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Worldbuilding for MasochistsEpisode 100: The Game is Afoot! ft. CATE OSBORN, ANDREW NOME, and SHARANG BISWASIt's the 100th Episode! Because we know how many of our listeners play TTRPGs and worldbuild for those, rather than for prose fiction, we wanted to celebrate our 100th episode with a panel episode on gaming! We're delighted to welcome Cate Osborn, Andrew Nome, and Sharang Biswas to discuss worldbuilding for and in games. (We usually overload your TBRs, but our guests are guaranteed to overload your To-Be-Played list.)
In this conversation, we talk a lot about how the communal nature of ttrpgs creates a very different worldbuilding process than a writer creating a world more or le...2023-04-1253 minWorldbuilding for MasochistsEpisode 99: Connect the DotsIn the midst of a season full of amazing guests, we take a little breather to reflect on some of the recent topics and to apply them to our co-built world! The world of the MNG is complex and interconnected, which makes it absolutely ripe for thinking about matrices of power and privilege.
So, we think about geography and space; we think about gender and gender roles; we think about magic; we think about the intersections of identity that might matter both in our world and in the smaller societies within the world. Then, we ask: How d...2023-03-291h 05Worldbuilding for MasochistsEpisode 98: Mysterious Worlds, ft. ANDREA STEWARTIs your world so big because it's full of secrets? From lost civilizations to prowling cryptids, from Unidentified Aerial Phenomena to covert cabals, people love a good mystery, in real life and in fiction. So how can you build these mysteries into your world? Guest Andrea Stewart joins us to explore the possibilities!
As you create your world, you might know more of its truths and secrets than your characters. What are you withholding from them? How much of their own world is known to them, and how much is beyond the fields we know, off the...2023-03-151h 02Worldbuilding for MasochistsEpisode 97: Perfect Pairing - Intersectionality and Worldbuilding, ft SUYI DAVIES OKUNGBOWAWhen you're building a world, how do you think about all the different levers of power and privilege that your characters may encounter -- or manipulate, or be manipulated by? Guest Suyi Davies Okungbowa joins us to think about the matrix of identity and its potential in speculative storytelling.
Intersectionality gives us a framework for examining the pluralism of existence. Exploring these concepts allows writers to build more nuanced, vivid, breathing worlds out of all the layers of complexity in life -- gender, race, religion, class, and so forth. How do you show your reader what those l...2023-03-011h 00Worldbuilding for MasochistsEpisode 96: The Big Blue World: Oceanic Worldbuilding, ft DARCIE LITTLE BADGERIn worldbuilding, we think a lot about the cities and towns that populate our worlds, as well as the enchanted forests, the treacherous mountain ranges, the gloomy swamps, and all those other terrains that adventurers on a quest find themselves trekking across. But what about the feature that makes up over 70% of our own planet and likely a significant percentage of the one you're creating?
Darcie Little Badger joins us to talk about worldbuilding on and under the water! From the teeming biodiversity of coral reefs to the fascinatingly weird creatures of the depths, what inspiration can...2023-02-1552 minWorldbuilding for MasochistsEpisode 95: Building and Bending Gender, ft. G.R. MACALLISTERWhen you're building a society's conceptions of gender and gender roles... where do you start? Do you want to draw from historical precedent (for good or ill), or try to create something from scratch? G.R. Macallister joins us to discuss thoughtfully incorporating ideas of gender into your world, whether or not you're making it a cornerstone of your premise.
We also discuss where gender intersects with other important worldbuilding concepts: religion, government, sexuality, family structures, and more!
(Transcript for Episode 95 tk)
Our Guest: G.R. Macallister is the author of the Five Q...2023-02-0152 minWorldbuilding for MasochistsEpisode 94: Natural and Supernatural DisastersEarthquakes, hurricanes, floods, volcanoes... unstable wormholes, hellmouths, murder hornets, sharknados... When you're writing speculative fiction, the scope of disaster can be wild!
Do the local wizards cause occasional hails of turnips? Does Gondor have a tornado warning system? After a thousand-year flood, does magical FEMA show up to rebuild? Decisions about how your society plans for and reacts to disaster can imply a lot else about their infrastructure, government, religion, and other societal constructs.
Then there's the question of: Is the disaster the backbone of your plot, or just one plot element among many? That...2023-01-181h 04Worldbuilding for MasochistsEpisode 93: Queries and QuandariesHappy new year, listeners! In this episode, we take some questions from you! But not just any questions -- questions that probe specific worldbuilding conundrums you're facing, either in your own work or in popular media.
In response to your prompts, we discuss imaginary friends, villain tropes, the deficiencies of sci-fi obstetrics, cultural shifts, and grappling with originality.
Transcript for Episode 93 (tk)
2023-01-041h 12Worldbuilding for MasochistsEpisode 92: Ringing in the New YearAs 2022 draws to a close, your WFM hosts take a moment to celebrate winter traditions, especially those commemorating the start of a new year! But... what is a year, even? Does your culture have that conception? Is it tied to seasons, to floods, to the stars, or something else?
And if they do recognize a regular rotation of time, how do they mark the observation? Is it a time for gift-giving and wild parties, or for somber reflection? For cleansing and spiritual purifying, or for hedonistic indulgence? The decisions may say a lot about what a particular cu...2022-12-211h 05Worldbuilding for MasochistsEpisode 91: Making the Incredible Credible, ft. CHARLAINE HARRISWhen you've added a fantastical, super-science-y, or paranormal element to your world, how do you make that feel well-integrated, baked-in, and totally normal for that world? Guest Charlaine Harris joins us to discuss using history, society, and your imagination to fill in the corners of a world and make it feel like a place you could actually go visit.
Sometimes, that work is about making sure a world is internally consistent -- and sometimes, it's about giving your werewolves fast food restaurants. What choices will make your reader an active participant in co-creating your world?
(T...2022-12-0754 minWorldbuilding for MasochistsEpisode 90: The Editor’s Take ft. BRIT HVIDEWe're big believers in doing all the work when it comes to the worldbuilding, but when it comes to putting it in the book, how do you know how much you need to have in the text? What do the readers need to know, and what goes in the ephemera or appendices? Who can help you figure that out? An editor, of course!
