Oh My Gosh. I Just Found This Website That Walks You Though Creating A Believable Society. It Breaks

Oh my gosh. I just found this website that walks you though creating a believable society. It breaks each facet down into individual questions and makes it so simple! It seems really helpful for worldbuilding!

BookTrib

Carter Wilson Interviewed Hundreds of Writers — Here’s What He Learned From Them | BookTrib.

I launched my podcast Making It Up nearly three years ago with the goal of interviewing writers not for any particular work of theirs, but t

After nearly 150 conversations with writers of all backgrounds (from NYT bestselling thriller authors, to hopeful debuts, to historians, science writers and poets), I’m still amazed how much connective tissue binds us writers together. A few commonalities I’ve evidenced throughout my interviews:

Most writers can name a specific person or event that happened in their teenage years that made them want to write.

Writing is less a plan than it is a purpose. Despite all efforts to do anything but write, the act of writing will burrow its way to the surface at some point in a writer’s life.

No one sets out to write because it’s a solid business decision.

Nearly every writer has suffered (or continues to suffer) from impostor syndrome. We all feel like frauds, no matter how successful we may get.

There is no linear progression to a writer’s career. Some become hugely successful with their first book, but struggle to repeat the magic with the next several. Others find their best sales after ten books. You can’t count on anything, but yet the best may always be yet to come.

Writers can easily name a peer of whom they envy their success.

Writing is hard. It gets easier as the muscle for it develops, but it’s never easy.

Writing is meditation. It’s one of the few times in a person’s day they have to be fully focused and, more importantly, completely present.

Most writers hate social media and eschew the idea of self-promotion, necessary as it may be.

Writers view the publishing industry with a mixture curiosity and frustration. We all agree the industry is incredibly opaque, and there’s no formula for success within it.

Writers in the same field or genre don’t view one another as competition, and are often generous with their time supporting and promoting each other’s work. They view the true competition as anything else that vies for a potential reader’s attention, namely smartphones and Netflix.

Finally, from my experience, most writers are deeply kind, humble and just happy to share their time and opinions with you.

Creating a main character with depth requires a careful selection of traits

Avoid the temptation to overload them with a plethora of flaws, wounds, and virtues. Instead, focus on developing one dominant positive trait, one glaring flaw, and one profound pain. This approach allows you to delve deeply into each aspect, creating a character who is not only realistic but also compelling. By embodying these three elements to the fullest, your protagonist will be more than just a collection of traits—they will be a multifaceted individual with a clear, meaningful story arc. Embrace this approach, and your hero will stand out as truly unique in the literary landscape.

List of character flaws that can be prominent in villains

Rebellion: Strong opposition to authority figures and societal norms.

Manipulativeness: Tendency to exploit others for personal gain.

Cruelty: Enjoyment or indifference to causing suffering in others.

Narcissism: Excessive self-love and lack of empathy for others.

Arrogance: Overestimation of one's own abilities and importance.

Impulsiveness: Acting without considering consequences or long-term effects.

Deceitfulness: Habitual lying and deception to achieve goals.

Entitlement: Belief that one is inherently deserving of special treatment or privileges.

Distrust: Difficulty trusting others, often stemming from past betrayals or trauma.

Insecurity: Deep-seated feelings of inadequacy or worthlessness, leading to defensive or aggressive behavior.

Jealousy: Resentment towards others' successes or possessions.

Vengefulness: Desire for revenge against perceived wrongs or slights.

Machiavellianism: Willingness to manipulate and exploit others for personal gain.

Sadism: Deriving pleasure from inflicting pain or suffering on others.

Paranoia: Irrational suspicion and distrust of others' intentions.

Egocentrism: Difficulty seeing beyond one's own perspective and needs.

Addiction: Dependency on substances or behaviors that impair judgment and control.

Rage: Explosive outbursts of anger or violence.

Perfectionism: Setting unattainably high standards for oneself and others, leading to frustration and resentment.

Hubris: Excessive pride or self-confidence, often leading to downfall.

Sociopathy: Lack of empathy or remorse for one's actions, often accompanied by manipulative behavior.

Psychopathy: Antisocial behavior, lack of empathy, and disregard for social norms and moral standards.

Obsession: Fixation on a particular person, goal, or idea to the detriment of everything else.

Fearfulness: Paralyzing fear or anxiety that drives destructive behavior.

Isolation: Withdrawal from social interactions and relationships, leading to further detachment and hostility.

Codependency: Unhealthy reliance on others for validation and self-worth, often resulting in manipulative or controlling behavior.

Nihilism: Belief in the meaninglessness of existence, leading to a disregard for moral and ethical considerations.

Megalomania: Delusions of grandeur and a desire for unlimited power and control.

Impatience: Frustration with delays or obstacles, leading to rash decisions and reckless actions.

Self-destructiveness: Subconsciously sabotaging one's own success or well-being due to deep-seated issues or trauma.

If a scene feels flat and you can't figure it out, ask yourself:

• What can MC smell? Is there an ocean breeze, sweat, a cinnamon roll fresh out the oven?

• What can MC hear, besides the dialogue? Is a bird singing, river flowing, a car speeding, clock ticking?

• Can they taste something, even if they're not eating? Previously drunk alcohol or juice, aftertaste of a cigarette, smog, too instense perfume?

• Can they feel something on their skin? Rough clothes or delicate material, blowing wind, an allergy or a rash, grass that theyre laying on?

• What does the character see, besides other characters? Is the room dark or is sunlight coming in nicely? Are the colours vibrant or dull? Are there any plants?

• What's the weather? Is it snowing and the cold is making goosebumps appear on their arms? Is it hot and sweaty and clothes are clinging to their body?

• HOW DOES IT MAKE THEM FEEL? To any of the above.

Do they like the smell of cinnamon rolls or are they weirdos (I'm a weirdo, I don't fit in).

Does the clock ticking calm them down or annoy them?

Do they enjoy the aftertaste of a cig and like how dirty it makes them feel?

Are they sensitive to touch and how their clothing feels on their skin or are they indifferent?

Would they enjoy the scenery more if it was more sunny out, because they're afraid of the darkness?

Do they like it snowy or are they always cold and hate winter?

Come on, give them persoanlity, likes and dislikes, don't be scared to make them people and not only likeable characters.

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