Halloween’s over for this year, in the U.S. this coming weekend it’s time to turn the clocks back an hour as Daylight Savings Time ends, and with the arrival of November comes the annual event called National Novel Writing Month.
To explain what it is, I’ll let this quote from the organization’s website provide you with some background:
National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo) is a fun, seat-of-your-pants approach to creative writing. On November 1, participants begin working towards the goal of writing a 50,000-word novel by 11:59 PM on November 30. Valuing enthusiasm, determination, and a deadline, NaNoWriMo is for anyone who has ever thought about writing a novel.
NaNoWriMo, however, became an organization deeply mired in controversy this year, when it appeared to support the use of AI for writing; that decision led to the departure of at least one board member, authors who’d been participating in the event for years, and even a sponsor—all of whom were opposed to the notion of this tech-cheat/theft.
(For the record, I’m against creators’ work being “farmed” for AI usage, either text or art. In fact, a few months back one of our e-book distributors, Draft2Digital, sent around a survey to its publisher-clients to determine if we were okay with a third party accessing our works to aid in AI development, with the potential of being compensated if we agreed. I, like the majority of D2D’s clients, gave them a flat-out no to all scenarios.)
Well, whether you’re participating in NaNoWriMo as part of the event or on your own, it just so happens that StarWarp Concepts has a book that’s perfect for writers!
Terra Incognito: A Guide to Building the Worlds of Your Imagination is our popular how-to book for writers and gamers in which bestselling fantasy author Richard C. White (For a Few Gold Pieces More, Gauntlet: Dark Legacy: Paths of Evil, The Chronicles of the Sea Dragon Special, Troubleshooters, Incorporated: Night Stalkings) takes you through the step-by-step process of constructing a world for your characters, from societies and governments to currency and religion. Included is an interview with New York Times bestselling author Tracy Hickman (Dragonlance) that discusses his methods of world building, as well as his creative experiences during his time as a designer for gaming company TSR, the original home of Dungeons & Dragons.
What you’ll find in its pages is information that’s vital for just about any writer, especially when it comes to world building, and Rich shows you how to do it:
- Avoiding the pitfalls of naming characters, regions, and countries
- Applying the technique of “outside in” to develop and then refine ideas for your world
- Creating a world your readers can relate to, regardless of its technological levels
- Identify how to create backstories and conflict by observing how your world comes together
- Adding details to make your story richer without overwhelming your readers
- Identifying useful resources for research
From its first publication, the book has been a hit with not just fantasy writers, but role-playing gamers as well. In fact, it’s currently being used as a textbook in the Interactive Media & Game Development program at Worcester Polytechnic Institute in Worchester, Massachusetts!
“I think Terra Incognito is a solid introduction to the subject of world building. The book succeeds in helping the aspiring writer in creating a skeletal framework for which to hang the moving parts required of a believable fictional setting.”—The Gaming Gang
Terra Incognito: A Guide to Building the Worlds of Your Imagination is available in trade paperback, hardcover, and e-book formats, so visit its product page for ordering information.