So we sat down with Orbit Books executive editor Brit Hvide-- who's worked with authors like N.K. Jemisin, C.L. Clark, Django Wexler, Andrea Stewart and many more-- to get her thoughts on what...2022-11-231h 06Worldbuilding for MasochistsEpisode 89: Stealing the Best Parts of History, ft. LAURA ANNE GILMANMany fantasy authors draw from history to shape their worlds and inform their worldbuilding choices. Where do you draw the line between hewing to the record and just using it for inspiration? How much do accuracy and authenticity matter? And, when those research rabbit holes are so very alluring, how do you make yourself stop?
Guest Laura Anne Gilman joins us to talk about the various ways to approach historical research and integrate it into your worldbuilding, as well as what to do with the many, many tidbits of knowledge that end up in your head, taking...2022-11-091h 01Worldbuilding for MasochistsEpisode 88: Hashtag Aesthetic, ft. MARY ROBINETTE KOWALWe throw the word "aesthetic" around a lot on this podcast -- but we've never really slowed down to talk about what it means. How do we define the aesthetic of a work? Is that different from the aesthetic of a world? How do subgenres and plot structures intertwine with those ideas?
Guest Mary Robinette Kowal joins us to explore the crafting of aesthetics in worldbuilding and storymaking! We discuss pacing, word choice, set dressing, the theatre of the mind, the "breath" of the written word, and so much more. We also examine how aesthetic can be...2022-10-261h 07Worldbuilding for MasochistsEpisode 87: Building Up Hope, ft BRANDON CRILLYCan you see the climate fiction for the trees? In this episode, Brandon Crilly joins us to discuss solarpunk, cli-fi, hopepunk, and the places where these concepts overlap and intertwine.
How do you build a world with a deliberately optimistic outlook? How much of that is about technology, and how much is about social paradigms? What other considerations go into storytelling from this particular worldview?
Transcript for Episode 87 (in-progress)
Our Guest: An Ottawa teacher by day, Brandon Crilly has been previously published by Daily Science Fiction, Apex Magazine, Fusion Fragment, PULP Literature, Flame Tr...2022-10-121h 00Worldbuilding for MasochistsEpisode 86: Live at WorldCon!This episode was recorded in a panel session at WorldCon/ChiCon 8 on September 4th, 2022. Many thanks to everyone who attended in-person! We had a blast, and it's so great to get to field your questions in real-time.
We discuss favorite bits of worldbuilding from our own projects -- and the things about worldbuilding that we love less! Then, we answer questions about world-generating seeds, deciding on tech levels for our worlds, intentionality in designing magical systems, and more!
Transcript for 86 (in-progress! If you'd like to join our scribal team, please send us an email to...2022-09-2859 minWorldbuilding for MasochistsEpisode 85: Falling in Love Again… with Worldbuilding Ft SARA MUELLERWhere's the love? It makes the world(building) go 'round and 'round and 'round... At least, it does when things are going well! In this episode, guest Sara Mueller joins us to discuss how to get yourself re-engaged with your fantasy worlds when you've drifted away from them, for one reason or another.
When you've gotten jaded, what can bring you back in? Do you cling to a particular detail of life that fascinates you? Return to the map and start filling in the blank spaces? Pivot to another project, read a book outside your genre, or bi...2022-09-141h 12Worldbuilding for MasochistsEpisode 84: Make or Break Worldbuilding Deep Dive: The MNGThe Magical Nude Gate is a what we call a tentpole idea: a concept that touches on so many other elements of a world that it can't be just a throwaway shiny idea. It has to be well-integrated. Culture, economy, language, religion, politics -- the MNG has implications so wide-reaching and fundamental that they cannot be ignored.
So what is the MNG? A network of magical portals connecting our world -- but the catch is, it only allows living creatures through, so you come out on the other side naked as the day you were born! In...2022-08-311h 08Worldbuilding for MasochistsEpisode 83: Using Our Vacation TimeHere in the dwindling days of summer, we want to know: what do the people in your world do on vacation? Are they relaxing by a beach, wandering museums, hiking in the wilderness? Unpacking that idea ties into a surprising number of other worldbuilding concepts, including economy, labor, and transportation.
In this episode, we explore some of the conditions that even allow for vacation to be conceptually available, the practicalities of arranging time off, and whether or not you can board your dragons and griffins in a kennel. Then, we apply these concepts to our co-built world...2022-08-171h 11Worldbuilding for MasochistsEpisode 82.5: Live at ArmadilloCon!In this bonus episode, your hosts gather together in real life at ArmadilloCon 2022! We talk about why we love worldbuilding, what our strategies are, and take a bunch of really fabulous questions from the audience.
Because this episode was recorded on-site in a convention hall and because it is a bonus episode, this is essentially raw audio! So you're getting us unfiltered and unedited... and you're getting the chaos of recording in a large open room, with the various intrusions and fuzziness inherent in those conditions. We apologize for any audial oddities!
2022-08-1054 minWorldbuilding for MasochistsEpisode 82: From One-Note Worlds to Complete Space Operas, ft. Valerie ValdesWhat happens when you have to build not just one world, but a whole passel of them? In this episode, guest Valerie Valdes joins us to talk about how an author can craft compelling adventures in spaaaaaaaaaaace.
The vastness and potential diversity of space makes for an appealing sandbox for writers to play in. In a genre that often depends on the element of handwavium to make its interplanetary travel, interstellar stations, and laser swords possible, how can you still build cultures and societies that feel lived-in? Do you want to lean into the idea of single-biome "tr...2022-08-031h 06Worldbuilding for MasochistsEpisode 81: That’s Just Good Policy feat. VICTOR MANIBODUN-DUN. Law & Order. What does it mean in your world? Who makes the laws, and by what power do they do so? How easy or difficult is it to change the rules? Guest Victor Manibo, author and real-life lawyer, joins us to discuss how different structures of formal and informal policy could affect the choices your characters make.
So much of law comes down to "who is allowed to do what." But where's the line between a law and a policy? Where does power reside -- and how did it get there? All of these systems of c...2022-07-201h 00Worldbuilding for MasochistsEpisode 80: Festivus for the Rest Of UsWe've talked about big holidays and religious observations before, but what about the small, weird, highly-location-specific festivals and traditions that might dot the landscape of your world? From cheese-rollings to local saints' days to parades to "hey, all our squash came ripe at once, guess we better do something with it!", how do the people in your world make their lives a little more interesting with periodic celebrations?
