Summary of "9 Worldbuilding Mistakes Every New Writer Makes"

Summary of “9 Worldbuilding Mistakes Every New Writer Makes”

This video addresses common pitfalls new fantasy writers encounter when creating their worlds and offers practical advice to craft immersive, believable settings. Drawing from the creator’s experience coaching over 90 fantasy writers and personal writing challenges, the video outlines nine critical mistakes and how to avoid them.

Main Ideas and Lessons

Trying to Fill Every Gap Avoid over-explaining every detail of your world’s history, magic, or backstory. Leaving gaps invites reader curiosity and imagination, enhancing mystery and wonder. Embrace tactical inconsistency—different characters may have conflicting views on history or lore, mirroring real-life disagreements.
Parallel Worldbuilding (Isolated Elements) Don’t present world elements (magic, society, history, geography) as unrelated, isolated facts. Use hub and spoke worldbuilding: start with one core idea and connect other elements logically to it. Example: Magic system → Guild control of gemstones → Historical rebellion over gemstone access → Guild headquarters in floating cities. This creates a cohesive, memorable, and meaningful world.
Trapped in Present Norms Characters often behave like modern Western people despite unique world pressures. To enhance immersion and originality, develop cultural norms and values distinct from contemporary ones. Example: Roman obsession with the past shaped actions dramatically (e.g., assassination of Julius Caesar due to ancestral legacy). Explore how your invented cultures’ histories and values shape character behavior authentically.
Not Writing Convincing Logistics Avoid glaring logistical errors that break reader immersion (e.g., unrealistic hunting methods). Accuracy in real-world analogues builds trust so readers accept fantastical elements. Recommended resource: The Ultimate Guide to Rebuilding Civilization for understanding technological and logistical foundations.
Writing Objective Descriptions Avoid neutral, encyclopedic descriptions of the world. Filter worldbuilding details through your character’s subjective perspective. Example: A thief notices shady corners and pickpocket opportunities; a naive farm boy notices noise and discomfort. This deepens character development and integrates worldbuilding with plot.
Treating the World as Static Worlds should feel dynamic, evolving, and responsive to events and characters. Change (political, social, environmental) creates emotional stakes and narrative momentum. Examples:
- The Age of series shows a medieval world evolving into the industrial age.
- Harry Potter’s Privet Drive changes meaning over time.
Writing Boring Info Dumps Info dumps are bad when readers get unsolicited, irrelevant info. Invited info dumps occur when characters have a natural reason to discuss world details relevant to the plot. Examples:
- Bad dump: Random history lecture during a walk.
- Good dump: Soldiers discussing an ancient battlefield relevant to their current mission.
Writing Cultural Monoliths Avoid reducing cultures or races to a single defining trait. Real cultures have internal diversity, conflicting values, and varied personalities. Example: A warrior culture may have members who value art, diplomacy, or different combat philosophies. Complexity adds realism and narrative conflict.
Feeling the Need to Know Everything Before Writing Don’t wait to have every detail of your world fully fleshed out before starting your draft. It’s normal to fill in worldbuilding details as you write and revise. Example: The creator added historical backstory through vision scenes in later drafts of Kingdom of Dragons. Flexibility in worldbuilding supports creativity and pacing.

Methodology / Instructions for Effective Worldbuilding

Leave strategic gaps in your world to enhance mystery.
Connect world elements logically using hub and spoke rather than isolated facts.
Develop unique cultural norms that influence character behavior.
Ensure logistical details are realistic or believable within your world.
Describe the world subjectively through characters’ perspectives.
Create a dynamic, evolving world that reacts to story events.
Integrate info dumps naturally into character dialogue and plot.
Avoid cultural stereotypes and monoliths; show internal diversity.
Start writing with a partial worldbuilding plan and expand details during drafting.

Speakers / Sources Featured

Jed Herne – Video creator, fantasy author, and writing coach.
J.R.R. Tolkien – Quoted on the value of mystery in worldbuilding.
Gregory Aldrete – Roman historian referenced for cultural example.
Lex Fridman – Host of the podcast where the Roman story was discussed.
Guy Callow – Beta reader who advised on hunting logistics.
Joe Abercrombie – Mentioned for dynamic worldbuilding in his Age of series.

This video is a comprehensive guide for new fantasy writers to avoid common worldbuilding errors and craft immersive, believable, and engaging fantasy worlds.