They guys talk about how freeing it's been to write improvisationally this last week. Discovery writing is really letting them explore their worlds and characters without feeling like they're just robotically connecting pre-determined plot points. Discovery writing has allowed them to follow their impulses and ideas in-scene far more than before when they felt they had to stick to the structure they'd planned. So far, it's going really great, and they highly recommend trying it if you haven't...

The boys talk about the success they've had this week switching from plotting to improvising. They're finding that the discovery method is really helping foster more creativity and character-driven writing rather than filling in blanks between sterile and pre-packaged plot points. Some happy medium between the two will probably be where they end up but for now, improvisation is getting them results. Also, a special guest makes an appearance...for about thirty seconds. 

The guys are trying something new, something crazy, something scary: improvising. They did all that work on their plots in the first few episodes of the podcast, but it didn't really give them the flow they were looking for to complete their first drafts. The whole point of this podcast was to discover a way to actually finish a first draft, to not get caught up in world building, not starting over, not letting yourself stop. Well, the way they were doing things didn't seem to be doing the...

Vito and John had some success in tweaking their outlines this week, but Vito in particular is finding that he's having more success discovering his story after combining his original idea (the Sicilian Vespers) with some other influences, most notably Irish Republican history. They guys also discuss the voice of the narrator in their stories, and how finding that voice can solve many other issues. Finally, they also discuss narrative distance, or how close your "camera" zooms in during your...

The boys got cut short by technical difficulties today. Not by much, but we lost the last couple minutes of the podcast. You didn't miss much. Just the fact that you can find us on facebook, instagram, reddit, and Twitter by searching our name: World Builders Anonymous.  It's been a hot second since the boys sat down to write, and they discuss coming back to their stories with fresh eyes this week. In their ongoing mission to find the best way to finish a novel and avoid world building...

Today Vito and John answer a listener question about how to stay focused on a story when the call of world building and trilogy-planning beacons you away from what matters most. Then talk about their writing thus far, the progress they've made, and how they plan to stay focused.

The boys weren't as productive as they'd like this week, but they have a fun discussion of melding religion with magic in your fantasy story while Vito pops a beer and John shakes his head at his mildly inebriated sibling. Too often, religion is treated as the whipping boy of a story, the cringeworthy obsession of the "idiot" character, or merely the source of a villain's bigotry and closed-mindedness. When integrated intelligently though, religion can enrich your magic system, culture, and...

They boys discuss aspects of swords and other bladed weapons that one should consider before writing a first draft. Should elves wield curved, single-edged weapons just because they're elves, or are there other factors to consider? Spoiler alert: there are. Is is realistic to have a quick, rapier-wielding character dancing around an armored knight? Spoiler alert: the results might be...somewhat gruesome... The then talk about discovering characters by jumping ahead chronologically. By...

Vito is a professional musician and John is quite talented in his own right. Today, they discuss music from a world building perspective. What does it feel like to play an instrument you know well? What does it feel like to play something that's unfamiliar? What are some interesting instruments you could incorporate, and what role does music itself play in your world's culture/religion? They then discuss coming up with new characters you never planned on while plotting your story. What can...

Vito and John discuss different types of bows and where/when they might be appropriate to use in your story. For example, is it realistic to use composite bows in a humid, rainy environment? Who could realistically use a bow powerful enough to do that much damage? It might not be the typer of person you're thinking. We can't all be naturally super strong like Legolas in Lord of the Rings; real people have to train long and hard in order to handle the heavy draw weight of powerful bows. What...

Today, the boys explain everything you need to know about world building money in a fantasy setting...well, at least enough to write your first draft. Why don't things like gemstones make good money? Why is gold and silver always used instead of, say, iron? They also discuss the past week of writing, including adding scenes to your beginning and writing action scenes. 

The boys have now both encountered chapters that became a chore to write. What do you do when the words don't flow easily? How do you push through stalls while writing your first draft? Also, they intro a new segment they're working on, a segment that explains everything you need to know for your first draft about a variety of subjects. Today's is a fun test run for the idea; what do you need to know about penguins and sharks before writing them into your story?

The sooner you accept the fact that your first draft is part of the chaotic brainstorming/worldbuilding process, the sooner you'll actually get to the meaty part of the writing process where it all comes together: revision/editing. This episode has it all; two theme songs, drunken sailor fetch quests, no long pauses at all, and a discussion about leaving space for additions later on, after you've solidified your story, characters, setting, etc. through the process of writing your first draft.

Here's the meat and potatoes of this episode: when do you world build? It has to be done if one is writing fantasy. That's kind of the point of fantasy, after all. But how do you make sure you're tailoring your world to your story and not the other way around? How do you build your world without getting lost in Wikipedia? How do you avoid using world building as a crutch for your lack of motivation to actually write? All this and more in this week's episode. 

Vito and John start out talking about John's idea for a magical power in his story. One of his characters can control light itself. How does one make that interesting/balance it with other magical abilities in one's story? Also, this week marks the start of the actual writing process! How does one start writing the prose of a story? What obstacles can one expect? All this and more in this week's episode!

The boys kick things off with a World building brainstorm by asking how one might go about combining a magic system with religion. They go on to talk about the 27 chapter outline they've been following, and the different ways they have been utilizing it. They discuss when it's right to put "cool things" into your novel, and wrap things up with their plans for the final week of outlining.

They guys start things off by talking about the concepts they've come up with/refined in the past week, then follow that up by talking about the degree to which they're focusing on world building vs. story planning. Spoiler: it's mostly story planning. World building is the dessert they get when they've structured their stories. They also talk about the book they're currently reading as well as John's recent book store escapade.

Your hosts Vito and John introduce themselves and talk about their history of habitually getting stuck in the initial phases of writing a book. They also discuss how they get ideas for potential novels, as well as the ways in which they're going to go about things differently this time around. Join them as they embark on this fun and informative journey to push through writer's block, doggedly finish a first draft, and kick their world building addiction.