We also invent some tiny, specific festival occurrences for our co-created world!
Transcript for Episode 80 (Would you like to join our scribal team and get early access...2022-07-061h 00Worldbuilding for MasochistsEpisode 79: Building Past the HorizonWe kick off our fourth year of the podcast with a conversation about how to fill in the rest of your world, beyond the immediate scope of your plot. What's outside the borders your characters are familiar with? What's beyond the woods we know? Is it "here there be dragons" or a highly-detailed map with every corner marked?
Your methods of showing that may vary depending on if your characters are isolated village folk, citizens of a bustling port town, or merchants moving through many cosmopolitan surroundings. Choices you make here can both create a fuller, more li...2022-06-221h 01Worldbuilding for MasochistsEpisode 78: Reimagining Relationships w/ FOZ MEADOWSYour characters and the relationships they have -- romantic, sexual, friendly, familial, professional -- will drive much of what readers connect to in your stories. So what sort of relationship dynamics do you want to build into your world's cultures? Foz Meadows joins us to discuss all the things that make up the space between two or more hearts.
From power structures and politics to financial inheritance and gender roles, there's a lot to consider. What kinds of relationships are possible in your world? Is marriage even a thing? If so, how many people can be in...2022-06-081h 05Worldbuilding for MasochistsEpisode 77: Pull a Thread, Build A World w/ KRITIKA H. RAOWhen it comes to worldbuilding, what's the difference between going deep and going wide? Kritika H. Rao joins us to discuss finding the balance between the things that are tentpoles of your world and things that can be window dressing.
How do you choose what to focus on? How many worldbuilding innovations might be too many innovations? In this episode, we discuss different processes of worldbuilding and how an author's choices might cause revelations or problems down the line.
Transcript for Episode 77 (Our scribes are amazing! Would you like to join the scribal team? Email u...2022-05-251h 01Worldbuilding for MasochistsEpisode 76: Farm to Table Fantasy ft. SARAH GAILEYEverybody's got to eat. But where does the food in your world come from? Who tends livestock, who transports it, who turns it into a meal -- and how?
In this episode, guest Sarah Gailey helps us think through the practicalities of feeding your characters so that their hanger doesn't derail your plot! We also examine the intersection of food production and consumption with colonization and imperialist violence.
Please note that this episode contains some frank discussion of the butchery of livestock for human consumption. If this is a sensitive topic for you, we suggest l...2022-05-111h 09Worldbuilding for MasochistsEpisode 75: Worldbuilding Beyond BordersWhat makes a nation? Who decides where borders are, or even what borders are? What unites a people, within a country or across those borders? What differences are there between cultural identities, ethnicities, and nationalities -- and where do those concepts overlap and intersect?
In this episode, we discuss ideas of citizenship, belonging, invasion, defense, and self-definition -- and how you can complicate or literalize all of those ideas in your fantasy worldbuilding!
Please note: This episode does include brief discussion of the Russian invasion of Ukraine toward the end. If this is a difficult t...2022-04-271h 12Worldbuilding for MasochistsEpisode 74: FMK Worldbuilding EditionWorldbuilding is, often, about choices. What bits stick out at the top of the iceberg, and what stays beneath the surface? What shiny ideas can you make tentpoles of your world, what might be cool ornaments but are not essential to the book's functioning, and what can you simply not find the room or justification for? In this episode, we return to our co-built world and play a good honest game of fuck-marry-kill with some worldbuilding concepts!
Transcript for Episode 74 (Our scribes? They're awesome. Would you like to be one? Email us at worldbuildcast@gmail.com!)
2022-04-131h 04Worldbuilding for MasochistsEpisode 73: In-Line Worldbuilding ft. MELISSA CARUSOWhere does worldbuilding fit into your overall process of writing, rewriting, revising, writing some more, and writing again? In this episode, we welcome back Melissa Caruso to help us think about the granular details of synthesizing your worldbuilding with your drafting and editing.
Characters exist within their worldbuilding, and worldbuilding can drive plots, but how do you bring all those things together during the act of creation in a way that will feel seamless and natural to a writer? Do you thread it into your outline? Or do you cast your ideas to the winds and see w...2022-03-301h 00Worldbuilding for MasochistsEpisode 72: This is Cerulean, Right?: Fashion, Politics, and Power, ft. NATANIA BARRONFashion: not just a frivolity, but a component of worldbuilding that can communicate so much about your world's resources, industry, and power structures, as well as characters' individual choices and personalities. Guest Natania Barron joins us to explore the potential presented by frills and furbelows of all kinds.
From bifurcated Celts to Tudor sumptuary laws to lavender pocket squares, what inspiration can you find for complicating the "standard fantasy wardrobe" into something specific to your world? How can you interrogate the intersection of clothing and gender, clothing and economy, clothing and oppression, clothing and political statements?
2022-03-161h 08Worldbuilding for MasochistsEpisode 71: X Marks The Spot ft. PENG SHEPHERDThis one's for the cartography geeks! We know that's a lot of our followers. Peng Shepherd joins us to think about what a map of your fantasy world can tell your readers, what the social and cultural implications of a map's presentation might be, and how much time you should spend squiggling in all those little fjords. Plus: Schrodinger’s Continents, a bowling alley on the Enterprise, and an augmentation for our Magical Nude Gate system of travel!
Transcript for Episode 71 (thank you, scribes!)
Our Guest:
Peng was born and raised in Phoenix, Ariz...2022-03-0259 minWorldbuilding for MasochistsEpisode 70: Magical Ethics and Ethical Magics ft. KATE HEARTFIELDWhen you've introduced elemental, supernatural, ethereal, or diabolical powers into your world, what does that do to your society? Guest Kate Heartfield joins us to discuss the rules, regulations, and roguery of magical worldbuilding!
In this episode, we explore the two levels that magical ethics can operate on: within your world, and within our world. What are you saying when you decide who has access to magic, how they control it, or how they use it to control others? Magic literalizes many issues of consent, manipulation, and power-brokering that we deal with in our daily lives -- so...2022-02-161h 04Worldbuilding for MasochistsEpisode 69: The Sexy Things People Don’t Want You To Think About, ft. ELSA SJUNNESONWhen your characters push boundaries, defy authority, and get down and dirty -- well, how do they do it, where do they do it, and just how much trouble are they going to get in? In this episode, guest Elsa Sjunneson joins us for an extremely naughty exploration of obscenity and transgression.
