Tag: world-building

World-Building: Captivate Readers & Never Let Go

World-building is essential for every story, but obviously genre will have a major influence on how much our story requires. Setting can add an entirely new level of dimension to our stories.

DysFUNctional: World-Building from Orwell to Apocalypse

world-building

Say it with me: world-building is fun. Seriously! It’s the only way—aside from global domination—we will ever get to arrange the world exactly as we want. Don’t like green peppers on your supreme pizza? Banish them! Hate people who squeeze the toothpaste tube from the middle? Declare them subversive enemies of the regime! Yet, some …

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There & Back Again—Using Distance to Up the Story Stakes and Pace

It’s Squatter’s Rights Wednesday with me, Cait Reynolds. Today, we are going to go the distance. Literally. No matter what genre we write, our characters generally go places. The physical distance between these places impacts the timelines of our stories, pacing, and tension. Distance, great or small, can also be used to create atmosphere or …

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The Cait and Kim Show

It’s Squatter’s Rights Wednesday, which today means, not just me, Cait Reynolds, but also Kim Alexander! Today, we begin by not only sharing the obligatory Denny Basenji picture, but also ONION! Because who doesn’t need more Onion in their lives? RIGHT? Kim recently came to visit me (okay, she came to visit her brother, but …

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Party like it’s Durin’s Day: Imaginary Celebrations in Fantasy

Well, it’s the last day of me, Cait Reynolds, playing “king of the hill” on Kristen’s blog. In honor of this fact, I’d like to begin today’s post by listing out the top five reasons Kristen could be denied re-entry into the United States. 1. US Customs does not allow you to bring foreign livestock into …

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