Star Spun Souls

This post is part of a series to augment The Worldbuilder's Handbook available for free download. This and other world workshops are gathered in my Worldbuilding Directory for you to explore. Find more linguistic content in my Language Directory . A lot of invented worlds feature a common tongue, sometimes referred to as a lingua franca , that unifies the various peoples of that world. A standard world language can be useful, steamlining your storytelling and allowing you to avoid pesky language barriers when working on dialogue. However, defining a standard language for your world also raises some rather tricky worldbuilding questions. Unifying languages start out as regional languages and gain prestige over time. Like all languages, they take their names from the people and places where they were first spoken. They have history, and they bring cultural baggage with them wherever they spread. ...

This post is part of a series to augment The Worldbuilder's Handbook available for free download. This and other world workshops are gathered in my Worldbuilding Directory for you to explore. Find more map-making content in my Cartography Directory . When building your world, it's important to keep in mind that civilizations first crop up near rivers . Obviously, ready access to fresh water plays a huge role in where early settlements are established, and the most successful of these settlements grow into cradles of civilization. But the mud available to a civilization also plays a key role. Mud bricks are a crucial building material for many early settlements, allowing societies to establish their first permanent structures, well before they develop the tools necessary to build with wood or stone. Of course, the presence of magic in your world may replace certain tools, resulting in a di...

This post is part of a series to augment The Worldbuilder's Handbook available for free download. The best and latest worldbuilding workshops are gathered here at www.DNFrost.com/worldbuilding . Find more content navigation in my Resource Directory . Also check out my worldbuilding for the TotKW Saga at www.DNFrost.com/codex . And for worldbuilding from other authors, see the style analysis series at www.DNFrost.com/workshops . Define Your Standard: NEW POST! A standard world language can be useful, but unifying languages start out as regional languages and gain prestige over time. They have history, and they bring cultural baggage with them wherever they spread. Read more of this post here... What is Worldbuilding? On this website, the worldbuilding tag refers to ideas about deve...

This post is part of a series to augment the Tips for Writing Fiction available for free download. The best and latest writing workshops are gathered here at www.DNFrost.com/workshops . Find more content navigation in my Resource Directory . Also check out my workshops for worldbuilders at www.DNFrost.com/worldbuilding . Reduce Your Word Count: NEW POST! I'm of the camp that using less words is better than using more words. If your draft is really long, there are a few things to look over during revisions. Check out these 6 clear-cut ways to tighten up your prose. Read more of this post here... What are Workshops? On this website, the workshops tag refers to posts about writing techniques to improve your own craft. The storycraft workshop series focuses on elements of story, and the w...