Looking back...

Oh, tell me about it, Taly. When I look at stuff I wrote a few years back, I cringe.

Like you, my world has been around for a long time, and my style has evolved since I first started to create it. And I'm also better technically than I was back then, so yeah, it's difficult reading the old stuff. I'm glad no one else can read it. I get embarrassed enough when I read it on my own.

But occasionally, very occasionally, I also come across something I did that I do like, or at least an idea I had that still seems good. But still, I know that my old narratives will never see the light of day.

I have the world, though, the world has moved with the times, to an extent, and I get to add new details as I go. The novel I'm halfway through now is set in a part of the world I hadn't really 'explored' much before.

Anyway, I wonder the same thing about what I'm writing now. I feel like I'm getting closer to the standard I am aiming for, but I won't really know until I've finished and edited this book. I'd like to think this will be the one where I finally can feel satisfied with my efforts when I'm done, but we'll see. Still a long way to go!


So you think you'll create a new world for your new storyline now, and work on updating the old one as a separate project, or do you stick to one world, like I do?

Oh, and I like the new av, by the way.

The new storyline has slotted right into the old world, so I'll have to update/edit the old stuff a bit later. That will be quite a challenge, but at least I wrote it all out on paper back then, so editing it as I type it up should be a bit easier. I hope.

As a rule, I tend to stick to the same world, although there's been one project that was in a completely different setting. Once I create a world, I like to explore it as much as possible. I've even had to dig out my old notebooks about the old world, just to make sure I've got my details straight!

And thanks - I thought it was about time I changed my avatar, and I thought I couldn't really go wrong with a Final Fantasy one.

I will have to do the same, in terms of updating and editing old stuff, so I feel your pain there. Actually, atm, I've been trying to ignore the bulk of past world building as much as I can, so that it doesn't 'weigh down' on me and restrict my willingness to create new things....if that makes sense?

And as a fellow world-builder, I find myself wondering what yours is like; but don't worry, I won't ask you for any juicy details. If you're anything like me you'll prefer to keep most of that to yourself anyway.

Know what you mean about forgetting details, though. Probably 90%, or at least 80% of everything I have written over the past ten years consists of notes about the world (in more detail than I will ever need in a story, since I'll never be able to mention most of it...but I do it for its own sake, and even if no one ever ends up reading about it, I'll still keep doing it for the rest of my life, I'm sure).


And no, I agree, you can never go wrong with anything FF. Well, don't tell Squenix I said that, though!

I know what you mean about trying to forget certain details of past world building - there's just so much of it to consider, and whilst I want to keep consistency and continuity I really don't want to have to consult a notebook every time I write. Still, it's either that or try to improve my memory.

And I know exactly what you mean. I do tend to keep my writing to myself at the moment, and I do all this worldbuilding and writing because I love doing so. Like you, I'll likely keep on writing even if no-one ends up reading it.

On a side note, I've now started typing up some of my earlier projects. It's a long process because I'm better at writing than typing, but I'm getting there. Or at least, I've made a start.

Gah, yes, consistency and continuity. I keep thinking I should write to Derren Brown and see if he'll give me some memory tips.

And same here, even with the writing (as opposed to the world building), I tend to think that I shouldn't show anyone until I feel it's at least close to being as good as I can make it by myself. (If that ever happens...^_^)

But well, if you ever do get to the stage where you feel like sharing your work, I'd love to read some.

And I'm the complete opposite of you on that last point: I can type rather well, whereas my writing is often illegible unless in block capitals -- because I never learned to hold a pen properly, would you believe? And because of that, I get a really sore hand if I write for long. I use paper a lot, but only for notes and diagrams and stuff. I have a filing cabinet full of stuff like that (and maps, etc, I love drawing maps...), but most of my stuff is on the PC.

I'd be lost without my word processor, I think.

Remembering details of the worldbuilding is not my biggest problem, it's remembering the changes I make from one draft to the next. Did he or she really end up saying/doing that? Did that background detail stay in or did I take it out because it wasn't important at the time (but it's about to become extremely relevant)?


So far, I've avoided any major mishaps by looking things up when I have any tiniest doubt at all, but what will happen if the day comes when I'm absolutely sure that something did make it into the final draft and I'm wrong?

Thanks for the offer, Seph, although it might take me a while yet. Glad to see I'm not the only one who likes drawing maps, too. I've got so many floating around in an old box file, along with story notes from years ago, waiting for me to go through them again. I've even found myself doodling what my characters would look like during one particular brainstorming session.

I've had that problem with keeping the changes straight through my drafts, Teresa. My notebooks have a fair amount of corrections running through them, so I have to keep checking them regularly, too. Whilst I'm not writing to be published, I still get annoyed at myself if I find a mistake. I take my hat off to all those who take such care regarding their final drafts!

Teresa, I think I'm going to have the problem you mention more and more as I progress with this one. I've never managed to get enough drafts of the same thing done for it to be a major issue in the past, because of my chequered history when it comes to completing first drafts.


