Worldcasting Podcast

Join Inky, Opal, and Sean in this extra spooky Halloween special episode of the Worldcasting Podcast.

Edited by Slorany.

Devin, Hex, Seán, and guest host Tom Bloom of Kill Six Billion Demons webcomic fame slowly burn as many bridges as they can from Star Wars to Christianity to NFTs in this raucous, season 4 finale episode on how to play with demons in fiction.

Follow the hosts!

Devin @devinpigman
Hexarch @bhpierce203
Seán @caorabhan
Tom @orbitaldropkick

Edited by Red @hikitsune_red

Adam, Red, Slorany, and guest host, Biblaridion, discuss conlangs, phonemes, and—amongst other linguistic things—Klingon death metal. 'Nuff said.

Follow the hosts!

Adam @adamcbassett
Red @hikitsune_red
Slorany r/Conlangs
Biblaridion @biblaridion

Edited by Slorany

You can't stop us from talking about magic at least once per season. This time, Devin, Jack, and Zaivy are joined by writing coach and content creator C.R. Rowenson. They discuss all the aspects of magic systems: why you might want to add one into your project, how to integrate it successfully, and much more!

Follow the hosts:

Devin https://linktr.ee/DevinPigman
Jack [N/A]
Zaivy @ZaivyA
C. R. Rowenson https://crrowenson.com/

Edited by Rebecca Walker-Wain.

Adam, Cathy, and Red are joined by Horror author Zin E. Rocklyn to discuss the genre, how to write and worldbuild for it, and much more. Stick around 'till the end, because we (accidentally) saved all the advice for the outro.

Follow the hosts:
Adam @adamcbassett
Cathy @overpreparedGM
Red @hikitsune_red
Zin @intelligentwat

Edited by Rebecca Wain Walker

Adam, B.H. Pierce, Seán, and Zaivy, are joined by L.D. Lewis—a founder of the Hugo award-winning FIYAH Magazine, publisher at Fireside Fiction, and all kind of other projects. We talk about L's experience accepting the Hugo for FIYAH, then dive into a discussion on how you can use art and music as a part of your worldbuilding.

Follow the hosts!

Adam @adamcbassett
Seán @caorabhan
B.H. Pierce (Hexarch) @BHPierce203
Zaivy @ZaivyA
L.D. Lewis @Ellethevillain

Adam, B.H. Pierce, Seán, and Ashley Warren (Storytelling Collective) discuss the importance of collaboration on creative projects. Then, we dive into a discussion on how we can use the presence of games to enhance our worldbuilding.

Follow the hosts/editors!

Adam @adamcbassett
Seán @caorabhan
B.H. Pierce (Hexarch) @BHPierce203
Ashley Warren @ashleynhwarren
Sean “Dirtnap” Gooding @HNB_Dirtnap

Adam, Cathy, Red, and returning guest Tim Hickson (Hello Future Me) discuss what the genre means, why it is becoming so popular in recent years, and answer the question you didn’t ask: is Tron cyberpunk?

Follow the cast!

Adam @adamcbassett
Cathy @overpreparedgm
Red @hikitsune_red
Tim @TimHickson1

Edited by Adam.

Game show music and sound effects from Zapsplat.com.

Adam, Hexarch, and Red are joined by YouTuber and self-published author Daniel Greene. They discuss the things writers often don’t think about in regards to war and conflict, as well as some insights into their journeys through self-publishing.

Follow the hosts:

Adam @adamcbassett
B.H. Pierce (Hexarch) @BHPierce203
Red @hikitsune_red
Daniel @DanielBGreene

McKenzie @mckenziepower1
Dave @DJLProjects

Adam, Cathy, Devin, and returning guest Chris Solo discuss retconning and rebooting projects. There are ways we’ve seen it done well, and ways in which it has seemed rushed or forced. Plus, some insight into examples of when our hosts had to retcon or reboot projects in order to fix issues or tell the story better.

Follow the hosts:

Adam @adamcbassett
Cathy @overpreparedgm
Devin https://linktr.ee/DevinPigman
Chris @fabled42

Dave @DJLProjects

Red, Inky, Sam, and Benji (Tale Foundry) discuss the broad topic of story themes. Themes can add to your story and provide a valuable structure to your work, but themes can also prove dangerous when followed too strictly. Listen in on what we’ve learned in utilizing or observing themes in media.

