nightspeakswrites

[nightspeakswrites]

If your plot feels flat, STUDY it! Your story might be lacking...

Stakes - What would happen if the protagonist failed? Would it really be such a bad thing if it happened?

Thematic relevance - Do the events of the story speak to a greater emotional or moral message? Is the conflict resolved in a way that befits the theme?

Urgency - How much time does the protagonist have to complete their goal? Are there multiple factors complicating the situation?

Drive - What motivates the protagonist? Are they an active player in the story, or are they repeatedly getting pushed around by external forces? Could you swap them out for a different character with no impact on the plot? On the flip side, do the other characters have sensible motivations of their own?

Yield - Is there foreshadowing? Do the protagonist's choices have unforeseen consequences down the road? Do they use knowledge or clues from the beginning, to help them in the end? Do they learn things about the other characters that weren't immediately obvious?

[nightspeakswrites]

[nightspeakswrites]

The Creator

Most of the peoples of Aellerim can agree that whomever the Creator was, he as a benevolent being who brought about the world on a whim, and left it for the enjoyment of other gods. In human and elven cultures, they believe the Creator was a benevolent painter, using the cosmos as his canvas, painting the rosy glow of light in the sky, and the mountains and the trees, always in groups, because everybody needs a friend. And because the painter was very fond of small critters he painted some little animals - the squirrels and the jackalopes bringing him particular joy. When he was finished, he showed his creation to other gods of the cosmos, and they marvelled, each having their own ideas for creations to add to the world the painter had made. The painter’s own daughter, Ghilan'nain, asked for her own creature to be painted, and so the creator painted a pure, white deer - the sacred halla. The Young Mother of the Halla was delighted, and the Creator smiled, pleased with her joy and the interest of the other gods. He began to show them how they could add their own creations to the cosmos.  He began with simple things - other types of trees and shrubs, a far distant shore, shrouded in mist, larger creatures, wind and clouds, and lots of water to reflect the beauty of the sky and mountains he’d started with. In time, many gods added their own creations to the world. The elves believe that Corellon Larethian painted the first people, the high elves from which they descended. Matar and Rana worked together and brought about humanity. The gnomes have their own progenitors, and the halflings, and others. The Rebellor, Fen’Harel was mischievous, and added deeper shadows and mist, giving greater depth and mystery to the new world.

#wbj #wbj 2019 #world building june #day 4 #creation myth #inspired by Bob Ross #I've also pulled in some #Dragon Age #becase why not #halla are wonderful #fen'harel #DnD writing #nightspeakswriting

[nightspeakswrites]

The Common Tongue

Most speak a common tongue, though each race generally has their own native language as well. Regions may also have local dialects or accents. There are also languages for various planar entities. The human region of Iwakami has its own dialect of Common, as does Bokmaraw. Likewise, the Elvish spoken in Ollelon is somewhat different from that of Thavathallas. The Druids of Breysummit also have their own spoken language.

Language                    Script                    Spoken By

Abyssal                         Infernal                  Demons Celestial                        Celestial                Celestials Common                       Common               Humans Deep Speech                None                     Mind flayers beholders Draconic                        Draconic               Dragons, Dragonborn, Lizardfolk Druidic                           None                     Druids Dwarvish                       Dwarvish               Dwarves, Duergar Elvish                            Elvish                     Elves, Half-elves Giant                             Dwarvish               Ogres, Giants Gnomish                       Dwarvish               Gnomes Goblin                           Dwarvish               Goblinoids Halfling                         Common                Halflings Infernal                         Infernal                  Devils, Tieflings Orc                               Dwarvish                Orcs, Half-orcs Primordial                     Dwarvish                Elementals Sylvan                          Elvish                      Fey, Elves Undercommon             Elvish                      Drow, Deep Gnomes, Duergar

#wbj #wbj 2019 #world building june #dnd writing #aellerim #day 11

[nightspeakswrites]

gender & sexuality in Aellerim

Some regions are more tolerant and accepting than others, but in general there are no laws about who can be with who.  Some groups may have marriage arrangements, but those are specific only within those communities. Depending on culture, gender may be expressed in a variety of ways, from societal roles to manner of dress or grooming styles. The most commonly used pronouns are They, He, and She.

