guess)?

@lineanhj1880

3 жыл бұрын

I- wow

@kibiho4277

3 жыл бұрын

It's their photoshopped faces on the bodies of aerobic dancers. The video's from the 80s and it was a competition :D kzread.info/dash/bejne/hn2ao82IcrDMZaQ.html

The “Medieval world” one hits so close to home 😂 As a “Baby writer” it was the first thing I tried and I'm slowly letting it go and doing other sets, the only medieval world setting I still have is a personal project that I'm emotionally attached to

@Newfiecat

3 жыл бұрын

I know exactly what you mean... The two first books I ever wrote in my teens were basically Tolkien copy-paste worlds, with elves and dwarves and everything. I'm still fond of my old stories, but I wouldn't write anything like them today.

@ChimanaBendor

3 жыл бұрын

I'm trying myself now in a "Steam-Punk" setup, in a 1850England-like fantasy country. This is so hard to develop cuz' I have to decide what technologies already exist, and what doesn't. Medieval is so easy to write because you can simply research and then just mix it together. But try to research how it feels to be the first one with an electric bulb in your house xD

@jennytulls6369

3 жыл бұрын

I'm no writer, but I've been thinking up a world where it's a fantasy setting, but a futuristic time frame, where the wonders and mystery of magic co-exist with the amazement of technology Basically, I wanted to give fantasy races guns

@elgranlugus7267

3 жыл бұрын

Am i the only one who decided to go full Iron-Age?

Common Perception: "There were no strong or powerful women in Medieval Europe!" Actual Historical Accuracy: "Except for Queen Olga of Kiev, Duchess Matilda of Tuscany, Dame Joan of Arc, Duchess Eleanor of Aquitaine, Empress Theodora of Byzantium, Saint Hilda of Whitby, Queen Aethelflaed of Mercia ..." Common Perception: " ... uh ... well ..."

@MrHodoAstartes

3 жыл бұрын

Don't forget the popular saints like Hildegard von Bingen, who was an all-around badass as far as her contribution to science and culture goes. Also they had women running nunneries all over, so it wasn't even unusual to have an abbess with considerable resources at her disposal. I think the idea of powerless women is strongly influenced by the Victorian upper crust in Britain projecting their own ideas backwards when they weren't even true for their own period. See the eponymous Victoria.

@Marveryn

3 жыл бұрын

hmm is Saint hilda the one that took revenge on her husband killer by asking them to her court for a marriage proposal and then killing the negotiator .. doing it twice before going to there city and sacking it?

@jamestown8398

3 жыл бұрын

@@Marveryn That's Saint Olga.

@estellesmith4118

3 жыл бұрын

(Idk if this is Medieval but) Anna of Cleaves? She was pretty cool.

@jamestown8398

3 жыл бұрын

@@estellesmith4118 She is. While most people remember her as the wife Henry VIII set aside for allegedly looking like a horse, in reality she was the most successful of his wives - she got Richmond Palace and Hever Castle in the divorce settlement and remained a voice in the royal court for years to come.

I just got into a world building obsession! She read my mind!

@naltlan7651

3 жыл бұрын

i just embraced it and began to worldbuild the shit out of it, (but if you are trying to write a good story, *go away from conlangs* )

@jayreese8522

3 жыл бұрын

Welcome to the obsession. It's fun over here

@naltlan7651

3 жыл бұрын

@@jayreese8522 embrace the useless worldbuilding

@geraldfrost4710

3 жыл бұрын

Worldbuilding? Ha! I rebuilt the physics of the solar-system. (and no one cared)

I watch this video and flashback to when George R.R. Martin said he didn't like Lord of the Rings because Tolkien didn't specify what the tax policy of Gondor was under Aragorn's rule. Truly an atrocious and embarrassing storytelling misstep by the great Tolkien.

@Air_Serpent

3 жыл бұрын

that can't be true XD

"Because i'm being sarcastic, but common sense aint common, and some of yall are sensitive" And also some of us have a different neurotype that makes it difficult to read tone and sarcasm. As an autistic person, i had to manually learn how to read and utilize sarcasm, and for younger autistic viewers it may still be a challenge!

