Dungeons and Dragons Study: World Building and Collaboration
We can learn from anyone and anything. Today’s study is on the well-loved roleplay game Dungeons and Dragons.
Learning Character Development and Storytelling from Rapper NF
In this artist study, we explore how rapper NF exemplifies character development and storytelling with his life and music.
Environmental Landscape: Descriptions and Terminology
Forever ago, I posted about how to build a world and how to create new plants and animals. While creating is fun, some real life climates don’t hurt. Actual landscapes bring the reader into the story and give them a frame of reference for the scenery. But every landscape has different traits. Maybe you have an environment that lacks water, or a forest teeming with life and danger. With a little research, I’ve gathered terminology to help color your world in a descriptive landscape.
Hydroponics: Plant Life in Water
Been talking a lot about plants and pastures, and the question on everyone’s mind is probably why (at least, it’s the question on my mom’s mind). Writers research the strangest things for the purpose of developing a world and characters that feel real. It doesn’t matter how fictional the story; a little reality engages readers that much more. So when I write a post about hydroponics, it’s for all the writers like me who decided they wanted a planet made of metal.
List of Grass and Pasture Plants for Fiction Writers
After writing about pastures and farmlands, I wanted to craft a quick word list of the various grasses and plants that can be included. The purpose of these lists is to give writers a plethora of words to use in their writing. The other part to these lists is that the actual item on the list has a unique description that can add color and realism to writing. I’ll give a short physical description for each, but I highly recommend looking up the pasture plants and trees that interest you so you can visualize what your imaginary landscape looks like.
Plant Basics: Pastures and Plant Life for Writing
In my quest to create realistic landscapes on unknown worlds, I found myself deep diving into the basics of farm life. Seems weird (hence why it’s in “random research”), but learning about plant life and how it works in our world offers many insights in how to create exotic plant life with believable ecosystems.
I explored a lot more into plants than I thought humanly possible. And there’s still more to learn. Gonna have posts about other growing methods like hydroponics and a few word lists related to plants and landscapes, but this should help give you a basic idea of how a farm traditionally would operate. I mainly looked into pastures, though found myself digging a little into crops and compost. Hopefully this snippet helps make your story that much more realistic and relatable while the dragons attack.
Writer’s List of Careers in the Middle Ages
Any properly constructed and developed civilization has a lively people group with many jobs and crafts. Career is a big deal for a story and character. It sets up lifestyle, beliefs, and history. Not everyone will be a warrior, nor lawyer or artist or butcher. There’s many pieces to culture and considering careers allows your world to open up and come alive. This list comes from my favorite book, Writing Fantasy and Sceince Fiction, so everything is split into casts (huge love for medieval). Some will be beneficial and maybe others you find a new word. Either way, skim the list, consider your story, and plan wisely. Happy hunting!
Writer’s List for Castle Construction, Inside and Out
A while ago, I posted about the purpose and basic lifestyle of castles. As a defensive structure and home, there needs to be more than a sturdy wall and tall spires that glisten in the sunshine. Describing all the mechanisms, fortifications, and inner workings can be tricky. Which is why I pulled out Writing Fantasy and Science Fiction’s word list for castle construction.
Castles 101: A Guide to Medieval Construction
My favorite part about fantasy has to be the castles. I don’t normally use them, but I love the idea of tall towers, grated gates, and a massive palace. I did write one story with a castle; it didn’t quite go the way I hoped. While castles can be amazing on the outside, the inside can be a maze of halls that lead to nowhere if not written correctly. That’s what happened to mine, nonsense encased in stone blocks.
Writer’s List of Fanciful Creatures and Myths
The world is filled with many wondrous animals, but myths and legends have created more than what we see today. The world of fantasy has its own set of creatures that live only in drawings and dreams. While it’s fun to create your own creatures, there’s also the option of using some tried and true myths to make your fantasy even more thrilling. Using mythical creatures allows the canons to support your world and make it more familiar to a reader while providing an opportunity to give your interpretation of the canon.