#aellerim #wbj #wbj 2019 #world building june #dnd writing #day 6

[nightspeakswrites]

Who goes there?

Aellerim is a home to many races (all those found in D&D). Elves, Half-Elves, Humans, Orcs, Half-Orcs, Dwarves, Gnomes, Halflings, Tieflings, Drow, Dragonborn, Lizardfolk, Firbolg, and many others besides.

#aellerim #wbj #wbj 2019 #world building june #dnd writing #day 3

[nightspeakswrites]

Show Me the Money

In general, all cultures on the Continent use metal (by weight) as their chief currency, (i.e. Platinum, gold, silver, electrum, copper). Often, a region’s coins are stamped with the insignia of the region, but this typically does not affect the coin’s value. Many regions also accept gemstones or barter for other goods/services. 

Beyond the Continent, most believe that the denizens of The Dead Isle and the fae and deities and creatures of The Severed Territories have little use for coins, and instead trade in favors, magic, and other rarities.

#wbj #wbj 2019 #day 7 #dnd writing #world building june #aellerim

[nightspeakswrites]

It is rumored that The Dead Isle is led by a litch king, Thael’ghah.

Who’s in power?

In general, each city has its own power structure - mayor, governor, town council, chief, elder. Some regions are grouped into larger empires or kingdoms. There is no single ruler of Aellerim or even just of the Continent. There are various pacts and treaties between groups, and some cultures historically tend to band together in times of need.

In terms of size and political power, the most important regions are: Blindhill (halfling), Whitewell (human), Kanelduhr (dwarf), Thavathallas (elf), Dorheim (human), Ashgarten, Abenrath (gnome), Bokmaraw, Bharan Okh (orc), Wrathfall (mixed, drow), Kilmourn (mixed, drow, tiefling), Aerwatch (dragonborn), Breysummit (druid), and Zephham (firbolg).

[nightspeakswrites]

Who’s in power?

In general, each city has its own power structure - mayor, governor, town council, chief, elder. Some regions are grouped into larger empires or kingdoms. There is no single ruler of Aellerim or even just of the Continent. There are various pacts and treaties between groups, and some cultures historically tend to band together in times of need.

In terms of size and political power, the most important regions are: Blindhill (halfling), Whitewell (human), Kanelduhr (dwarf), Thavathallas (elf), Dorheim (human), Ashgarten, Abenrath (gnome), Bokmaraw, Bharan Okh (orc), Wrathfall (mixed, drow), Kilmourn (mixed, drow, tiefling), Aerwatch (dragonborn), Breysummit (druid), and Zephham (firbolg).

#aellerim #wbj #world building #world building june #wbj 2019 #day 8 #power #rulers #dnd writing #nightspeakswriting

[nightspeakswrites]

Mapmaker, Mapmaker Make Me a Map

Aellerim has about 50% of its surface covered with water. Most of the habitable world is one massive landmass to the west, with a few scatters fractal chains of islands parting the Central Sea, and the far eastern Severed Territories (a skinny continent at the edge of the known map). Most the Continent is full of life and vegetation, covered in forests and grasslands. The Northeast has the densest forests, full of tall pines and evergreens that can survive harsh winters. The Drylands cut from the northwest down toward the southeast, with dryer grasslands and deserts at some points, especially in the Dormant Terrain and the orcish territories of Qarok and Bharan Okh. There are more tropical regions across the center of the Continent, and a few large lakes fed by a multitude of rivers. Mountains are few on the Continent, without any long ranges creating a spine across the land. Most mountains are found toward the east, amongst The Drylands, and the tallest among them, Daneldhur, hosts the great dwarven cities of Dandhir (at the eastern base of the mountain) and Kaneldhur (tunnelling deep below the surface).