@LordofFullmetal

3 жыл бұрын

This. I really struggle to tell when people are joking unless it's clearly signposted.

@geraldfrost4710

3 жыл бұрын

I have often said, "We need a sarcasm font."

So... Who wants a Jenna Morecci and Terrible Writing Advice crossover?

Honestly, I NEVER get tired of medieval fantasy, medieval stuff is my favourite kind is stuff

I just want to add a tiny fictional village section to Toronto… But I live on a farm and I have no clue how to write in a city. Send help

@Arella17

3 жыл бұрын

Well it depends on the type of small town, I have a setting in Oklahoma. Many of our towns use a grid-like layout because they were built up by people who settles during the Oklahoma landrush. Some towns kinda have a haphazard layout because the town built up as people moved in. If worse comes to worse just grab an existing town and rip the place off while changing the names.

@helenjohannesman9165

3 жыл бұрын

Well, I'd start with Google maps and/or Google Earth, and use them to do area specific research. If you want to include specific landmarks, search for virtual tours and any current virtual events. You could also look up city/area events, jobs, etc. that apply to your story. Travel blogs and travel agencies might also be good online resources. I would also try to find and read books set in the city. Hope this helps.

@a-goblin

3 жыл бұрын

the best option is to visit the area it's based on. if that's not an option, youtube documentaries and travel vlogs should help, also talking to locals from that area to get an idea of the general attitudes & how people feel about their town.

@sadfish8841

3 жыл бұрын

lol I'm from Toronto- lemme know if you have any questions (if it would help)

My friend and I have been constantly about worldbuilding. I believe in building the parts relevant to the story, or provide context for the world, such as daily life of the characters and magic or power systems, but she keeps telling me I need to build everything from scratch, down to mundane things like the size of the planet. Not surprisingly, I'm the one of out the two of us with a manuscript in progress

@TimRG

3 жыл бұрын

Worldbuilding that much can be just her thing. If she is building a world that she plans to write in for the rest of her life. That's fine. If she is only planning to write a single book. Then yeah it's too much. The problem of worldbuilding a world for only the story is that the world can feel dead outside of the story. Knowing more about your world then what is in the story allows you to add nuggets throughout. Which could always come in handy if you end wanting to write another story or series in that world.

@whosaidthat84

3 жыл бұрын

No matter what, story comes first. It's fine to have all those mundane facts like the size of the planet, it's entire history, etc. But the problem is that too often those elements get in the way of the story and writers tend to force the story in unnatural directions in order to fit the world that's been built. That tends to lead to bad writing

@Xerver215

3 жыл бұрын

@@whosaidthat84 Finally someone agrees with me!

@whosaidthat84

3 жыл бұрын

@@Xerver215 I used to be huge on world building, I mean I still like it but I understand it better as far as serving the narrative than I did many years ago. No matter what, a book should be it's own thing. You shouldn't need extra wikis or encyclopedias to enjoy it.

@Xerver215

3 жыл бұрын

@@whosaidthat84 I hear you. I have developed my science fantasy world to such a degree that I could tell what my characters eat for breakfast on the weekdays, but according to my friend, my time would be better spent deciding the size of planet and the kinds of pets people have rather than actually writing!

My world falls under the Medieval-Styled Magipunk world. Magic is heavily stressed a part of the world, I have yet to build the history, but most of the world is already built out, maps aside.

@Air_Serpent

3 жыл бұрын

ngl that sounds cool

I’m sorry, I must have stumbled onto J.P. Beaubien’s channel by accident...

3:20 Don't tell me what to do. Now that you said that I'm going to go implement all of these tips out of spite.

unfortunately it seems that I am in the minority in saying that yes, I would love to read a book entirely consisted of essays about the universe's power structures, mythology, and trading business. I want more Silmarillion dangit

@Air_Serpent

3 жыл бұрын

Check out World Building Magazine. It's free PDFs of literally that.

