Soft Worldbuilding Workshop

[Channelknight Fadran]

This is the promised thread for Soft Worldbuilders, old and new! For folks who want to dip their toes into this rabbit hole (weird idiom mixture right there), I have answered your cries! You can share your work, ask questions, answer questions, and all that jazz here.

So, without further ado: welcome to Softy Central!

[Mage]

Sort of serious question: Where do I even start with soft world building?

Serious question: Am I missing the point if I feel like I can’t properly present a world if I don’t understand all the details of said world?

[Channelknight Fadran]

Serious answer: You start by finding a character's story and going from there. Build the world around the character rather than the characters around the world.

Sort of serious answer: Yeah, kinda

[Mage]

49 minutes ago, Channelknight Fadran said:

Serious answer: You start by finding a character's story and going from there. Build the world around the character rather than the characters around the world.

Sort of serious answer: Yeah, kinda

So start with the character. Then build elements of the world to support the character in their journey?

Do you have some good examples (books preferably because libraries are free)? That would help me to get an understanding of the merits and characteristics of good, soft, world building.

Thanks Fadran!

Edited December 31, 2021 by Mage

[Channelknight Fadran]

I can't actually think of any books other than Harry Potter. J.K. Rowling had the idea for an orphan boy to be the Chosen One wizard man and completely built her world around it to support that storyline. She focused so much on wonder and awe that there wasn't ever really any room for nitpicky stuff and whatnot.

If you're into video games I recommend Hollow Knight for soft worldbuilding, and the best visual media example I can think of is Avatar: The Last Airbender

[Frustration]

2 hours ago, Mage said:

Sort of serious question: Where do I even start with soft world building?

I'm going to differ from Fadran here, I recommend finding the emotional responce you want your audiance to have reading about it, and then craft the world to invoke that responce.

[DramaQueen]

Question: what if I have no clue what type of magic I usually create? And also no clue how to tell the difference when I'm writing it? Or sometimes even reading it. Like, I don't really get how Rowling's magic system is more soft than Sanderson's are... And I read your blog entry and all of these posts.

[Channelknight Fadran]

If that's the case then you're probably writing soft worlds and magic by default. Based on what I've read of yours you're definitely more a character-driven storywriter than world-driven.

[DramaQueen]

Okay, that probably would've been my guess.

[Frustration]

17 minutes ago, DramaQueen said:

Question: what if I have no clue what type of magic I usually create? And also no clue how to tell the difference when I'm writing it? Or sometimes even reading it. Like, I don't really get how Rowling's magic system is more soft than Sanderson's are... And I read your blog entry and all of these posts.

Probably because there isn't a good definition of hard vs soft.

Personally I think there are really three types

1. Type one magic systems are highly limited and predictable, think allomancy, Action X equals result Y, with a limited number of X actions. For example, there are sixteen metals, or sixteen X actions, each one corresponding to a Y result.
2. Type two magic systems are predictable, Action X equals result Y with unlimited X actions, think Harry Potter, or Channeling in WoT. Each spell has a specific result, but no limit on how many spells there are.
3. Type three magic systems are not predictable and anything can happen: Gandalf LotR magic.

However, Brandon would disagree, and others would disagree with him

Edited December 31, 2021 by Frustration

[Elf]

How do you know whether soft worldbuilding or hard worldbuilding would be the right option for what you're writing? 

Also does worldbuilding only refer to like magic systems, or everything? Do you have a thread for this where I can discuss all the aspects of writing, eg: how many drafts should I make?

Edited January 1, 2022 by Elf

[Channelknight Fadran]

That's a great many questions.

• It really depends on what you want to emphasize. If it's all about your characters' stories, then soft worldbuilding is generally a good idea. That lets you build the world around your characters so you can make the story work no matter what. If it's more about hard plot, then hard worldbuilding is better. It gives you a clearly-defined set of rules that you can build your story within.
• Worldbuilding applies to every aspect of your world: setting, history, magic, etc. The extent you go to is up to you. Hardies generally have a lot of defined details that you can drop into the story whenever you need, while softies are more of a loose thing, where it doesn't really matter what you add and where.
• I mean... there're probably just author discussion threads in this subforum somewhere, but otherwise I have an old thread called RightingWrite. I actually follow that one and get notifs from it, so... yeah. Shameless self-plug

[Elf]

1. I think I might go for soft worlbuilding as my writing is very character focused and i even tend to read books that are character focused. 

2. Ah, ok then. 

3. Let me go see that thread right now. (I can't find it, please tag me in it.)

Edited January 2, 2022 by Elf

[Robin Sedai]

7 minutes ago, Elf said:

3. Let me go see that thread right now. (I can't find it, please tag me in it.)

It's this one.

[Elf]

Thanks

[Mage]

On 12/30/2021 at 7:57 PM, Channelknight Fadran said:

If you're into video games I recommend Hollow Knight for soft worldbuilding, and the best visual media example I can think of is Avatar: The Last Airbender

I'm actually a part of a DnD campaign right now based on Hollow Knight. I've never played the game so I have no idea how anything connects, but I'm liking the campaign so I might try it out.

I have been meaning to watch A: TLA for the past 6 years probably and have never gotten around to it. I resolve now to do so sometime within the next century.

I'm probably gonna post ideas I have for a soft-worldbuilt story here if I ever think of any. I'd like to give it a try, so I hope that's okay.

[Channelknight Fadran]

Also: this is a weird enough thing that I feel the need to mention it.

Middle-Earth is probably the single most hard-worldbuilt place in fantasy history. There's a scudding Silmarillion for it. However, the way that Tolkien writes it in Lord of the Rings is actually really scudding soft. Whenever he mentions fancy place names or ancient dragons it's not to give you a history lesson, but rather to keep that sweet, sweet text flow that he's always been so good at.

Take this line for example:

“You cannot pass," he said. The orcs stood still, and a dead silence fell. "I am a servant of the Secret Fire, wielder of the flame of Anor. You cannot pass. The dark fire will not avail you, flame of Udûn. Go back to the Shadow! You cannot pass.”

How many people who read this are gonan know what the Secret Fire, Anor, and Udun are? The answer is very few. But this line is so badchull and incredibly fun to both read and say, which was Tolkien's whole intent.

So that's what I mean when I say that The Lord of the Rings is the softest hardy in fantasy history.

(Come back next time for how Harry Potter is the hardest softie in fantasy history)

[Frustration]

1 hour ago, Channelknight Fadran said:

So that's what I mean when I say that The Lord of the Rings is the softest hardy in fantasy history.

Another reason why Tolkien is still the best.

[Thaidakar the Ghostblood]

1 hour ago, Frustration said:

Another reason why Tolkien is still the best.

there are too many reasons why to count. Tolkien will be the best even if Brandon Sanderson can write amazing novels. but only Tolkien can make the most memorable world of all time. there is just a thing about Tolkien that makes him the greatest author of all time, even if you forget the plot, the characters, the lore, you will still remember the world, the shire, Gondor, and the like. Tolkien is simply the greatest author of all time.