#aellerim map

[nightspeakswrites]

Mapmaker, Mapmaker Make Me a Map

Aellerim has about 50% of its surface covered with water. Most of the habitable world is one massive landmass to the west, with a few scatters fractal chains of islands parting the Central Sea, and the far eastern Severed Territories (a skinny continent at the edge of the known map). Most the Continent is full of life and vegetation, covered in forests and grasslands. The Northeast has the densest forests, full of tall pines and evergreens that can survive harsh winters. The Drylands cut from the northwest down toward the southeast, with dryer grasslands and deserts at some points, especially in the Dormant Terrain and the orcish territories of Qarok and Bharan Okh. There are more tropical regions across the center of the Continent, and a few large lakes fed by a multitude of rivers. Mountains are few on the Continent, without any long ranges creating a spine across the land. Most mountains are found toward the east, amongst The Drylands, and the tallest among them, Daneldhur, hosts the great dwarven cities of Dandhir (at the eastern base of the mountain) and Kaneldhur (tunnelling deep below the surface).

#wbj #wbj 2019 #world building #world building june #dnd writing #aellerim

[nightspeakswrites]

New world, who dis?

A fantasy realm full of magic and monsters, heroes and quests. Dominated by an eastern sea, most have never seen the far shores of the Severed Territories, a place where the veils between planes wears thin. Adventures abound amongst the kingdoms, tribes, and factions that have cared out home for themselves on the Continent. Will your hero venture to the dry wastes of the Dormant Terrain in search of long lost treasures? Will your holy clerics and paladins seek to cleanse The Dead Isle as a waypoint toward the severed Territories? Is your warrior ready to brave the frontlines as battle looms between disparate peoples? Will your thief plan a heist to nick a rare artefact from the nobles of Whitewell? Adventure awaits you in the world of Aellerim.

#wbj #wbj 2019 #world building #world building june #aellerim #DnD writing

[nightspeakswrites]

World Building June Prompts 2019

The prompts from this year are same as last (mostly due to May being heck) but remember the prompts are always optional, and if you’ve already thoroughly covered a topic of your world or if it isn’t relevant feel free to replace it, or work on another prompt, which you feel could use some extra love and attention!

1. Tell us about your world, what’s it about? 2. What’s the Geography of your world? 3. Who lives in your world? 4. What’s its history? (How did it come to be?) 5. What sorts of civilizations and architecture fill your world? 6. How does gender & sexuality work in your world? 7. How does the economy work in your world? What sorts of currencies do they use? 8. How is your world run? Who’s in power? 9. What are the religions and cosmology of your world? 10. What holidays & traditions are observed in your world? 11. What’s language like in your world? 12. What creatures inhabit your world? 13. What plants cover your world? 14. What do people eat in your world? 15. What technology is used in your world? 16. What magic exists in your world? 17. What’s medicine and healthcare like in your world? 18. What are the fashion norms in your world? 19. How are wars fought in your world? 20. What sorts of weapons & armor are used in your world? 21. What do people do for fun in your world? 22. What do people do for work in your world? 23. What’s the sky like in your world? 24. What places are still unexplored in your world? 25. What do people carry with them on a daily basis in your world? 26. What sorts of art exist in your world? 27. How do people get around in your world? 28. Who’s important in your world? 29. How do people communicate with each other in your world? 30. What’s the weather like in your world?

[nightspeakswrites]

Even More notes on writing deaf characters

Talking

People talk to themselves and that includes Deaf people

I sometimes sign to myself, but whether I mutter or sign depends on why I’m talking to myself

Cooking? Verbal speech to keep myself on task. Trying to work out an emotional scene? Signed speech.

And using my whole body to talk to myself is allows more creative freedom

Also even if a Deaf person identifies as non-verbal, they might still talk

maybe a hearing person wouldn’t recognise it as speech, but sound is a part of signed language

so muttering and breath-noises are common.

It’s also worth mentioning that “sounding deaf” isn’t what you think it is.

We don’t yell or make incoherent noises (usually)

and even if we do, that’s fine

but generally, people who are Deaf over-enunciate and speak very clearly.

This is either intuitive and perfected over time, or taught in speech therapy.