Engaging with obscenity means building complex social dynamics within your world and communicating those ideas to your reader. How can you bring all of that across? How do you show your reader what's normal and what's considered disreputable, dirty, or downright degenerate?
Transcript of...2022-02-021h 01Worldbuilding for MasochistsEpisode 68: Potpour-VIt's time for another Listener Q&A episode! Wherein we discuss fjords, metallurgy, giant Martian otters, bouncy castles, starch-based food categorization, and much more.
And, because you asked, here's how you can nominate Worldbuilding for Masochists for a 2022 Best Fancast Hugo Award:
Eligiblity: You can nominate us (and all your other favorite works from the past year!) if you either had a qualifying membership to DisCon 3 (WorldCon 2021) or if you have a qualifying membership to ChiCon 8 (WorldCon 2022).
What's a qualifying membership? For DisCon 3, it was a Supporting, Attending, Virtual, or Young Adult membership. For ChiCon 8, it's a...2022-01-191h 02Worldbuilding for MasochistsEpisode 67: WorldCon MinisodeHappy New Year! In this minisode, your WFM hosts take a little time to reflect on this podcast's growth, our Hugo Award nomination and the ceremonies, our experiences at WorldCon, and where we're going from here. Many, many thanks to all you listeners, to our amazing scribes, and to every guest who has joined us to discuss the wildness of worldbuilding!
Transcript for Episode 67
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2022-01-0510 minWorldbuilding for MasochistsEpisode 66: Deep History, ft MARIE BRENNAN and ALYC HELMSSo you've got lore galore, complex sociopolitical tangles, and a history that reaches back through the ages. How do you show that on the page without infodumping? Marie Brennan and Alyc Helms, who together make up M. A. Carrick, help us explore building a world with deep historical roots while communicating that history in a way that feels natural and exciting for a reader.
How do your characters think of their world's history? What different perspectives are there on historical events, and how have those perspectives shaped the present?
Transcript for Episode 66 (with thanks to...2021-12-2258 minWorldbuilding for MasochistsEpisode 65: Money Makes The Worldbuilding Go ‘RoundOn this podcast, we talk a lot about how economics play into other elements of worldbuilding, from death to politics to food -- but we've never before looked at finance and currency by themselves! In this episode, we take the plunge and explore how to build an economy into your fantasy realm.
Do the people in your world have currency, or are they bartering? Or do they even conceive of value in that way at all? Do they have a complex system that requires accountants and stock brockers? How is money tied to labor and employment? And...2021-12-0852 minWorldbuilding for MasochistsEpisode 64: The Times, They Are A-Changin‘, ft. FONDA LEEY'know, the thing about the world is... It isn't static! It changes, all the time, and if you want your invented world to feel real and full of life, a great way to do that is to make sure it also changes. But how do you build societal change into your fictional world? Guest Fonda Lee joins us to discuss cultural diaspora, temporal shifts, geopolitical cross-pollination, and other exciting ways to show the natural shifts and turns of society.
We also discuss how sci-fi seems to incorporate the idea of diaspora and change more readily than fantasy...2021-11-2454 minWorldbuilding for MasochistsEpisode 63: It’s A Grimdark World After All ft. ANNA SMITH SPARKDirty clothes, grayed-out color palettes, and terrible things happening unrelentingly to everyone: that's the stereotype of grimdark. But in this episode, Anna Smith Spark joins us to explore what that term really means, from interrogating ideas of heroism and villainy to unraveling toxic masculinity and examining the consequences of supposedly noble choices.
Transcript for Episode 63 (Thank you, beloved scribes!)
Our Guest: Anna Smith Spark lives in London, UK. She loves grimdark and epic fantasy and historical military fiction. Anna has a BA in Classics, an MA in history and a PhD in English Literature. She ha...2021-11-101h 00Worldbuilding for MasochistsEpisode 62: Otherworldly Worldbuilding ft. SEANAN MCGUIREAs Halloween draws close and the veil between the realms grows thin, we wonder... how, exactly, do you build a world that, by design, touches other worlds? Seanan McGuire joins us to discuss portal realms, alternate realities, multiverses, and designing the liminal, the permeable, the spaces in-between.
Transcript for Episode 62 (thank you, beloved scribes!)
Our Guest: Seanan is the author of the October Daye urban fantasies, the InCryptid urban fantasies, and several other works both stand-alone and in trilogies or duologies. In case that wasn't enough, she also writes under the pseudonym "Mira Grant." For detai...2021-10-2756 minWorldbuilding for MasochistsEpisode 61: Worldbuilding: The Search for Intelligent Life ft. MARTHA WELLSFrom aliens to AI, from dragons to dwarves, from to nebulous clouds to sapient mushrooms, how do we conceive of non-human intelligence in our speculative worlds? Martha Wells joins us to discuss the various considerations in building a culture from a perspective entirely unlike our own, perhaps operating on different levels of consciousness, or through a hive mind, or dealing with entirely different biologies and ecologies.
How do you on-board a reader to something beyond the human brain? Is that culture in conflict with human culture, or in peaceful coexistence, or do humans even exist in their w...2021-10-1359 minWorldbuilding for MasochistsEpisode 60: Worldbuilding: The Never-Ending StoryWorldbuilding is often considered part of the pre-writing process -- but sometimes, more worldbuilding happens mid-manuscript or even mid-series.
What do you do with those interjections? Can you graft them in, or do some of them need to be deferred? What happens when answering one worldbuilding need knocks something else askew? How much can you retcon in, and what do you do if you've written yourself into a corner? In this episode, we examine the ongoing process of worldbuilding, once the plot is already in motion.
We also look to our co-created world and consider...2021-09-2956 minWorldbuilding for MasochistsEpisode 59: Ooooh, Shiny! Crafting a World from Shiny IdeasWorldbuilding can lead an author to generate a lot of fun ideas. But how do you figure out which of those ideas can actually be integrated into your story? Is there an upper limit on how many shiny notions the weight of the narrative will bear? In this episode, we discuss the balance in worldbuilding, as well as discussing how that balance is different in novels vs role-playing games.