What do you think about people who don't actually write, but do worldbuilding atop worldbuilding? Is it good practice or is it just procrastination and/or wasting time to create something that will never manifest into a tangible form of some sort? (EDIT: Realized this was basically answered.)

@naltlan7651

3 жыл бұрын

worldbuilding can be used in favor of plot or you can go deep onto your world and paint the skies whit stars, calculate leap years and write festivals, anything, from biology to conlanging, i have been trying to go deep in worldbuilding and now i an *f**#cked* trying to create a plot, but at least my civilizations aint as thin in complexity as a sheet of paper

@beccag2758

3 жыл бұрын

I mean, if you enjoy worldbuilding I don’t think it’s a waste of time. If you’re trying to write a book and use the worldbuilding to avoid writing then that can be an issue, but there are other ways people use worldbuilding in stuff like video games, movies, DND, etc.

@naltlan7651

3 жыл бұрын

@@beccag2758 i decide to turn the book i was trying to make onto a campaing, more space for "interactive" worldbuilding

@dhenderson319

3 жыл бұрын

I am including world building and plot.. am doing my layout now for my final fight I included festivals: magic, non magic and mixed festivals.. i made sure to have things happen at the festivals that progress the plot.. for eg. A character gets arrested Through the use of festivals i also managed to include when the holidays are.. national holidays and holidays that are specific to a class since my society is classist.. it causes issues and helps world building for a feudalistic society I included different foods too for different classes and the story takes place over two countries so i included different foods for different places and different levels of progress in research of magic and weaponry and military strength and use of language.. which plays into the plot So you can definitely tie your world building right into the plot

@IceQueen975

3 жыл бұрын

I.... it's because I stg I'm not writing shit, I'm being contacted from someone in another damn dimension and they're explaining how their world functions and that takes a while. Semi-joke aside, I tend to foreshadow and have a LOT of symbolism so worldbuilding is very needed for me to make sure the plot is tight and ensure the character's attitudes match with the world.

"Readers are like babies; they're helpless and stupid."

is it just me or is the audio not entirely matched with her mouth?

@ferrin6326

3 жыл бұрын

No, it's a little off. Either way, it's a good video!

@chloeedmund4350

3 жыл бұрын

Omg I thought it was just me.

@Marveryn

3 жыл бұрын

@@chloeedmund4350 nope wasn't just you. it was slightly off . just enough to get that uncanny valley feel

@petrfedor1851

3 жыл бұрын

I was woried my ntb is going throu it´s last moments. Thanks gods!

Can we all just praise the shirt she's wearing? 😂😂😂

@coolcatmemes1204

3 жыл бұрын

Buttercise

"Doesn't the true beauty of writing come from never starting it?" My procrastinating ass was nodding along until I remembered I was supposed to be called out. Thanks for introducing World Anvil I feel like it would save me a lot of trouble!

6:28 Ok, Im sorry y’all, but I can’t let this go. Contrary to popular myth, the Middle Ages was not a ‘dark age’, but rather a time of cultural, technological and philosophical advancement. I agree the setting is overused in fantasy, though. The Renaissance/Late Antiquity never seems to get any love, dang it!

@thehackingburger3002

3 жыл бұрын

This! So much this! As an amateur history buff I find it infuriating that, as Jenna herself said, in the age of Google misconceptions like that are still so rampant! Though, I have to admit, I'm using a medieval setting in my series. I just love it too much! However, I have the world set up so that, basically, the wealthier nations/cities have a more Victorian England feel, with some slight Asian cultural elements thrown in. (I was heavily inspired by the "Anglo-Japanese" style of architecture and furnishing from that time.) It's not perfect, but I still love it. :)

4: I think a lot of people WANT more medieval Europe fantasy. It's a small chunk of a greater thing I call "fantasy conservatism."

That tee is _everything_

I mean tip 1 doesn't necessarily apply to EVERYONE and I see a lot of people misinformed about what it actually means :( If you wanna be an author, sure, don't spend actual DECADES worldbuilding and doing nothing else, but some people literally live for making intricate, detailed worlds. Worldbuilding is a genre of entertainment itself and it's pretty much it's own hobby :)

@PeanutButterZombie00

3 жыл бұрын

I agree. I think it's more about what you include in the actual story and how it's presented. Some people love rambling descriptions, while others really don't. I appreciate effort in worldbuilding though. There are an awful lot of authors who just seem to skip that entire step and only focus on their characters; their stories aren't nearly as immersive as they could be.

