Let's Talk About Worldbuilding

Worldbuilding: creating or shaping a world for a purpose

The definition of worldbuilding can get complicated and expansive. Merriam Webster will say that it is "the art of creating a new fictional world." But, worldbuilding as we will be discussing branches into reality while this definition isolates it to fiction. A quick google search might tell you that "Worldbuilding is the process of constructing a world, originally an imaginary one, sometimes associated with a fictional universe." Google stole this from John Hamilton's book, You Write It: Science Fiction (2009). This definition brings us a little bit closer, but I would still say worldbuilding often deals with reflecting on the world at hand and taking steps to shape it. So, the definition I have provided is the most simplified version of worldbuilding as I have personally come to understand it. For the purposes of my archive, this is the definition I'll be using and expanding on.

Making Sense Yet?

In hopes of providing more clarity, here are some examples of worldbuilding you might recognize!

While worldbuilding still entails far more than what we've talked about, that will be expanded on throughout my digital archive. I've included this introduction simply in an effort to ensure we are on the same page about what worldbuilding is and, more importantly, how I interpret it.

Here's to building a world together!