We also return to our collectively invented world and spend some time applying the concepts explored in recent episodes to our personal nations and our geopolitics!
Tr...2021-09-151h 10Worldbuilding for MasochistsEpisode 58: L’Etat, C’est… Quoi? ft. C.L. POLKMost speculative fiction takes place in a society that has a government of some kind. But what, exactly is a state? And how does it come to be? C.L. Polk joins us to discuss the making and breaking of nations within your fantasy worlds.
From farmboy kings to scheming dukes with surprisingly benevolent control of their printing presses, from the trials and tribulations of parliaments to the somewhat horrifying implications of magical lobbyists, we hope that you'll find ideas in here to help you craft a government to your preferred level of wonkiness.
Transcript for...2021-09-0159 minWorldbuilding for MasochistsEpisode 57: Ask a Necromancer ft. AMANDA DOWNUMHow do people in your world handle death? Spiritually, financially, emotionally -- and, as may be relevant to your plot, how do they deal with actual dead bodies? Amanda Downum joins us to discuss the details of the deceased -- and she's both a writer and a licensed mortician, so she can answer some of the questions you've been afraid to Google, lest you end up on a government watchlist!
Transcript for Episode 57 (thanks to our scribes!)
Our Guest:
Amanda was born in Virginia, and has since then spent time in Indonesia, Micronesia...2021-08-1855 minWorldbuilding for MasochistsEpisode 56: Word Building ft. SARAH BETH DURSTLet's get granular! How much can your literal language -- the individual words you use, the cadence of your sentences, a conlang, a poetic tradition -- help convey your worldbuilding? Sarah Beth Durst joins us to talk about the fine tool of wordcraft in your prose and dialogue, as well as the importance of white space on the page. She also reminds us that fantasy fiction is always better with talking cats.
Our Guest: Sarah Beth Durst is the award-winning author of over twenty fantasy books for kids, teens, and adults, including Spark, Drink Slay Love, and Th...2021-08-041h 02Worldbuilding for MasochistsEpisode 55: Epic GrimDarkPunk RomanceThe fantasy genre comes in many flavors -- but how do we tease those apart? How important are they when worldbuilding, and how much are they inventions of the demands of marketing? In this episode, we explore the structural conventions, aesthetic flourishes, and reader expectations the define the many glorious subgenres of speculative fiction.
Transcript for Episode 55 (thank you, wonderful scribes!)
2021-07-2159 minWorldbuilding for MasochistsEpisode 54: Cyberpunk Worldbuilding ft. PJ MANNEYWhen you're building for the near future, how far can you go? Is technology going to doom us, save us, or a bit of both? How does a society make that determination -- and how can your worldbuilding show those choices in action?
In this episode with guest PJ Manney, we explore cyberpunk, technothrillers, and other alternate-near-future fiction. We also spend some time teasing apart the ideas of genre, aesthetic, and plot device, and where they overlap.
Our Guest: PJ Manney is the author of the bestselling and Philip K. Dick Award nominated science fiction t...2021-07-071h 05Worldbuilding for MasochistsEpisode 53: Worldbuilding 301Our third season begins! We go back to the basics of worldbuilding -- and then we think about how to level up! When we're digging deep on our motto of "Choose, don't presume," what does that mean as we do more and more of it? How much work do you make for yourself as a writer? How does your worldbuilding serve your story and your characters? And, as always, we examine the craft of communicating those choices to the reader.
Transcript for Episode 53 (with great thanks to our scribes!)
To celebrate our third s...2021-06-231h 04Worldbuilding for MasochistsEpisode 52: Pot4riWe close out our second year of the podcast with another listener Q&A episode! Thanks to all of our wonderful listeners who supplied us with themes to riff on, from military ranks to looms to particular tools of worldbuilding.
Transcript for Episode 52 (Thank you, wonderful scribes!)
2021-06-0954 minWorldbuilding for MasochistsEpisode 51: Gender, Equality, & Gender Equality ft. E.J. BEATONGender is a construct -- so how is it built in your fantasy world? There's hardly a better place to interrogate our assumptions about societies, from ideas about marriage and family to established power structures to fashion and fripperies. E. J. Beaton joins us for a wide-ranging discussion about how we can examine, investigate, challenge, and reimagine gender and gender relations in our worldbuilding.
Our Guest: E. J. Beaton is the author of the fantasy novel The Councillor, to be published by DAW Books on March 2, 2021. She has previously published a poetry collection, Unbroken Circle (Melbourne Poets...2021-05-261h 13Worldbuilding for MasochistsEpisode 50: Playing in Somebody Else's Sandbox, ft. DELILAH DAWSON, TINI HOWARD, DAVID MACK, and MIKE CHENFor our fiftieth episode, we welcome an all-star panel of guests who write in major franchises! Delilah Dawson, Tini Howard, David Mack, and Mike Chen tell us what it's like to write for Star Wars, Star Trek, Marvel comics, and other IP worlds, from having seventeen editors to bringing their own perspectives and values to established universes.
Transcript for Episode 50 (with special kudos to our scribes for taking on the challenge of differentiating seven different voices!)
Our Guests:
Delilah Dawson: Delilah S. Dawson is the New York Times bestselling writer of Star W...2021-05-121h 20Worldbuilding for MasochistsEpisode 49: An Immodest ProposalPicture it: It's a sweltering summer day, ninety degrees in the shade, heat mirages glimmering on the horizon. Can your characters strip down to their skivvies? Roll up their sleeves? Hike up their skirts? Or might they be shamed for so much as unbuttoning their collar? What cultural factors of religion, economy, gender, and sexuality play into that decision?
In this episode, we discuss conventions of modesty, nudity, bragging, virtue-signalling, and other details of culture that you can use when building a multi-faceted and nuanced fantasy world! We also take a few moments to (immodestly) discuss our...2021-04-2857 minWorldbuilding for MasochistsEpisode 48: That Belongs in a Museum, ft. MARINA LOSTETTERIf your character finds an ancient mask half-buried in a field, is that just a cool remnant of an older culture, or are they about to unleash a demonic apocalypse? This week, Marina Lostetter joins us to talk about artefacts, archaeology, and the interpretation of material culture over time!
Some of the ancient artefacts in your world might be plot-driving vessels of magic, wonder, or absolute chaos, but the everyday objects that get preserved and protected --or not! -- can communicate a lot of information about your world's history, values, and cultural shifts.