Follow the hosts!

Red @hikitsune_red
Cathy @overpreparedgm
Sam/Emily King @emily_o_brydain
Benji @TheBenjaminCook
Adam @adamcbassett

Adam, Cathy, and Sam are joined by neuroscientist and author Rachel Shaw to discuss the presence of science in fantasy settings. From medicine to magic, they discuss some of the ways you can use science to inform or inspire fantasy.

Adam @adamcbassett
Cathy @overpreparedgm
Sam/Emily King @emily_o_brydain
Rachel @RachelEmma_Shaw
Dave @DJLProjects

Adam, Red, and Seán are joined by Greg Kasavin, the writer behind Supergiant Games’ many titles such as Pyre and Hades. We discuss what it’s like to write for video games as a medium, as well as the origins of Supergiant’s critically acclaimed title, Hades. Then, we explore how to create mythologies, or adapt existing ones for our stories. Spoiler: we talk about doing research a lot, so pull out your bingo cards!

Follow the hosts!

Adam @adamcbassett
Red @hikitsune_red
Seán @caorabhan
Greg @kasavin
Dave @DJLProjects

Welcome back to Worldcasting! To kick off season four, Adam, Taylor, BK, and—all the way from Orbit UK—Nadia Saward talk about publishing and poetry. BK has experience as an indie publisher, and Nadia is a poet and editor at Orbit Books. Between them, they answer our burning questions about preparing your first draft, writing your query letter, and more!

Follow the hosts!

Adam @adamcbassett
Taylor @TaylortheSkald
BK Bass @B_K_Bass
Nadia @chronicles_of_n
McKenzie @mckenziepower1

In this final episode of season 3, Taylor, Cathy, and Zaivy, are joined by our guests Daniel Greene and Tim Hickson for a chat about representation of indigenous cultures in popular media—especially (but not limited to) those in the area sometimes referred to as the "New World."

We'll be back for season four in 2022! Make sure to subscribe so you don't miss it when that comes out, and keep an eye out for more issues of Worldbuilding Magazine coming later this year to help curb the wait! We'll chat again soon!

This episode was edited by McKenzie Power and Monochrome (Andrey T.).

Emory, Chris, Red, and NYT/Washington Post bestselling author Michael J. Sullivan discuss creating compelling characters, plus some general writing advice. Get some behind the scenes details of how they develop their characters and what they’re looking for in them, and get Michael’s and Red's unfiltered thoughts on Patrick Rothfuss!

This episode was edited by Jaren J. Petty (Red).

Join Taylor, Ianara (Imachinate), Inky, and Zaivy as they discuss some of the less represented African, Asian, and European cultures in popular examples of worldbuilding—and some exceptions to that rule. A sequel episode, which focuses on the Americas and Oceana, will air later this season.

This Episode was edited by McKenzie Power & Jon Krebs.

Red, Ianara (Imachinate), B.H. Pierce (Hexarch), and our guest Levi Johnson from Campfire Technology discuss their endeavors and thoughts on the more strategic parts of writing. They discuss their own projects and processes for writing, plot structures, methods to keep your notes together, and more!

Edited by Adam Bassett.

Join Taylor, Chris, Sean, and our guest author Daniel Dickinson for a conversation about fellowships. Obviously, they discuss the Fellowship of the Ring, but in addition they also break down what a fellowship is, how to represent each member, and even explore the idea that a fellowship can still work even when the characters are not together.

Also a quick note, we are aware of some technical issues that came up during this episode and are working to prevent them from happening in the next season of Worldcasting. Thanks for your understanding!

This episode was edited by McKenzie Power & S. King.

B.H. Pierce (Hexarch), Seán, and John, are joined by Janet Forbes—co-founder of World Anvil, podcaster, and author! Together they define what a golden age is, what it means to the people who lived through it, and how to use golden ages in our worldbuilding.

This episode was edited by Adam Bassett.

Adam, Red, Ianara (Imachinate), and Sean Fallon—CEO of Smunchy Games—discuss a favorite topic of ours: creature design. Plus, a number of tangents about tabletop games, dragons, and more!

This episode was edited by Adam Bassett.

