Program - World Building Workshops

Heard enough and read enough about world building, and want to try it for yourself? Then this is your chance ... as part of our program you can take part in a series of six linked workshops taking your world all the way from solar system design to social engineering. These workshops will be spread across the weekend and supported by expert moderation.

World Building Workshop 1: The World Basics

This is the starting point. What world will you have? You will need to have an idea of the "air" the life on your world will breathe, and decide if your planet is warm or cold by placing it near or far from your sun and moon. Perhaps you will have other things in your solar system, what are they? How do they affect your planet, and what affect will they have on your world as you do more building? There's plenty of room to add in moons, comets, asteroid belts, space stations, warp points, or other important objects. Determine the optimum life zone and the ice, water, land lines. There's room to start making notes about special features, like unique resource deposits, derelict space ships, or ruins from ancient races.

World Building Workshop 2: Life as we Know It

There's life Jim. Yes, indeed there must be life to sustain our characters. What is the life/food chain on your world? Who eats who and why? What dominates the world? Are they all from the same phylum (all reptiles, or insects)? Do they have similar characteristic traits like sonar, magic, or luminous skin? Which animals are domesticated? Which animals are prize catches for hunters?

World Building Workshop 3: The Eco System

What are the environmental conditions of this ecosystem? This is where you can bring in all the information from Workshop 1 and 2 (World basics and Life). Forest, field, sea, desert, mountain, tundra, lava flow jungle, whatever you have created and tie them all together. People need food and water, plants need soil and water, animals need food and water - assuming of course you intend to create a world and creatures that most people reading about them can relate to. How much food is there, is there much water? On your new world the ecosystem will have to be very simple. We'll start big and work down. Of course you can drill to any depth in your creation of a world, and your story line may require such an effort in one or two specific areas.

World Building Workshop 4: Aspects of Culture and Spirituality

It is easy to end up with a single monolithic religion, government, language, morals, etc. across your world and monoculture is boring. Your world will need some sort of Spirituality, a political direction, a way to create and enforce law, morals etc... Religion and morality are tricky enough without trying to extend them to alien civilizations. We will consider in this workshop the high points of the culture and spirituality of world creation.

World Building Workshop 5: Architecture, Education and Technology

Your world and its inhabitants will need a place to live, will have advanced depending on the planet and its age to some degree. What direction did that advancement take? What does the architecture, educational systems and technology levels look like? How does the education of the people relate to the architecture and technology?

World Building Workshop 6: Daily Life

Based on the information from the previous panels (provided by our moderators) What is the general state of life on our created world? Based on all the decisions that were made by those in the previous panels are the people comfortable, struggling or extinct? What are their mores, their fashions and dress, their rituals with regard to mating and respect? What are their diet? What in do they do for fun?