Peta -- I think that's what separates good writing...

2009-10-07T21:34:32.626-04:00

Peta -- I think that's what separates good writing from great writing -- if an author can create a world inside a character's head that is believable, but still distinctly different from the reader's own conscious experience.

Great post. I like the language part of this pos...

2009-10-07T15:20:52.346-04:00

Great post.

I like the language part of this post in particular - I think that's the subtlest part of world building. In a few YA I've read (Tamora Pierce comes to mind), the authors use a lot of similes that relate directly to their characters' interests, too - e.g. a herbalist who describes a thing's bark-like texture etc.

That said, this sort of world building - fantasy world building - gets the most attention, though I'm not sure it's deserved. I mean, yes, fantasy authors create worlds from scratch - sort of. Many still use words like "strawberry" and "oak" as it's not complete world building they're after, but world tweaking.

So what sort of world building trumps that? Maybe the kind everyone does, building a world inside a character's head. After all, how I see the world is different to how you see the world and so on and so on. What causes those differences? And how much of the world do we agree on - do we both think scarlet is red, or does one of us perceive it as brown?

Finally, you might be interested in "The Sparrow" (I think it's by Mary Doria Russell). It deals with world building in terms of race and religion.

Comments on *A Brain Scientist's Take on Writing*: Princess Academy: World building around a central...

Peta -- I think that's what separates good writing...

Great post. I like the language part of this pos...

Comments on A Brain Scientist's Take on Writing: Princess Academy: World building around a central...