Join over 4,900 students in this epic world building course!
"An in-depth, well-delivered workshop...Essential for creating a realistic, intriguing fantasy world."
--Heather
Welcome to the Workshop!
Let's build a world that will wow your readers.
As a fantasy writer, you want to take your readers to exotic places like they’ve never seen before, a world of wonder that they want to get lost in.
Here at the World Building Workshop for Fantasy Writing, that’s my aim. By the end of this course, you will have created a believable and compelling world that your readers will want to get lost in again and again.
"The World Building Workshop for Fantasy Writing" is taught by me, Jason Link, the author of the Legender series, an epic adventure that Publishers Weekly calls a grand fairytale.
For the last 20 years I have been practicing the art of world building in fantasy literature, and in this course, I share with you the insights I've gained on that journey. Years and years of research compiled in one place.
"I loved the course! It was much easier and way more helpful than googling all this information myself. "
--Angie
What You Will Accomplish
The massive task of world building has been broken down into manageable chunks and follows a logical flow. In this course, you will...
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Map out your world -- natural features (mountains, rivers, forests, etc.) and people made features (countries, cities, and roads)
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Plan out your world's timeline to get the big picture of your world's story
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Create fantastic creatures that survive in your world's habitats
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Develop peoples and races and establish their societies and cultures
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Form a healthy relationship between your world and your story
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And much more!
"So far, this course has gone over in a brief time what I spent the last year learning. Great stuff! "
--Clyde
Course Curriculum
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1
Introduction
- Welcome!
- The Work Ahead
- World Inventory
- Facebook Group
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2
The World Building Journey Ahead
- Section Introduction
- Where You Are Headed
- How Your World Will Change
- Get Outside of Fantasy
- Why We Need Fantasy Stories
- Assignment: Your Experiences
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3
The Art of World Building
- Section Introduction
- Creating a World Your Readers Want to Read About
- The Challenge of Creating a Believable and Compelling World
- Creating a World of Depth
- Writing for Older and Younger Readers
- Assignment: Examine a Fantasy World
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4
Making the Rules
- Section Introduction
- Rules Grow Creativity
- Rules for Making Rules
- Assignment: Using Limitations
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5
Naming
- Section Introduction
- Coming Up With Names
- Assignment: Testing the Names You've Created
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6
Mapping Part 1
- Section Introduction
- Getting Started with Your Map
- Mountains
- Rivers and Lakes
- Forests
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7
Mapping Part 2
- Section Introduction
- Wetlands
- Glaciers
- Deserts
- Grasslands
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8
Uncharted Territory
- Section Introduction
- Underground and Undersea Worlds
- Inventing New Land Features
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9
Making History Part 1
- How Did Your World Begin?
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10
Up in the Sky
- Section Introduction
- Weather and Seasons
- Celestial Bodies
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11
Fantasy Creatures
- Section Introduction
- Real vs. Imaginary
- Non-biological Creatures
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12
Creature Environments
- Section Introduction
- How Habitats Shape Creatures
- Ecosystems
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13
How Creatures Survive
- Section Introduction
- How Herbivores Eat
- False Ideas About Predators
- How Carnivores Eat
- How Creatures Protect Themselves
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14
Creating Creatures
- Section Introduction
- Animal Families
- Creature Creation Methods
- Example of a Bestiary
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15
Making History Part 2
- How Did Creatures Come to Exist in Your World?
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16
People and Races
- Section Introduction
- Race in the Fantasy Context
- Making Fantasy Races
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17
Making History Part 3
- How Did the Peoples of Your World Come into Existence?
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18
Society
- Section Introduction
- Evolution of Socieites
- Government
- Social Capital
- Everyday Life
- Common Jobs in Medieval Europe
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19
Mapping Part 3
- Section Intro
- Nations
- Cities
- Roads
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20
Your World and Your Story
- Section Introduction
- Putting Your Story First
- What Your Readers Never See
- Art of the Reveal
- Assignment: Examining World Revealing in Action
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21
Conclusion
- Congratulations!
"It has helped me SO MUCH with my story! THANK YOU!!! "
--Paula
"[Jason] is very personable and knowledgeable. It makes me WANT to learn more. "
--Kathryn
Meet Your Instructor
Fantasy Author and Writing Instructor
Jason Link
"Mr. Link is an experienced, knowledgeable and kind-hearted instructor. He knows his craft well and also knows how to pass on the knowledge and experience he possesses to his learners effectively. "
--Parmeshwar