Transcript for...2021-04-1458 minWorldbuilding for MasochistsEpisode 47: The Timey-Wimey EpisodeDoes anybody really know what time it is? Does anybody really care? Well... Yeah! If you're building a world, the concept of the passage of time is likely to matter. How long is your year? How do you name the months and days? How small or large are your units of measuring time? And how can you convey all of that to a reader without making it feel like a freshman year language course?
In this wibbly-wobbly episode, we discuss the ever-present yet often-arbitrary division and definition of time and how it can work in your fantasy...2021-03-3157 minWorldbuilding for MasochistsEpisode 46: Join in If You Know the Chorus, Ft. C. L. CLARKFrom ballads to books to TikToks, how do the people in your world communicate their own stories and information? The consideration involves answering a lot of questions about literacy, technology, and your culture's values. C. L. Clark, author of The Unbroken, joins us to discuss the texts-within-texts and how to build them into your fantasy world!
Our Guest: Cherae graduated from Indiana University’s creative writing MFA and was a 2012 Lambda Literary Fellow. She’s been a personal trainer, an English teacher, and an editor, and is some combination thereof as she travels the world. When she’s not wr...2021-03-171h 03Worldbuilding for MasochistsEpisode 45: Let’s Be DiplomaticWhen you're trying to solve a problem with minimal stabbing, call in the diplomats! In this episode, we discuss the above-board negotiations of formal diplomats, the social maneuverings of informal national representatives, and the super-shady dealings of spies.
How interconnected or isolationist are the nations of your world? How do tech and magic affect diplomatic relations or spycraft? We explore these questions and more!
Transcript for Episode 45 (thank you, scribes!)
Info on Hugo Award Nominations and the eligibility spreadsheet!
2021-03-031h 04Worldbuilding for MasochistsEpisode 44: Old MacDonald Had a DragonIf OldMacDonald has a dragon, how does he stable it? This episode explores domesticated animals in fantasy worldbuilding, from the useful cart-pullers to the companion animals who are purely there for scritchies. How does your world manage the animals who live alongside us? And what happens when those creatures can do things like breathe fire, open portals, or channel magical force?
Transcript for Episode 44 (Thank you, scribes!)
2021-02-171h 08Worldbuilding for MasochistsEpisode 43: Getting There is Half the Fun, ft. KATE ELLIOTTJourneys are a staple element of fantasy plots -- but just how do people get around in your world? Kate Elliott, author of Unconquerable Sun, joins us to discuss the feet, hooves, wings, wheels, portals, and other forms of transportation that allow your characters to go a-questing! We also consider the implications that may arise for communication, trade, and social etiquette based on how you structure those transportation systems.
Our Guest: As a child in rural Oregon, Kate Elliott made up stories because she longed to escape to a world of lurid adventure fiction. She now writes fa...2021-02-031h 08Worldbuilding for MasochistsEpisode 42: Life, Worldbuilding, & Everything, ft. STINA LEICHTSo once you've done your worldbuilding, how exactly do you present it to the reader? Stina Leicht joins us to consider how much information to work in, when to do it, and other elements of the wordcraft of worldbuilding.
Transcript for Episode 42 (Thank you, Scribes!)
2021-01-2052 minWorldbuilding for MasochistsEpisode 41: Myths, Legends and Other Lies of History ft. Marie Brennan & Alyc Helms (M.A. Carrick)We humans are "meaning-making" creatures -- So what stories do your characters tell about themselves, their world, and their culture? The writing team of Marie Brennan and Alyc Helms, who together make up M. A. Carrick, join us to talk about weaving the myths, legends, and folklore that can help your imagined world feel fully textured and lived-in!
Transcript for Episode 41 (thank you, lovely scribes!)
2021-01-061h 17Worldbuilding for MasochistsEpisode 40: The Sacred and the Profane, ft. K. B. WAGERS!We get asked about fantasy cussing all the time -- but before you can explore profanity, you have to decide what a culture holds sacred. What objects, rituals, or social contracts are inviolable? What bodily functions are unseemly for public discourse? What lines are there between etiquette and sacralization? Author K. B. Wagers joins us to explore building concepts of the sacred and the profane into your imagined world!
Transcript for Episode 40 (with thanks to our scribes! who had to do a lot of referential parsing in this episode, particularly)
2020-12-231h 14Worldbuilding for MasochistsEpisode 39: Episode 39: Three-pourriIt's another viewer Q&A episode! Your hosts answer your queries on topics such as magic and disability, art styles that suit our stories, and the bits of worldbuilding we've poured our hearts and masochistic minds into but haven't managed to fit into our books yet. Plus, cooking with angel meat.
Transcript for Episode 39 (with thanks to our amazing scribes!)
2020-12-0957 minWorldbuilding for MasochistsEpisode 38: Writing the Dark Side ft. ANNA STEPHENSWhether you're taking down an Evil Emperor or a whole Evil Empire, how do you build antagonists into your world? Anna Stephens, author of The Stone Knife, joins us to discuss the parameters of villainous behavior.
Transcript for Episode 38, with thanks to our scribes!
2020-11-2559 minWorldbuilding for MasochistsEpisode 37: Names Are Hard -- A Deep Dive into WFM’s Shared WorldIn this episode, your hosts apply some of the considerations from the past several episodes to the world we're co-building! From "Griasta Man is at it again" to a community run by Virgos, we take you inside some specific "Choose; don't presume" moments.
Transcript for Episode 37 (Thank you, scribes!)
2020-11-111h 06Worldbuilding for MasochistsEpisode 36: Toil and TroubleAre you a good witch or a bad witch? Well, that really depends on how your world conceives of witchcraft, doesn't it? In this episode, we discuss witches: what form their powers take, what sets them apart from other kinds of magic users, how do you know someone's a witch, and what to make of all those familiars hanging 'round the place.
(Cass apologizes for some fading audio in this episode. She's getting a better mic, she promises).
Transcript for Episode 36, with thanks to our amazing scribes!
2020-10-2857 minWorldbuilding for MasochistsEpisode 35: The Circle of LifeFrom youth to veneration, from cradle to grave, how does your fantasy world imagine the phases of life? In this episode, we think about the factors that influence a society's concept of aging: biological, economic, and cultural. What happens when your long-lived elves and your mayfly fairies live next door to each other? Are your adolescents adults-in-training or wild-and-free teenyboppers? And who would really want to take care of Baby Yoda for over a century of toddlerhood?
