Video summary

If You're Doing These 7 Things You Are WORLDBUILDING RIGHT!

Main summary

Key takeaways

Art and Creativity

Summary of the subtitles

The video (sponsored by Skillshare) argues that worldbuilding is crucial to storytelling across genres—not just fantasy or sci-fi—and that it can also harm a story if done without purpose, focus, or coherence. As an editor/writing coach, the creator presents “signs of great worldbuilding” and offers frameworks for doing it intentionally.

Key points

  • Intentional worldbuilding: Connect setting details to the five elements of fiction by using point of view (POV) characters—their interests, backgrounds, and perspectives—to determine what world details matter. Worldbuilding should not rely on “because we’ve seen it before” tropes.
  • Purpose behind details: Every element should have a reason tied to characters, themes, plot, or setting, not mere familiarity.
  • Bucket framework (Core / Peripheral / Indulgent):
    • Core: The most important elements (what receives most focus).
    • Peripheral: Adds depth and supports the story but isn’t always fully explained.
    • Indulgent: Immersion/texture that may not appear directly on the page.
  • Balance and restraint: Often advise focusing on three major pillars (for depth without turning the book into a textbook). Too much breadth without depth can create a “shallow” feeling.
  • Depth > immersion only: Depth comes from tying world aspects to conflict, characters, and themes so the story “couldn’t happen” without that world.
  • Showing vs. telling:
    • Telling conveys logical/detail information (often via dialogue or recaps/overviews), useful for communicating a lot quickly or teasing readers.
    • Showing provides emotional interpretation and encourages ambiguity/reader experience.
    • Effective worldbuilding uses both, with intention.
  • Consistency: Maintain continuity of tone, rules (especially magic/technology), and historical/political cause-and-effect. Inconsistencies break immersion, while revisions can resolve plot holes/continuity issues.
  • No single “wrong” way (with exceptions): There are general rules, but creative exceptions exist; as long as it serves the story and keeps the audience engaged, it’s likely on track.

Examples referenced

  • The Broken Earth trilogy (worldbuilding timing/placement tied to plot)
  • Empire (diplomat POV exploring culture/language)
  • The Misfortune / related Mountain in the Sea (ecology core; AI/politics peripheral; warfare tangents indulgent)
  • Clara and the Sun (small scope, deep social impact)
  • The Wire (grounded institutional/language/power dynamics depth)
  • Severance (tight scope, immersive technology/world feel)
  • Disco Elysium (“bloom effect” depth via strong internal consistency)
  • Stephen King’s The Dark Tower (depth expands across books while staying coherent)

Artistic techniques / creative concepts shown

  • POV-driven world presentation: Filter world info through POV character desires, knowledge, and emotional interpretation.
  • Intentional trope usage: Use genre elements (magic, technology, historical eras) only when they serve a deliberate purpose.
  • Core / Peripheral / Indulgent hierarchy: Structure how much attention each world detail receives.
  • Pillar limitation for focus: Choose a small number of “main focuses” to avoid overloading narration.
  • Depth mechanics: Connect world elements directly to conflict, theme, and character stakes.
  • Showing vs. telling as pacing + emotion control:
    • Telling: logical/logistical information, summaries, concealment/teasing in dialogue
    • Showing: emotional experience, scene-level interpretation, ambiguity
  • Continuity and tonal cohesion: Ensure internal consistency across politics, history, rules of magic/tech, and worldview.
  • Revision-based repair: Use revision to fix plot holes/continuity issues rather than treating them as fatal.

Steps / advice presented (structured)

  1. Start intentionally
    • Identify the five elements of fiction you’re linking together.
    • Use POV characters to decide what world details to reveal—and why.
  2. Filter world details by purpose
    • Ask whether each element matters to characters, themes, plot, or setting.
    • Avoid including elements “just because” they’re common in the genre.
  3. Apply the Core / Peripheral / Indulgent framework
    • Define what is Core (most important).
    • Decide what is Peripheral (supporting depth).
    • Allow Indulgent detail for immersion, even if it may not appear on-page.
  4. Manage focus to prevent shallow worldbuilding
    • Consider limiting major focus to three pillars (to prevent textbook pacing).
    • If you include many aspects, distribute depth across POV characters.
  5. Use depth-enhancing ties
    • Link world essence to conflict, characters, and themes.
  6. Balance showing and telling
    • Use telling for logic, fast info transfer, recaps/overviews, and teasers.
    • Use showing for emotional interpretation and immersive scene experience.
    • Mix both with purpose rather than choosing one exclusively.
  7. Maintain consistency
    • Ensure rules (magic/tech), tone, and cause-and-effect stay coherent.
    • Fix gaps during revisions (continuity/plot holes are editable).
  8. Keep the process aligned with your motivation
    • If worldbuilding supports your process and passion, you’re doing it “right.”

Creators / contributors mentioned

Sponsor

  • Skillshare

Example authors / works referenced

  • N. K. Jemisin (The Broken Earth trilogy)
  • Empire (referred to as “A Book Like A Memory called Empire”; specific author not named in the subtitles)
  • The Mountain in the Sea (specific author not named in the subtitles)
  • Clara and the Sun (specific author not named in the subtitles)
  • The Wire (TV show; no creator named in the subtitles)
  • Severance (TV show; no creator named in the subtitles)
  • Disco Elysium (no studio/creator named in the subtitles)
  • Stephen King (The Dark Tower series)

Skillshare instructors named in the subtitles

  • Mimi Chow (Learn to Draw)
  • Mila Goldberg (Creative Writing Boot Camp)
  • Lori Anne Gonzalez (Acrylic Painting)

Original video