10 BEST Tips for Worldbuilding

I started writing as a teenager, and I recently found out I was already worldbuilding before I ever heard the term. ☺ My boyfriend and I once tried to write a story together and he started creating a planet and places, and I kept trying to prompt him into laying out story ideas. We couldn't do it because he creates a world and writes a story to fit it. I get a story idea, start creating a world, and they grow together. I'm glad to know that seems to be the way most writers suggest is best.

the message here was very needed! This was my first time viewing one of your videos and i gotta say, great video, message but very pushy about subscribing is a turn away

This genuinely feels like a 12 minute long ad. I appreciate what you wanted to do with this video but the constant referring back to the ad is just annoying and distracting. I get it, you're sponsored, that's great, but the whole video feels...empty, for lack of a better word. Very surface-level, shallow and the advice is generic to the point it's like an article on Yahoo. I recommend Tale Foundry's video on worldbuilding as it is very helpful and it goes in depth.
I'm saying all of this as genuine criticism, no ill will.
You're awesome and I hope to see you improve ❤

The tough love in this video is splendid. Thank you 😁

More than two minutes in and still plugging merch... next!

The Bible: never heard of this info dumping thing

Edit: I know this is years late

Great video. I am presently working on a novel. #6 is the best. I planned to do 6 months of research and world building. That didn’t happen I really wanted to write so I took off.

A sidereal and oblique observation: The bouncy music under your sparkling comments parallels "Tusk" by Fleetwood Mac. This concludes the digression portion of my brava. Please return tables to the upright position and grab yer ankles, it's gonna be a rough landing.

Great advice, especially the point on being free to create cultures that are different. That's why I love writing Fantasy :)

I've got a very strange world for my comics. See, it's the whole universe, but it's got a unique structure to it.

At the very epicenter of the universe is the Beacon of Light, where it all began.

Surrounding the Beacon of Light is Heaven, then followed by another afterlife layer called Spectrum, then followed by Hell.

Just beyond Hell is the Mortal World, split into equally-sized thirds. Asura, Beoma, and Yecta. They are essentially just copy and paste versions of each other (meaning there are three Earths), but locations of the Star Systems are all very different (Like the Solar System is in Andromeda in one of them) resulting in very different outcomes for the different versions of the same planets.

Just beyond the Mortal World is the Ratchet Realm, the chaotic, energy-filled, might-be-radioactive edge of the universe where all the expansion happens. It's basically just a perpetual neverending explosion, and there are actually creatures that live in this domain, meaning the Ratchet Realm is home to some hardy ass creatures.

Beyond the Ratchet Realm is the Void, where there is nothing but darkness and mysterious beings known as Anomalies, who actually created the universe.

Jenna: "Don't build your world before you have a story"

Me who already made a map, mythos, and culture to my world : "OK"

I just realized that me and Jenna have the same shirt.

the humor is top notch.

I'm new writer but I'm currently having a problem how to start my book.

#7. if i pick up a book and “worldbuilding” occurs on the first chapter, i have about ten lines of reading before i put the book down. i don’t understand what’s so hard about starting the story. let me see the characters. let me follow their journey. right from the start. or i’m not interested. i read books for the characters, not the world.

I haven't seen this channel before but, the first 3 minutes of the 13 minute video is primarily sponsorship and talking about things that have nothing to do with what the video is titled. That's really bad.
I now have no interest in continuing this video, or watching any more of your videos.

Actually, sociology is about the physical world. Everything around us is about the physical world. Because the laws by which our society lives are simply a consequence of the economic model that underlies society. For example, there is no happy society, where all people are brothers and there is a monarchy. If someone writes science fiction or a historical novel, it will not be possible to ignore it.

#10 was a love letter to me. Thanks Jenna.

Always loves your tips.❤❤❤❤😘😘😘😘

thank you very much. Im going to implement at least 9/10 of your grat tips.

Research is the most important thing to visual your worldbuilding😘

If this is a long ad for the app, congrats it worked

I literally just worldbuild for fun and don’t write much anymore. I just like mapping out new lands and nations and stuff.

Write the Damn Book, Yes ma'am..

I swear this is a gender-swapped version of Terrible Writing Advice

what if you're making a comic rather than a book?

You are genuinely hilarious, you had me fully engaged and entertained throughout the entire video. While also giving some really good tips quite clearly! I definitely have world builder’s disease.. but I keep telling myself creating the information about my cities plumbing is important! Hahah

your videos are hilarious and informative...lol thank you

Can u help me how to understand my story

I need a advice how much planing should I do before getting read to write

my story will be built around the my world same way how earth isnt built around real stories/stories on earth.

Late stage of the world-building disease 🤣🤣

Thank you a lot for the Milanote advice - I've never heard of this website and since I'm in the never ending world-building phase I really appreciate having it all somewhere in one place AND with pictures :D. Thank you 🥑

What most writers forget about is the economics, trade and currency. How do people make a living? How do your Heros pay for expensive armour or the fuel for their spaceship? How do they pay in the tavern or in the space cantina? Often the heroes just wander around, not working, having no income.

Or, related to that, the environment. The castle in the desert is guarded by a monster. Wait a minute. How can it survive there? Solely on the tomb raiders coming by every hundred years?

got hooked onto ur videos was doing blender and wanted to get into film and sotry writing to help create my own scenes and i love the way you explain things simple easy and funny af ahaha had to like/sub
love when people get into their craft and zone about their passion.

I couldn’t listen to your screeching voice. 😮

the last part called me out lmaooo

Brilliant - thank u

True, it's fantasy, but also remember, certain things in reality exist for a reason.
If your world has a society in the desert; make sure you either (a) don't make this society too fancy or luxurious or (b) if you do, explain how they got this way, because it clearly wasn't through farming. Make sure your world makes sense. Nothing takes me out of a story quicker than nonsense, even if it is "fantasy."

Well, I failed #5. I have worldbuilding notes all over the place- I have a private discord server where I put down thoughts I have throughout the day, a lot of google docs, and several physical notebooks- although at least one of those is research for worldbuilding- common metals, their uses, where they are found, how they were refined/first made, Biomes, their resources, what kinds of animals you can find there, what plant grow there...
Though to be fair, I am firmly a worldbuilder first, writer second. I love the process of worldbuilding better then writing. I may eventually come up with a story idea and write it, but for now, i'll stick with fleshing out my world!

"You don't have to write a homophobic kingdom if you don't want to."
I WILL BECAUSE I CAN

"If you have the ability to write out an articulate reason for why you HAVEN'T started writing your book, then sorry...YOU'RE procrastinating! Write your damn book." - Jenna probably

I would add a caveat that the societies of your world should ultimately serve a point within the narrative you want to tell. It may just serve as a backdrop on the story or be the main feature. If you don’t have any specific idea in mind for a given society like this then the generic stuff is a sure bet. Just make sure you have enough other non-generic stuff to make it more interesting

I have watch a lot of videos on things rekated to writing stories and i gotta say most of these come diwn to "have common sense"

You're so great at making videos and communication! Amazing work ❤

Wow! The sponsor ad utterly killed my desire to listen. Bye

The best Advice- "Build as you go"....