“How much can you hear”

People love to ask this question, and I can’t give them an answer.

Unless I’m feeling snippy. Then I usually ask “Well how much do you hear?”

They can’t answer either.

Ergo, if you’re hearing and writing a d/Deaf character, don’t compare the way they hear the world to the way that a fully hearing person would.

Be particularly wary of percentages

I’m 75% deaf

and I have no idea what that means

because hearing loss is very nuanced.

I’ve met someone who is 80% deaf, but she could hear in pitch ranges that I couldn’t.

Hearing aids don’t emulate sound either

so how a d/Deaf character hears with them in won’t be at the level a hearing person would

it’s also very obvious that the sound is electronically enhanced.

Putting in earplugs and walking around like that will not provide “Deaf experience”

you’re better to listen to Deaf people telling you how they experience the world.

The craft itself

Don’t fret about your word choices initially

you have the privilege of hearing and that’s okay

you take sound for granted, don’t worry about it.

(Yet)

Once you’ve got the story how you want it, set aside a whole revision just for using the right language if your POV character is Deaf

printing out your manuscript in a different font is very helpful

it’ll make it easier to pick out “red flag” words and phrases.

Whenever you find a chunk of writing focused on sound/hearing, highlight it

and then tear it apart.

Can your character actually hear that owl hooting, or would the background noise be too blurry?

Would your character hear the sound as it is, or would they have an association that overrules the sense?

I.e. do they see a raven open it’s beak and think about black bubbles of ink in their throat? I know I do.

Cross out any hyper-focus on sounds or re-write them in a different way.

The golden rule

Don’t write deaf characters

Write people who happen to be deaf

Please, include us.

Thank.

[nightspeakswrites]

More often than not I’ll crack into a sprawling fantasy series and, while I appreciate the luscious descriptions of furniture, landscapes, and clothing, all I’m focused on is that I don’t actually know how this world works. I only know what it looks like.  

Including some functionality to your universe can add to immersion and give your reader a strong foundation on which to build their mental model of your universe. 

You certainly don’t need to use all of these questions! In fact, I recommend against that, as all of these certainly won’t make it into your final draft. I personally find that starting my worldbuilding off with 5 to 10 functional questions helps pave the way for glittery and elaborate aesthetic development later on.

How is the healthcare funded in your world?

How does healthcare functionally differ between the wealthy and the poor? (i.e. can only the wealthy go to hospitals? do poor families often have to rely on back-alley procedures?)

Where are health centers (i.e. hospitals, small clinics, etc.) organized in your cities?

Does it differ in smaller towns?

How does this affect people’s ability to get healthcare?

Is healthcare magical, and if it is, how does that affect the healthcare system? 

If healing is instantaneous, how does that affect people’s views on injury, illness, and chronic ailments?

If you have both magical and physical healthcare, which one is deemed superior and how does that affect society? 

What illnesses are common in your world? 

How does this affect daily life? 

What do the people in your world think illnesses are? 

Is it a miasma theory? 

Humor theory? 

Demons? 

Do they know about biological viruses and bacteria? 

How does this affect healthcare?

How do people get water? 

Is the water sanitary and if not, how do they sanitize it?

How does agriculture work? 

Is it large corporations or individual farms?

What sort of agricultural technology exists in your world and how does it affect food production?

Are farmers wealthy or poor?

What sort of natural resources does your world/country(ies) have and how are they obtained?

How does this affect the average wealth of the country?

How does this wealth affect the culture? 

What livestock or beasts of burden are most valued? Least valued? Why?

What is considered a luxury good vs. a regular good?

What forms of transportation does your world have?

What classes use what forms of transportation?

How far has the average citizen traveled, given your transportation limitations?

Which cities are the most accessible and which are the least? Why?

How do popular transportation methods change how cities/towns are laid out?

Does your world have public transportation? What is it?

Is there a coming-of-age aspect to travel?

Describe your world’s postal system or whatever equivalent there is. 

Who pays for it? 

How reliable is it? 

Are there emergency methods for transporting information?