Adam, Cathy, Ianara (Imachinate), and our guest Devin Pigman—a former moderator with our friends at the Writing Cartel Discord Server—talk about magic systems. We discuss a few of our favorite systems, things we've learned from creating our own, as well as some best practices for creating your own kinds of magic! Plus, along with the hard and soft magic scale, Cathy hypothesizes a second axis that we might want to begin considering when discussing magic systems...

This episode was edited by J.D. Venner.

Ianara (Imachinate), Lizy (AC), B.H. Pierce (Hexarch), and President of the multimedia group Nerdolopedia and lead game designer at Smunchy Games Jacob Waterman discuss how to prepare and organize your role-playing games as well as how to integrate your worldbuilding into the game.

This episode was edited by J.D. Venner.

Emory, Taylor, Inky, and Adam take a quick dive into what makes dark fiction work, and the trap violence and traumatic events present. Also, the importance of hope in dark fiction, and how it gives the reader something to hold on to!

Note: This episode contains some discussion on sensitive topics. If you're not interested in dark fiction or some of the discussion topics within this episode, no worries! You can always skip it and listen to the next one, or catch up on the backlog.

This episode was edited by Adam Bassett.

Adam, Chris, Seán, and our guest Tim Hickson of the YouTube channel Hello Future Me ponder the ways in which we can use our worlds to fit a theme. It’s an abstract kind of discussion, but one we’re excited to try and tackle. 

Edited by Monochrome (Andrey T.).

Adam, B.H. Pierce (Hexarch), Red, and our guest Chris Solo, founder of the Fabled 42 network discuss the usefulness of maps, as well as the drawbacks they present. Learn about the first known map created for fiction, become inspired by their ramblings, and steal their ideas for a story about a cartographer who illustrates the map throughout the story!

This episode was edited by Enrico Carli.

Adam and Zaivy are joined by Angela "Angy" Abreu, the founder and creative director of the Dominican Writer’s Alliance. Together we discuss the importance of reading outside your comfort zone, of representation in literature, as well as some conversations specific to Angy’s work with the DWA.

This episode was edited by J.D. Venner.

Inky, Emory, Lizy (AC), and Red get deep into a discussion on clothing. From fabrics and coats, to dyes and corsets, they’ve got some things to say on how wardrobes are treated (or ignored) in media—and it’s all inspired by the history of clothing.

This episode was edited by S. King.

Welcome to the start of season 3 of Worldcasting! New episodes will release every other week on Tuesdays (until the season ends). This season is going to be packed with new and returning guests discussing worldbuilding, the craft of writing, game mastering, and much more!

To kick off the release of season 3, Taylor, Adam, Emory, and Nicholas Eames—author of Kings of the Wyld and Bloody Rose—discuss what success means to us. We also talk about the importance of setting achievable goals, about genre, and all of the delightful tangents that come with an episode of Worldcasting! 

This episode was edited by Sean Gooding & Adam Bassett.

Justice Arman and Anthony Joyce join us in this episode, discussing their newest publication Elminster's Guide to Candlekeep, written in collaboration with Ed Greenwood. Tyler discusses with them the process of creating the definitive guide to a place in the Forgotten Realms that many have claimed was impossible to define through maps and guides, which has too many spires to be counted, and which Justice and Anthony expanded upon with new magical items and creatures to encounter.

This episode was edited by Sean Gooding and Adam Bassett.

Tyler and Imachinate are joined by Benjamin Cook, creator of YouTube channel Tale Foundry. They discuss how these events affect people, worlds, and simply how to approach writing apocalypses and prophecies for stories and games.

This episode was edited by Adam Bassett.

Join Tyler, Adam, Imachinate, and Ragolution as they discuss cartography, geology, geography, and how to use these as tools to shape your worlds. They cover the importance and uses of maps as well as plate tectonics, and give a simple breakdown to cut through the unnecessarily complicated tutorials out there.

This episode was edited by Anna Hannon.

Join Tyler, Hex, and Imachinate as they discuss artifacts and wonders. Places like Minas Tirith and items Excalibur are iconic to their setting, adding a sense of awe and depth to the lore. We will discuss why this is helpful to have, and how you might trap that essence.

This episode was edited by Anna Hannon.

