Thread 24655744

>talking to someone about literature/writing
>they start talking about "worldbuilding"

“World-building” is the paunchy computer science major’s idea of writing. Describe everything in exacting detail with no cohesion or restraint and expect a story to sprout out from that. Just because you type out the lines of text, doesn’t mean you can will it to existence. But insular personality types never realize this: they just shrink back into their little closed-off worlds, where they can control everything like rulers of a mental fiefdom, and then wonder why no one else seems interested.

>>24655757
A friend of mine is very dedicated to his worldbuilding projects. He folders upon folders of word documents, spreadsheets, crude drawings of armor, data sheets about races, etc. but not a single narrative concept. He has a rough timeline of "major" events, but no description of those events. No written accounts, no explanations, no outlines. Just "this thing happened in this year." It's very bizarre.

I originally thought I was interested in worldbuilding. His work inspired me, as I was naturally talented as a writer in my adolescence and excelled in my writing courses, I was eager to return to writing. When I shared my work with him he was bored. I had laid of the events of battles, dramas about forbidden romance, letters home from weary soldiers, described the worship of an outlawed cult, established the political context, and so on. The only thing he asked me was "how does the magic work?"

Truly bizarre.

He's now "working on making it a tabletop game" and is no longer acting as if he's writing anything.