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Why Worldbuilding is Bad
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<blockquote data-quote="Hussar" data-source="post: 3485419" data-attributes="member: 22779"><p>How is that different from creating setting? All settings should be internally consistent. If I turned left to go to the throne room in Chapter 2, I should turn left to go to the throne room in Chapter 5, unless, of course, there is a good reason why that isn't true. <img src="data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7" class="smilie smilie--sprite smilie--sprite1" alt=":)" title="Smile :)" loading="lazy" data-shortname=":)" /></p><p></p><p>Consistency in setting is not world building. It's simply developing setting. We both agree that every story requires a setting. That setting will be detailed, to a greater or lesser degree in every story. </p><p></p><p>To me, where setting leaves off and world building begins is when you begin detailing setting elements that are not linked to the plot.</p><p></p><p>In other words, world building is a negative term. That's been my point all the way along. It's not about straw man arguements. I simply think that the term "world building" describes an act which is not necessarily a good thing for most stories.</p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p>In the story. I've always maintained that. I couldn't care less what happens outside of the text. It's completely irrelavent and totally irrelavent to what Harrison is talking about as well. If you want to write treatises on Elven Tea Ceremonies in your own time, knock yourself out. However, when that gets whacked into the story, for no reason other than to simply showcase how creative the writer is, that's a bad thing.</p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p>So, you can only world build in fictional settings? It is not possible to engage in world building in real world settings? I would point to a rather large swath of romantic literature that would disagree. As well as Tom Clancy. Dan Brown. Umberto Eco. Just to name a few.</p><p></p><p>Plus, I disagree with the idea that any attempt to create setting becomes world building. RC defines world building as taking the setting from generic to specific. But, all setting details do that. If I set my story in Chicago vs A City, I've gone from generic to specific, but, I wouldn't say that I've done any world building.</p><p></p><p>To sum up:</p><p></p><p>I disagree with the stance that world building is simply an attempt to create an internally consistent setting. That's not world building, that's just good writing. If I'm being accused of making the word sound bad by definition, how is this not doing the same thing from the other side?</p><p></p><p>I disagree with the stance that world building is any element which adds to setting. That's not world building. That's just setting. We don't need a specific term for that, we already have one - setting.</p><p></p><p>World building, in my mind at least, is a very specific act. It is where you attempt (for all the truth that you can never really succeed) to create an entire setting. All of it. As much detail as you can possibly add. Tolkien himself complained that he needed more space in The Lord of the Rings. Do you really think he was going to add more plot? <img src="data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7" class="smilie smilie--sprite smilie--sprite1" alt=":)" title="Smile :)" loading="lazy" data-shortname=":)" /></p><p></p><p>((And, yes, I see the irony in that last statement. <img src="data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7" class="smilie smilie--sprite smilie--sprite7" alt=":p" title="Stick out tongue :p" loading="lazy" data-shortname=":p" />))</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Hussar, post: 3485419, member: 22779"] How is that different from creating setting? All settings should be internally consistent. If I turned left to go to the throne room in Chapter 2, I should turn left to go to the throne room in Chapter 5, unless, of course, there is a good reason why that isn't true. :) Consistency in setting is not world building. It's simply developing setting. We both agree that every story requires a setting. That setting will be detailed, to a greater or lesser degree in every story. To me, where setting leaves off and world building begins is when you begin detailing setting elements that are not linked to the plot. In other words, world building is a negative term. That's been my point all the way along. It's not about straw man arguements. I simply think that the term "world building" describes an act which is not necessarily a good thing for most stories. In the story. I've always maintained that. I couldn't care less what happens outside of the text. It's completely irrelavent and totally irrelavent to what Harrison is talking about as well. If you want to write treatises on Elven Tea Ceremonies in your own time, knock yourself out. However, when that gets whacked into the story, for no reason other than to simply showcase how creative the writer is, that's a bad thing. So, you can only world build in fictional settings? It is not possible to engage in world building in real world settings? I would point to a rather large swath of romantic literature that would disagree. As well as Tom Clancy. Dan Brown. Umberto Eco. Just to name a few. Plus, I disagree with the idea that any attempt to create setting becomes world building. RC defines world building as taking the setting from generic to specific. But, all setting details do that. If I set my story in Chicago vs A City, I've gone from generic to specific, but, I wouldn't say that I've done any world building. To sum up: I disagree with the stance that world building is simply an attempt to create an internally consistent setting. That's not world building, that's just good writing. If I'm being accused of making the word sound bad by definition, how is this not doing the same thing from the other side? I disagree with the stance that world building is any element which adds to setting. That's not world building. That's just setting. We don't need a specific term for that, we already have one - setting. World building, in my mind at least, is a very specific act. It is where you attempt (for all the truth that you can never really succeed) to create an entire setting. All of it. As much detail as you can possibly add. Tolkien himself complained that he needed more space in The Lord of the Rings. Do you really think he was going to add more plot? :) ((And, yes, I see the irony in that last statement. :p)) [/QUOTE]
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