"But readers are like babies. They're helpless and stupid." I finally cracked up at this point. You got me.

the sass is strong with this one

Tolkien wants to know your location

I've been wondering, music plays a major role in my book. How would you tackle writing songs into your book?

@Percival917

3 жыл бұрын

Maybe you should ask someone who knows music theory to cowrite.

@manicpixiefangirl4189

3 жыл бұрын

I would say to tread carefully. More people skip songs in books than not. Even grandaddy Tolkien sufferers from it.

@VegaNorth

3 жыл бұрын

How does music play a major role? If it's connected to your main character, make the music a desire or a tool for the MC to get said desire. Or make music the obstacle. Maybe the MC has a block and can't get through a piece of music without something happening. Then, find a way to have the MC gain a tool or mentor so they can overcome the musical obstacle. MC--and the story--needs a Desire, an Obstacle, and Tools.

@karczameczka

3 жыл бұрын

I've read a book once, where an author put songs in it - whole songs - with titles, musicans and lyrics. I promised myself to check this stuff but I had to return the book to the library and didn't do anything, welp.

@mikeydrago-dt8by

3 жыл бұрын

You can describe the dancing, costumes and instruments used. That works the same way. It'll show your readers how important it is to your main protagonist. But if you wish to add songs, only include partial lyrics of said songs, then write in a time jump to move the story on. That works too.

I find it disingenuous for people to lump castles and lords with knights in shining armor as just "medieval Europe" it shows a cultural bias in saying that only Europe had the types of systems described in many fantasy novels such as feudalism and monarchy. but certain time periods predating that are just too obscure to gain accurate knowledge from to write stories about whilst others set after or during industrialization seem to lose some of the feelings of wonder that most audiences seek not that it can't be done or isn't done already. So that jab was kind of as bad as saying science fiction overuses the distant future for its settings. (which ironically science fiction has had the distant future reflect systems of government of the medieval era in a space-faring society, and some fantasy uses the future as a post-apocalyptic world that has returned to some root of magic.)

Jenna's sarcasm is way better than Terrible Writing Advice, in fact i watched her trope videos again and again to the point that I would call her Queen of sarcasm as well as cyborg queen. Thank you again for the content, Jenna :)

@chandleralves698

3 жыл бұрын

Better sarcasm than TWA? Debatable. Still I love both channels so whatever 🤷‍♀️

Uggghhhh I hate that I spend all my time world building in my HEAD rather than start writing the base story 😣😩 but it's really hard to get out of a day dreaming funk. Sometimes I'm just not sure when I'm done building what I need to even start.

I don't even write my novel any more but Jenna's videos are just good

"What do you think? I worked for ten years on it." "A little dry, but interesting. For what roleplaying system was this the sourcebook again?" "Sourcebook? That's the prologue book to the novel I am writing!" "Prologue book?" "Yes, the first of three. My readers need to know in what kind of world it takes place in."

@geraldfrost4710

3 жыл бұрын

Plot twist: after 300k words of prolog, the story is a limerick.

Now i have finally confirmed Jenna is the one behind the Terrible Writing Advice channel.

Seriously, though, as someone who has been crafting the same world since I was around 10 (so 16+ years), I have to say . . . It truly is a black hole we fall into sometimes. Thankfully, I have a friend who also likes to write, so when we feel like rambling and telling someone about something new in our work, we text each other. We also bounce ideas off each other and she helps me work out the nitty gritty details that I need to figure out to be able to make the world work, but that may not come up in the story itself. I think everyone needs a writer friend who you can get hyped with or bounce ideas off of. Sometimes you feel compelled to just tell someone about what you're writing, and it helps keep you from info-dumping on your reader when you can instead info-dump on a friend to get it out of your system.