(Transcript for Episode 35, with thanks to the scribe crew!)
2020-10-141h 02Worldbuilding for MasochistsEpisode 34: The Reluctant Worldbuilder (ft. MIKE CHEN)Your WfM hosts are authors naturally-inclined to overcomplicate their writing lives -- but what if your instincts run the opposite direction? "Science fiction with feelings" author Mike Chen joins us to discuss reverse-engineering worldbuilding from plot, maintaining consistency, using POV to communicate your world, and the most complex pizza ordering of all time.
Transcript for Episode 34 (with thanks to the scribes!)
2020-09-301h 06Worldbuilding for MasochistsEpisode 33: Disability and Inclusion ft. ELSA SJUNNESONFantasy literature hasn't always done well by people with disabilities. So how can we do better? Guest Elsa Sjunneson helps us think about possible ways to design a fantasy world with disabilities in mind: avoiding problematic tropes like magic cures, creating thaumaturgically-responsive buildings, and training service wyverns! We also explore the issues of community, economics, and technology that can inform how a society relates to disability.
NB: Some of the original audio for this episode was lost and had to be recovered from our back-up. We apologize for a touch of degraded quality that resulted from that...2020-09-1655 minWorldbuilding for MasochistsEpisode 32: There’s No Place Like Home ft. ZORAIDA CÓRDOVAWhen fantasy stories are so much about adventure, what is the function of home? The amazing Zoraida Córdova joins us to discuss domestic spaces and how to fit them into your worldbuilding! Is home a place? A people? A ritual? Is it somewhere you escape from, something you defend, or your last refuge?
Transcript for Episode 32 (thank you, scribes!)
2020-09-0259 minWorldbuilding for MasochistsEpisode 31: Living by the Sword ft. MICHAEL R UNDERWOODGuest Michael R. Underwood joins us to discuss military cultures in fantasy worlds! If your story has warfare, what does that mean for the structure of your society? Do you have a standing army, a militia on-call, feudal obligations? How do technology and economy play into your military configuration? And what does your all-important training montage look like?
Transcript for Episode 31 (thank you, scribes!)
2020-08-191h 07Worldbuilding for MasochistsEpisode 30: Fantasy Race and Avoiding Fantasy Racism ft. K. TEMPEST BRADFORD, K.S. VILLOSO, and SARAH GUAN!K. Tempest Bradford, K. S. Villoso, and Sarah Guan join us for a panel discussing race and racism in fantasy worldbuilding. What sort of things does an author need to be mindful of when integrating real-world, real-world-inspired, or invented races into worldbuilding? How do tropes of fantasy species, like orcs and elves, or of magical races, like wizards and Valyrians, perpetuate harmful ideas? And how can we best examine our own biases and commit to digging out the bigotry that systematic racism has put in our heads?
For a deeper dive into this and related t...2020-08-051h 16Worldbuilding for MasochistsEpisode 29: Cornerstones and Building BlocksWhether your protagonist is a wholesome farm worker, a high-flying politico, or a bone-weary traveler, sooner or later, there's a good chance they'll end up in The City. But that city can be a character in its own right -- and that means putting some world-building work into figuring out why it exists, how it grew, what sort of people live there, and how they organize their lives! In this episode, we delve deep into the architecture and infrastructure of cities.
Transcript for Episode 29 (Thank you, scribes!)
2020-07-221h 05Worldbuilding for MasochistsEpisode 28: Framing the ConceptPhysical art colors the world around us -- literally! But how do we translate that into the written word? This week, we explore the difference between art and craft, art for public consumption versus private enjoyment, political messages in portraits and sculpture and graffiti, and how those details can communicate the values and trends in the world you're writing.
Transcript for Episode 28 (Thank you, scribes!)
2020-07-0857 minWorldbuilding for MasochistsEpisode 27: Potpourri 2: 2 Pot, 2 Pourri (Welcome to Season 2!)We begin Year 2 of the podcast by answering questions from listeners and introducing our new co-host, Cass Morris! We chat about architecture, city design, profanity, and other topics that may well spin out into full episodes as the year goes on. If you're new to the podcast, welcome! This is a great place to start. If you're a devoted follower of the podcast, welcome back! We're delighted to have you tuning in.
Transcript for Episode 27 (thank you, scribes!)
2020-06-241h 03Worldbuilding for MasochistsEpisode 26: Take Pride in your Worldbuilding featuring K.A. DOORE!Guest K.A. Doore joins us to talk about queer worldbuilding! What are ways to think about approaching queernorm in crafting second world fantasy? What ripple effects does normalizing queerness add to your world?
Transcript for this episode (Thanks again, scribes!)
2020-06-1055 minWorldbuilding for MasochistsEpisode 25: Rebel Scum and the Evil Empire Featuring ANDREA STEWART!Fabulous guest ANDREA STEWART joins us to talk empires and rebellions, including the worldbuilding for the empire in Bone Shard Daughter! Don't miss this episode--it's revolting. In the best way possible.
Transcript for this episode
2020-05-2849 minWorldbuilding for MasochistsEpisode 24: Dress for the Quest You Want Featuring MELISSA CARUSO!Whether you're outfitting a fictional warrior for battle, a farmer for work, or a hapless Hobbit for a very long walk, the pragmatic and aesthetic elements of and individual's clothing and gear are an essential part of fantasy worldbuilding! Join us as we chat with Melissa Caruso (author of the Swords and Fire trilogy and, forthcoming, The Obsidian Tower).
Transcript for this episode
2020-05-131h 01Worldbuilding for MasochistsEpisode 23: We Are Gathered Together Featuring TOCHI ONYEBUCHI!People can make a ceremony out of just about anything--life events, accomplishments, afternoon tea. Why, and how, and what can it convey about the world our characters live in? Featuring TOCHI ONYEBUCHI!
Transcript for this episode
2020-04-291h 03Worldbuilding for MasochistsEpisode 22: First We Eat (Featuring CASS MORRIS!)We've finally done it--we're talking about food! Buffets of food description are a fantasy trope, but why is food so important to worldbuilding, anyway?
Transcript for this episode.
