Remember, remember! The fifth of… Oh, f***, that was yesterday.

What About Worldbuilding?

Welcome one and all, to this most auspicious month’s Worldbuilding post… thing. I hope you’re all well!

Given that a good number of you are likely enthralled in the uphill battle that is NaNoWriMo (I think I got that right..), let’s take a few moments to talk about that and then let y’all get back on your way to your writing.

First and foremost, let us address the inherent insanity of trying your best to hit your goal and then let me salute those of you who are trying your hardest to do it. 50,000 words … no, that doesn’t quite say it. FIFTY-THOUSAND words or more is no small matter, and somewhere in those words, you’re going to want to seed complex and well-thought-out worldbuilding elements.

Or do you?

The Shortest Path

Let me say it again… FIFTY-THOUSAND words or more. That’s about 1,667 words a day… And you’re going to try and seed in worldbuilding too? I think not.

If you’re going to sprint this thing from start to finish, tossing up mundane, incomplete, or lazy worldbuilding elements can cripple a story instead of propping it up. If you’re running through it at such a speed, you’ll be tempted to take your first or second ideas as gospel and then find yourself trapped as some of them develop into plot-devices in their own right.

I can’t rightly say that I have a solution to this problem but recognizing that you’re choosing expediency versus one of passion can be an important insight when designing elements that contribute to your story.

Look, I get it. You’re excited and you want to make it to the finish line with a great wireframe of a story to carry forward and work on for the next year. That’s awesome, but there’s something to be said for ...

Keeping It Brief

A dozen well-considered words can do more for a story than a thousand errant ones. This carries over to your worldbuilding in the context of nano, and how it plays out for the month. Invent what you need, but keep it sparse until you have time to revisit it properly. Don’t bury yourself under an invented paradigm that was barely given the time to discover itself before it was set in stone.

Right then, one final remark and then you can run along back to your nano… I’m not typing that acronym out again.

Take It Slow

Avoid stumbling headlong into the pit that is cliché worldbuilding just to keep you on pace for your word count. In the long run, it will only hurt you.

I get that you’d rather be running (you knew I had to work the title into this somehow, don’t roll your eyes), but maybe stop once in a while to take in your surroundings and appreciate them.

Okay, that’s my piece. Vaya con Dios.

Flash Fiction Results

Okay, we all know why you’re here, so without any more delay…

1. /u/rudexvirus - First place

2. /u/facet-ious - Second place

3. /u/breadyly - Third place

Honorable Mentions

/u/Archipelagomind for "human after all"

/u/brknside for "FOR MARS!"

/u/TA_Account_12 for “Ghostwritten”