@Newfiecat

3 жыл бұрын

Ah, you're so lucky to have a writer friend!

@talia1628

3 жыл бұрын

Cool! My sister and I have this world and amazingly complicated characters and magic system and I’m glad other people have writing buddies! (Well she writes more and I edit more)

I have three main provinces in my fantasy story. 1. Kaidon: Meritocracy. Smartest person rules. 2. Gromell (needs a name change): Matriarchal monarchy. 3. Sileth: Anarchists, so no rulers.

@whosaidthat84

3 жыл бұрын

Sounds cool! What's it about?

@beezlebubrulerofhell3118

3 жыл бұрын

Ooh that sounds fun!

@edzejandehaan9265

3 жыл бұрын

@@whosaidthat84 didn't you listen to Jenna, #3?

@whosaidthat84

3 жыл бұрын

@@edzejandehaan9265 who's Jenna? Where am i? Who are you?

@edzejandehaan9265

3 жыл бұрын

@@whosaidthat84 1. The youtuber giving out writing advice. 2. Between nose and lips. 3. A sheepfarmer in the north.

What if you tell about the world through diary entries, every day actions of characters (when they are in a library reading history or fighting bad guys or solving other problems) or when telling the backstory of charaters or telling what has changed for them/for the world from the past? Are these methods acceptable? There are several others in my mind (such as dreams, vision, tales from old people, folklore)

@christopherpoet458

3 жыл бұрын

Ideally, yes. But in small doses. What you are talking about works far better in a TV show or an extensive series of books as opposed to a small series or Feature Film. Funny enough, it works wonders for D&D too. My usual rule is to keep everything relevant to the plot. Too much extra detail and it becomes painfully obvious you are "info-dumping" though I am sure you are already aware of that.

@mikeydrago-dt8by

3 жыл бұрын

Any method is acceptable, so long as you do it right. I've done similar before, but that is always in a beginning narration.

@thatjillgirl

3 жыл бұрын

I feel like world building kind of has to be even more subtle if the book is told in a diary format. Someone keeping a diary isn't going to explain the everyday aspects of their world. They're just going to say things and expect the hypothetical reader to know what they mean.

@christopherpoet458

3 жыл бұрын

@@thatjillgirl not always. A common solution to this dilemma is for the letters to be addressed to someone who might otherwise be oblivious. Or, in a setting like day Harry Potter where only s fraction of the world is aware of magic, a wizard may write their diary for say a friend or their family where they would be more likely to explain the finer details. It should also be noted then when you discuss or talk about world-building and the process of revealing things to a reader, it is not always about the finer details. In some cases, like say a market setting, your character may overhear a quick discussion of someone complaining about prices. This one line complaint can easily tell your reader what the market is like in this world and what state it is in. Or, in a letter, perhaps the character has a disagreement with how something is structured and rants about their opinion. Or maybe they are very political and have rants or discussions about political affairs. The list goes on. You just have to set it up so your not infodumping in more than 2 or 3 lines in most cases. Some exceptions might apply. It is very situational.

@thatjillgirl

3 жыл бұрын

@@christopherpoet458 Yes, but you're talking about *letters.* I'm talking about a diary. A diary that someone doesn't necessarily intend to share with an audience isn't going to contain large explanations, unless perhaps the person is keeping the diary as a means to help themselves figure out a mystery or some such. A letter is different.

I saw a post /video the other day literally saying create your fantasy names by pounding on the keyboard and parsing them out into cool names. I'm like that seems weird but whatever works i guess.

In defense of creating complicated systems in your world, they're great for introducing unforseen complications that still come along as a direct result of characters action without causing anyone to grab the idiot ball.

When I was just a little guy crafting stories, I had a villain sorcerer named Athoptlorys. I could never spell it right consistently and it didn't roll off the tongue quite as well as I wanted it to, so I dropped the name and called him Dark-Law. Not much better, but it follows the KISS rule to a T.

Ahem... "All hail Geouiiq'!πG, our lord and savior! All hail Steve!"