Taly, do you draw as well as write, then? I'd love to be able to draw my characters, but I just don't have the skill. I'm okay with maps, though, I'm a better cartographer than I am an artist. ^_^

I have a lot of maps, but one is particularly special to me: a full-colour version of the part of the world that inspired all the rest. It's a bit tattered and torn, now, but still useful.

I did find myself trying to draw, a couple of months back. I had to try and draw a contraption that appears in the story so that I could figure out exactly what it looked like in order to describe it.

But the result wouldn't win any awards, that's for sure!

I do draw as well as write, although I'm not sure how good they are. I'll have to scan some of them in and stick them in an album. They're only line drawings, pencil sketches and the like, but they've helped me to visualize my characters better. It's helped me to improve my art overall as well.

I think it's only the characters and maps that I've tried to draw so far from my stories, and not devices or contraptions. At times, I'm glad I don't write SF, because technical drawing (ships, contraptions, etc) isn't my strong point. I'd love to be able to draw things like that.

In terms of maps, though, I think I've got a long way to go. My efforts are pen and ink affairs; a simple outline of continents with towns, rivers, mountains etc marked on them. I'm always impressed by those people who work out a scale and factor in terrains and the like, all of which are reflected in their maps!

Ooh, yeah, it would be cool to see some of your pics! And I have great admiration for people who can draw.

I would hesitate to describe what I did as technical drawing, although I am better at that than free sketching, since I get to use a ruler and follow gridlines and stuff, which keeps me on the right track. But my 'contraption' really looks like it was drawn by a young child, heh.

I consider my writing pure fantasy, although I suppose many people would say it incorporates strong SF elements, but other than the 'real world' stuff the science is pretty pseudo, so I don't feel right calling it that.

My maps started out very basic. Similar to yours, although I bet yours look nice, whereas mine were a bit of a mess at first. But I now have the entire planet mapped out to scale, with 'realistic' geomorphology defined by plate tectonics, etc. If I had put half as much effort into finishing a novel, I might be further forward by now. But still, my world is one thing I am proud of, at least.

Ok, I've scanned in some of my character sketches and put them into an album in my profile (largely because I'm not sure how big a picture I could post here). They're pretty faint but they were fun to draw, even if they aren't very good.

Wow - compared to yours, my maps are pretty basic. I wouldn't have even thought about geomorphology and tectonics on my maps, just a simple picture of the continent. It makes me want to put more effort into my worldbuilding! I really envy the people who can put that much detail into their worlds with ease.

Hey, your sketches are great! If you want to see something 'not very good', I should draw something and upload it, for comparison. I like the griffin-type creature, but I especially like your humans. The way you've managed to convey different facial expressions with such simple line sketches is really great.

And are you named after one of your characters here, then?


But oh, I wouldn't say I put that much detail into my world with ease. It took me years to teach myself enough to feel that I'd done a reasonable job of making something 'realistic' in terms of the geomorphology, and also just to fill in the detail of such a vast space. But I enjoyed it immensely, and now it gives me a real sense of achievement, as well as a very extensive range of settings for different stories.

I would upload a couple of pics, but although this probably sounds silly, I'm unwilling to post them publicly on the internet, since it's not just Chrons regulars who'd be able to see them, and given how much work I've put into it, I'd be terrified that someone would want to copy it, even though I realise that's highly unlikely.

Oh, and I liked your pic of the feather, what a great idea! Nice to see you dug out the old camera after all! Did you take the other feather pic in your album too? Because the contrast is better in that one, it's really beautiful.

Thanks for the comments! I seem to be better at drawing humans these days, although it used to be the other way around. I don't know whether it's from continued practice or what, but when I look back at some of my other sketches (from a while ago) I can see how much my style has changed. Much like my writing, I think.

And yes, Taly is one of my characters. I couldn't think of a name to put in when I was registering for Chronicles, and Taly sort of stuck.

I know what you mean about that sense of achievement, though, about your world and worldbuilding. I always feel like I've accomplished something when I add a few more details to an existing world or create something new, and then face the challenge of trying to balance how much of that detail I put into the story without it looking like an infodump. I still feel that some of my worlds are lacking the kind of detail that most of the regular and aspiring writers at Chronicles display (yourself included), but I can always add to it, I suppose, and improve on it.

I had the same quandary, too, when I posted those sketches and pictures in my albums. I think I've found a way around it, though - my albums are set to private, which means (I think) that only Chronicles members and moderators can see them. At least, when I've been into my profile whilst not signed into Chronicles, I haven't seen them. It took a fair bit of confidence to post them, though - like you, I was worried that someone would either steal them or something.

Yes, I did take the other feather pic. It was odd, because I took those two pictures in the same room, with the same light, just from different angles. Believe it or not, the background to the other feather shot was a couple of pieces of white card, so I'm not sure what happened there. I must admit, I prefer the contrast on that one, too. I think I would have used it for the photo contest, but I wasn't sure how simple it seemed to other people.

I'm still pleased with both, and I have no idea of what to pick for my second entry. I didn't realise that such a simple theme could be so difficult to choose!