Join Tyler, Imachinate, and Red as they discuss The Elder Scrolls, the popular setting of games such as Skyrim, Oblivion, and Morrowind. They focus on on how it uses ambiguity in its lore to help the player tell their own story, as well a dissection of how the games share their lore, to better help you understand how to share yours.

This episode was edited by Anna Hannon.

In this Fireside Chat, meet B.H. Pierce, also known as Hexarch. He is a Writer here at Worldbuilding Magazine, published author, and an avid fan of centaurs. He and Tyler discuss his work, worldbuilding, and more in this episode of Worldcasting.

This episode was edited by Adam Bassett.

Join Tyler, Anna, Chris, Imachinate, and Inky as they discuss the concept of the Core Races in fantasy. Be it Elves, Dwarves, Orcs, or Halflings we briefly touched on each of them to try and cover: who they are, what they can do for you, why they exist, and how to discern when to use them or to throw them out.

This episode was edited by Anna Hannon.

Join Tyler, Chris, Hex, and Imachinate as they discuss the concept of evil empire. From their rise to domination, and eventual defeat evil empires and the heroes who topple them are a long held fascination in fiction. Their rise and fall can help audiences understand your world, and are a classic backdrop to many stories

This episode was edited by Adrian.

In this Fireside Chat, meet B.K. Bass. BK is the Writing Chair at Worldbuilding Magazine, published author, and Editor-in-Chief of Kyanite Publishing. He and Tyler discuss his work, worldbuilding, and more in this episode of Worldcasting.

This episode was edited by Alyssa Wejebe.

Join Tyler, Imachinate, Rag, and Red as they discuss creating heroes and villains, the archetypes that they fit into and how varied their motivations can be. As well as covering some of their favorite villains, and what about them makes them so memorable

This episode was edited by John DV

Tyler, Adam, Imachinate, and Red discuss creating new—magical—ecosystems for your setting. Going beyond your classic dragons, they consider what else exists around them, and how new introductions to that ecosystem might change the balance in it.

New episodes air on Tuesdays.

This episode was edited by Anna Hannon.

Fireside Chats are a new type of episode we're trying out on the Podcast. They're much shorter, and feature just two people in conversation. To begin, we're using it as a chance for you to better get to know the hosts of Worldcasting. 

The Fireside Chats will be released in addition to your usual full-length episodes of Worldcasting every other Saturday, starting today, through the duration of season 2. We plan to release three Fireside Chats for now. If you enjoy them, we'll continue to release a couple each season. So, please let us know what you think of the format by leaving a review, or by dropping us a message on social media!

In this Fireside Chat, meet Adam Bassett. Adam is the Vice Editor-in-Chief at Worldbuilding Magazine, a lead game designer at Smunchy Games, an author, artist, and a UI designer. He and Tyler discuss his work, worldbuilding, and more in this episode of Worldcasting.

This episode was edited by J.D. Venner.

Tyler, Adam, Imachinate, and Taylor discuss how we view and examine worldbuilding. They bring a discerning lens to discuss what works and what doesn't in a setting—and how to apply those discoveries about other worlds to your own.

New episodes of Worldcasting air on Tuesdays.

This episode was edited by Opal.

In this episode of Worldcasting, Tyler, B.K. Bass, Inky, and Imachinate discuss the iceberg principle: only showing a portion of your total worldbuilding. The practice, popularized by American author Ernest Hemmingway, helps us put the story first in our writing and storytelling. Because as much as we all may enjoy worldbuilding, people are usually more interested in the story around it.

New episodes of Worldcasting air on Tuesdays.

This episode was edited by Adam Bassett.

Join Tyler, Chris, Imachinate, Opal, and Red as they cover the basics of the various -punk genres: cyberpunk, steampunk, and many more. It’s a strange, complicated collection of (micro)genres, and they’re here to help you through them.

New episodes of Worldcasting air on Tuesdays.

This episode was edited by Anna Hannon and Opal.

On this episode, Dino (Tyler) is joined by Hexarch, Imachinate, Inky, and Ragolution as they discuss cultural norms, customs, and some overlooked pieces of culture to help your peoples feel just a little bit more alive. Focusing on how to add activities for your peoples to do, as well as small every day acts that can help flesh them out.

This episode was edited by Adam Bassett.