Me over here pausing and reading so I can have a sneak peek of TSS XD

“The true beauty of writing is never starting it” I feel so called out with this even though I’ve already started...

I know Jenna said it but can people PLEASE stop making their fantasy world just Medieval Europe? It's like they just slap in a few dragons and a couple of goblins and call it a day. I read fantasy for the otherworldliness, not because I like history.

@TimRG

3 жыл бұрын

It's starting to change. The Popi War is based on China at the start of the twentieth century. Rage of Dragons is a mixing of Medieval Europe and Africa.

Where my brain immediately went at point 7: Bots: CARTHENA?? Mike: What's wrong with "Carthena"? Tom: It's... it's... pronounceable! (Misted version of The Eye of Argon)

Thanks Jenna! This really made me smile today! 🙂

This gave me a smile. Thank you. I’m struggling a bit with some world-building, so I really needed this.

Huh, I'm already enjoying the video just from the world anvil marketing, thats new

I really enjoy reading about the complicated inner workings of people's worldbuilding but I know my experience is not universal lmao

@quotingstardust7504

3 жыл бұрын

@@charutha6335 I haven't found a book like that yet but omggg I would love that

I love the way she says, "But Jenna..." So sarcastic and valley-girly

"Tolkien did everything perfectly, no matter what era you're in" In that you're right XD

Interesting linguistic fact. An ! in certain written forms of Igbo languages from Africa. Is used to represent a click. If you language is based on an Eastern Asian language they'll probably Lack a V sound merge P-B J/K < Korean. Zh < in Pinyin romanised Chinese makes an asperated J sound X makes a softer sounding Sh sound.

@petrfedor1851

3 жыл бұрын

You can also add ř, letter existing in only one language.

From learning as I go, I find it’s a lot more efficient to build the world as you go along. Introduce the bare bones of the world to the audience near the start, then expand as you keep going along. And don’t go too overboard: just focus on what’s either interesting enough to captivate your audience or what’s needed to add to the lore and make it more appealing and interesting.

@Newfiecat

3 жыл бұрын

This is what I WANT to do...then I get a panic attack while I'm trying to write because "AhHHHhH what if I need to rewrite all of this later because it's not internally consistent? What if nothing makes sense and everything contradicts itself?!? MUST PLAN FOR EVERY EVENTUALITY!"

Terrible Writing Advice, just had a baby.

I started reading the beginning of your second book and notice you have a decent amount of dialogue. I always think I have too much in my writing so that was cool to see 😅

Me, after returning to Jenna's channel after a huge Dungeons and Dragons kick: Oh hey world anvil fancy meeting you here

Love this video. I was talking to a dude and he was describing his fictional setting. A world (earth-sized) where humans only existed in a temperate climate and therefore only ever became white. No non-white people at all. All Icelandic/Germanic. Blonde-Haired and Blue eyed. I asked: But in the history of your world, there has been no genetic variation? No. None. In the history of your world, humanity has never scattered to other places where climate and environment would not favor blonde hair and blue eyes? No. Never. Wouldn't the world be more rich if these things happened? If there were people with darker skin? With black hair? With a different way of living, with different societal norms? No. Can't. My world prohibits it. Can't do anything about it. But aren't you... the creator of this world? The dude invented the Third Reich on 'accident'.

@lenkaw.7243

3 жыл бұрын

On the other hand, I don't think it's very fair to force writers into implementing diversity into their stories, especially in the way we understand it. For example, in my world there is no Sun (as in, it's not a star) and therefore all people have more or less white skin - but they differ in many other ways, like, the kind of magic thay can use. Let's not forget that fantasy worlds are meant to be fantasy, and skin color is not the only thing that could make people different from one another in a made up universe.

@iggythebluebunnywriter1768

3 жыл бұрын

@@lenkaw.7243 I can get behind this. I write using animal characters after all. I mean sure there is the whole "coding animal races after real-world races" issue but I tend to NOT do that.

