[ SECRET POST #4701 ]

[case]

⌈ Secret Post #4701 ⌋

Warning: Some secrets are NOT worksafe and may contain SPOILERS.

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Notes:

Secrets Left to Post: 01 pages, 22 secrets from Secret Submission Post #673.
Secrets Not Posted: [ 0 - broken links ], [ 0 - not!secrets ], [ 0 - not!fandom ], [ 0 - too big ], [ 0 - repeat ].
Current Secret Submissions Post: here.
Suggestions, comments, and concerns should go here.

Comments

Re: Original Comment OP

[(Anonymous)]

SA: The short story Nesting Habits of Enceladan Jade Beetles does have a lot of setting detail. However every single detail about the setting is:

1. Relevant to the impending breakup of the primary character's relationship, or
2. Establishes the labor and risks of doing ecological assessment of a non-sentient species on a moon of Saturn.

Most worldbuilding advice is a wild goose chase at best, or at worst, active gatekeeping.

Re: Original Comment OP

[(Anonymous)]

Oh so you're one of those people. Sorry, I'm not gonna have this convo, since it's clear you think having a clear and concise world behind your story and not a slapdash mess is A-OK.

Re: Original Comment OP

[(Anonymous)]

Not at all what I wrote, but you do you.

The key words there are "clear and concise" and "not a slapdash mess." Stories need to be thoroughly and exquisitely researched and developed. But you can't know how to do that unless you know what your story is about. If you're going to build your story around, oh, (goes to Wikipedia Roulette) The University of Leeds, you need to cultivate a deep understanding of the The University of Leeds. You probably don't need to cultivate an equally deep understanding of the history of Russian aviation, the Ruthenian Peasants Party, or the AD-AS Model.

If you follow any of the "worldbuilding" questionnaires pushed onto fledgling writers you'll end up wasting a lot of time answering questions that are not remotely applicable to your story. And characters and settings that come out of a workbook are not credible.

Re: Original Comment OP

[(Anonymous)]

For example, "Passing Strange" won WFA, Spectrum, and BFA in 2018, in part because of meticulous research into lesbian culture in San Fransisco in the early 40s. But if you go by any of the worldbuilding guidelines thrown around, it's rubbish because it spends more time on the legal standards to avoid getting prosecuted as a cross-dresser than the military technology of the period.

Re: Original Comment OP

[(Anonymous)]

Having "a clear and concise world" behind your story is usually largely irrelevant to the literary and artistic requirements of the story, and often a distraction from those aspects of the story. Having an understanding of the aesthetic details of your setting and the details of your plot is, of course, very important. But I don't think that necessitates "a clear and concise world". Definitely not in the sense understood by advocates of worldbuilding.

Re: Original Comment OP

[(Anonymous)]

Agreed, and the importance of military matters on these checklists is a big tell about what kind of SFF is expected as a result.