How does your world keep time (i.e. watches, sundials, water clock, etc.)?

Does your world have a currency system, barter system, or something else? 

If you have multiple countries, do different currencies have different values across said countries?

How does this affect travel?

Do you have banks in your world and if so, how are they run?

Who owns the banks? Government? Wealthy? How does this affect the economy and/or class system?

How does credit operate in your universe?

Does your world operate more on big corporations or small business? Something in between?

How are workers/labourers treated in your world? 

Are there workers unions and if so, what are common views on unions? 

Describe your tax system. If you don’t have a tax system, explain why and how your world is affected by that. 

Can certain social classes not own property, certain livestock, certain businesses, etc.? Why?

How are business records kept? Are business records kept?

If your world has technology, does your world prioritize developing entertainment tech, communications tech, transportation tech or something else entirely?

What does this say about your world?

How does this affect your economy?

To the closest approximation, what type of government does your world have? 

How are rulers/presidents/nobles put in place? 

How much power does an individual ruler have? 

Is there a veto process? 

If you have multiple countries, do they have different types of rulers?

Describe any large-scale alliances (i.e. countries, factions, etc.) that are present in your world. 

How did they come about and how are they maintained? 

Are they strained or peaceful? 

How does it affect the greater politics of your world?

Describe how wars are fought both internationally and nationally. 

Do methods of war differ between countries/races? 

What about philosophies about war?

If there is a military, what is its hierarchy structure?

How does the military recruit?

Is the military looked upon favourably in your society?

What weapons are used by each country/type of people during warfare, and how does that affect war strategies?

Describe the sentencing system of your world. 

Is your accused innocent until proven guilty, or guilty until proven innocent?

How are lawbreakers punished? 

If you have prisons, describe how they are organized and run, and who owns them. 

Does differing ownership change how the prisons operate?

What are the major ways in which laws between countries vary? 

Do laws between cities vary? If so, how and why?

How does citizenship work in your world? What rights and privileges do citizens have that others do not? 

Can certain classes or races not become citizens?

Are there certain taboo subjects or opinions that artist/authors/musicians are not allowed to depict (i.e. portraying the official religion in a negative light, explicit sexual material, etc.)? What does this say about your society?

How do people get around these censorship laws?

What is the official hierarchy of duty in your world? (i.e. is family the most important, or patriotism? What about clan?)

How many languages are there in your world, and how many languages share a common origin? 

How many people are multilingual? 

Which language is the most common?

How is multilingualism viewed?

How are different languages viewed? (i.e. is one language ugly/barbaric while another is romantic and sensual?)

Feel free to add your own questions in reblogs or in comments!

[nightspeakswrites]

You know what’s fun to write? Healthy relationships. 

I don’t mean in the sense that healthy relationships are important to portray in fiction–no, I mean, they’re actually enjoyable to scribble down. Think of these examples:

A and B kicking ass together 👍

A and B believing in and listening to each other 👍

A and B communicating their problems (doubles as good scene-setting to further explore the characters’ reactions to stress) 👍

Makeout sessions 👍

Quick kisses that makes one/both smile 👍

One swearing to protect the other and then doing it 👍

A and B both contributing to the other’s character development in sweet and positive ways 👍

One recognizing the other’s faults but not letting the knowledge overshadow why they love their partner 👍

One doing something nice for the other, even if it’s in the middle of a battle for the fate of the world 👍

A and B overcoming all the torture you throw at them but never losing their friendship and sense of peace when they’re together 👍

and more

There’s something to writing unhealthy relationships, in the sense of drama and conflict, but there’s no reason a healthy one can’t have drama and conflict while the characters still work to make their partner happy. There’s also something to not throwing unneeded drama and conflict at them, allowing them to interact with themselves and the story in positive ways. Honestly, it’s refreshing and puts a smile on your face (or, at least it puts one on mine). It shows everyone else what the characters prioritize: a healthy dynamic with the person they care about most. It doesn’t have to be boring.

(Also applies to non-monogamous and platonic relationships.)

[nightspeakswrites]