Thank you so much ! you got no idea how helpful your videos are ! love you

Cracking up at my desk. Thank you

#1 is Literally Tolkien lol (I.e. history of Middle Earth)

@christopherpoet458

3 жыл бұрын

Yes, but no. Tolkien may have indeed created an extensive history, but a lot of that does have written material to back it up. He simply passed away before it could be fully complete. I am not entiearly sure, but I believe one of his kids did at least try to continue his father's work. Still, I think he deserves more credit than most who would fall in #1. Like me lol

@bookworm975

3 жыл бұрын

@@christopherpoet458 yeah most of his work was completed by his son Christopher. Most of the actual stories where in their first draft and just needed to be edited. Did he spend a lot of time on the whole world building thing, yes, but he did actually have stories to go with it, good ones too.

2:20 All this time I've been pronouncing your last name as "Morechi" XD

@Newfiecat

3 жыл бұрын

I've been pronouncing it "more see" 😂

I think I've managed to avoid most of these things, except like half #4. My setting could probably be described as a mix of medieval and Roman.

Lol. This is such a great video, Jenna. Love it. Sadly I've read books that does most, if not all of those 'tips', especially spoonfeeding me information like I'm stupid.

Ironically, this inspires me to do just what you said, just because I feel like writing shit just for kicks! 😆💩

Didn’t watch the video yet but this is what I need also need help, writing a story where the world is in black and white because the elders did it to keep order, balance, and perfection. Skipping the details but how do I write and describe a world that is black and white? I’m leaving tiny details to where the reader can know but it’s not enough unless they really pay attention but I don’t want to make it so obvious to where they’re tired and I don’t want to world dump on them so I just really need advice from the writers in the comment section.

@emilycheng6332

3 жыл бұрын

I'd say, write what feels best. Then, get some sort of beta-reader. They'll be able to pick out some moments where you were too subtle, or too obvious.

@user-mu1os7me8s

3 жыл бұрын

I'd recommend describing the shapes of things, because color is not something you can use in this situation. Also, make it so a lot of characters have a lack of emotion, because it sounds like the society focuses more on law and order than happiness. You can have it so the protagonist wishes there was more to the world than their everyday life, and then they accidently find out a way to see color.

I just love how the past three video’s I’ve watched open with you cuddling the floof

thank you. i really needed this today, particularly as someone who gets stuck on the details.

Video starts at 3:30

All hail the cyborg queen!!

Fantastic video Jenna! You are such an amazing entertainer - also, just as amazing at giving writing advice. I Love your videos!!! Sunny greetings from Sweden!

Literally got this notification while working in world anvil. Thanks for the inspo!

Looks like Jenna's been collaborating with Terrible Writing Advice

"Common sense ain't common and some of you are senitive". Can I use that or have you copyrighted it?

I LOVE your comedy! You're amazing!!!

Jenna's snarky humor makes my day. 😂 The part about the names had me rolling. This video reminded me a lot of the channel Terrible Writing Advice, which is another of my favorite channels.

J.P. Beaubian approves this

I recently went back a re-reviewed some of my stories I started writing back in high school. Yeah, there were a LOT of "keyboard smash" names. (Well, I wanted it to sound alien, so why not name the emperor Kirahcoiagnxelznia?)

@Salomonkey_

3 жыл бұрын

Excuse me , how do you pronounce that and is that going to be on the exam?

@thehedsrambler7964

3 жыл бұрын

@@Salomonkey_ I believe it's pronounced Steve.

@mikeydrago-dt8by

3 жыл бұрын

Lol. Kih-raa-coy-agun-xeltz-neeah. Better than you thought? Keyboard smash names are good, but then there's me who would just make up an impossibly sounding name. I did that for Draco from Dragonheart as just something to do, because at the time I had a story idea, and was helping my friend as best I could. Drenithiscionsicorio, just to show you what I made up. I tried to keep it similar to Drago's real name, that he said in the third Dragonheart movie. Hissyoxyillamochoganatoss. Well they are like alien dragons by the time you watch the third movie so... But anyway. With longer names, I'll end up making shorter names from it, to add more variety.

I'm so grateful you mentioned World Anvil, thanks.

Thanks for the world anvil recommendation! I'm actually struggling with world building right now actually, so maybe It'll help!