2020-04-1558 minWorldbuilding for MasochistsEpisode 21: Medicine and the Concept of the Body (Featuring FREYA MARSKE!)Bodies may not be technically required in fantasy, but most of our characters have 'em...what medicine and concept of physical health and self do they have?
Transcript for this episode
2020-04-0156 minWorldbuilding for MasochistsEpisode 20: When Two Wizards Love Each Other Very Much... (feat. Cat Sebastian!)On this week's episode we're joined by the fabulous romance author Cat Sebastian while we do some SEXY worldbuilding. With, like, slow jazz and shit. Saxophones. Rose petals on the bed. The whole thing. Get cozy!
The transcript of this episode is available here!
2020-03-181h 01Worldbuilding for MasochistsEpisode 19: TriskadekaphiliaOn today's episode, we're doing a deep-dive and building up that Thirteen Families culture that we mentioned a little while back! From the ground up, here we go!
The transcript of this episode is available here.
2020-03-041h 02
Worldbuilding for MasochistsEpisode 18: Monuments and WondersOn this week's episode, we're talking about the wonders of the world, both natural and man-made, and how they can enrich your settings!
The transcript of this episode is available here. Thank you to our wonderful scribes!!
2020-02-191h 01Worldbuilding for MasochistsEpisode 17: A Brief History of... (featuring S.A. Chakraborty)This week, we're joined by S.A. Chakraborty, author of the Daevabad trilogy (The City of Brass, The Kingdom of Copper and, forthcoming, The Empire of Gold) while we talk about the loooooong game: Not just recent local history, but thousands or tens of thousands of years of world history.
The transcript for this episode is available here. Throw a bouquet of roses to your local scribes!!
2020-02-051h 03Worldbuilding for MasochistsEpisode 16: A Game of Anything But ThronesOn this week's episode, we're talking politics. Yeah, yeah, we know, but we're gonna try to make it fun. Like, why does fantasy fixate so hard on monarchies, anyway??
The transcript of this episode is available here.
2020-01-221h 01Worldbuilding for MasochistsEpisode 15: PotpourriListeners have sent us questions, and we spend the episode answering them, and each of these questions was juicy enough to make a whole episode out of alone. So you get to hear random morsels of joy that you would only get with a Listener Questions: about travelogue plots and caraco jackets and crownball, whatever that is.
Transcript for the episode is here. Thank you to our wonderful scribes!
2020-01-0855 minWorldbuilding for MasochistsEpisode 14: Have Yourself A Merry Little SomethingHappy Holidays, dear listeners! This week, we're talking about worldbuilding holidays, and we giggle pretty much the entire time!
Transcript is available here. Blessings upon the heads of our wonderful scribes!
2019-12-2558 minWorldbuilding for MasochistsEpisode 13: And Now A Reading From The Sacred Text... (feat. Tasha Suri)On this week's episode, we're joined by our glamorous guest, Tasha Suri, author of EMPIRE OF SAND and REALM OF ASH to talk about worldbuilding religions!
Transcript is available here
2019-12-1158 minWorldbuilding for MasochistsEpisode 12: The Play’s The Thing (feat. Cass Morris!)We're joined this week by glamorous guest star Cass Morris, Shakespeare scholar and author of FROM UNSEEN FIRE, to talk about art and pop-culture in fantasy worldbuilding!
The transcript for this episode is here. Thank you to our excellent scribes!
2019-11-271h 03Worldbuilding for MasochistsEpisode 11: Threads of LifeRowenna and Alex are going a bit feral this week to talk about fiber arts! Marshall Ryan Maresca asks some good smart questions!
The transcript for this episode is available here. Huge thanks to our scribes!!!
2019-11-1357 minWorldbuilding for MasochistsEpisode 10: Death Becomes UsOn this very spooky episode of WFM, we're discussing the customs and practices surrounding death!
The transcript of this episode is available here. (HUGE THANKS to our wonderful scribes!!!)
2019-10-301h 00Worldbuilding for MasochistsEpisode 9: Picking the Ties that Bind (with guest star RJ Theodore)Author RJ Theodore joins us this week to talk about worldbuilding family structures!
Episode transcript here.
2019-10-161h 03Worldbuilding for MasochistsEpisode 8: A Trip Over the TongueOn today's episode we're finally getting around to naming some stuff, and that means we're talking about languages! Conlangs, language and culture, lots of tasty stuff!
The transcript document is here.
If you enjoy the podcast, join in on our fan discord chat!
2019-10-021h 02Worldbuilding for MasochistsEpisode 7: Just Shake and Add MagicToday we're talking about building magic systems into the world!
The transcript for this episode can be found here. (It's still in progress, so if you'd like to transcribe a couple minutes to help out your fellow World Builders, feel free! :D)
2019-09-181h 01Worldbuilding for MasochistsEpisode 6: An Interlude with Spreadsheets (with guest star Jenn Lyons!)We're joined today by Jenn Lyons, author of THE RUIN OF KINGS, to talk about methods of organizing your worldbuilding! We give some cool recs for programs to use, and some of us admit to using more simple and chaotic methods of keeping everything in line.
The transcript of this episode is available here. Thank you so much to our amazing scribes who have volunteered their time to assist with this: Eunice, Kate, and C, you're amazing!!
2019-09-0456 minWorldbuilding for MasochistsEpisode 5: People in a Petri DishThis week we're talking big questions about people, culture, population, and technology! Let's make some civilizations!
Read the transcript here!
2019-08-2258 minWorldbuilding for MasochistsEpisode 4: Civilization and You! (with guest star Fonda Lee!)This week we are joined by the amazing author Fonda Lee to talk about the basics of creating civilizations for your fantasy world!
Read the transcript here!
Check out the map here!
2019-08-0753 minWorldbuilding for MasochistsEpisode 3: As Narrated by David AttenboroughWe're talking about building flora and fauna for the world! Come get some biomes!
Transcript available here.
2019-07-241h 00Worldbuilding for MasochistsEpisode 2: Terra Firma and the FirmamentOn today's episode, we're talking about drawing maps and creating solar systems, and we begin to build our very own world from the... ahem... ground up. ;)
Transcript for Episode 2
[Note, November 2022: The links mentioned in this podcast are, alas! lost to the vagaries of time. We apologize for any inconvenience.]
2019-07-1052 min