LAZY WORLDBUILDING: What is it, and How Do You Avoid It?

Summary

This video critiques lazy fantasy worldbuilding, focusing on shallow geography, uninspired names, and clichéd tropes. It stresses the importance of thoughtful, unique designs in world creation, emphasizing the need for geography with personality, meaningful names, and drawing from real history in a creative way. The creator challenges the convention of depicting eastern Slavic-inspired lands as inherently evil, highlighting the need for diversity and depth in fantasy settings. The video encourages creators to embrace purpose-driven worldbuilding and not be swayed by criticism, even if it’s deemed ‘cringe’ by others.

Takeaways

• 😀 Worldbuilding can be complex and engaging, offering opportunities to explore deep themes, but lazy worldbuilding undermines this potential.
• 😀 Lazy worldbuilding often manifests in overly simplistic settings, such as 'good guy' lands, 'bad guy' lands, and unexplained 'neutral' areas that lack depth and complexity.
• 😀 The fantasy genre often inherits tropes, like the idea of a good kingdom and an evil land, which are not inherently bad, but they can hinder immersion if executed lazily.
• 😀 Good worldbuilding requires a balance of significance across different lands in a story, not just focusing on the protagonist’s bubble of importance.
• 😀 Fantasy maps can suffer from 'blob lands' or 'copy-paste' geography, where continents lack distinct features, personality, or feel too derivative of real-world places.
• 😀 Bad worldbuilding can occur when fantastical geography is not tonally aligned with the rest of the world or story. Consistency is key.
• 😀 While it’s okay to focus more effort on the protagonist's starting point, other areas should still feel like they're developed and not ignored, especially if they are part of the plot.
• 😀 Names in fantasy should be thought through carefully. 'Bad' names include overly obvious, real-world inspired names, names that are hard to pronounce, and names that feel forced or generic.
• 😀 Fantasy doesn't have to reject real-world history and cultures. Instead, it should celebrate and remix them, creating something new and interesting without losing authenticity.
• 😀 Iterating on history and cultures in a thoughtful way can create unique and memorable settings that feel real without feeling lazy or derivative.

Q & A

What does the speaker mean by 'lazy worldbuilding'?

The speaker refers to 'lazy worldbuilding' as creating a fantasy world that lacks depth, originality, and thoughtful development. It includes oversimplified or stereotypical concepts such as the 'good guy land' vs. 'bad guy land' dichotomy, flat geography, and poorly executed names.

Why does the speaker criticize the 'good guy land' vs. 'bad guy land' trope?

The speaker criticizes this trope because it can make a world feel shallow and less immersive. When a fantasy world strictly divides lands into good and evil, it ignores the complexity of real-world cultures and environments, which are never as black and white.

How does the concept of 'blob lands' relate to lazy worldbuilding?

Blob lands are fantasy continents that appear unnatural or asymmetrical without clear geographical features. They often lack personality, distinct biomes, or cultural elements, which makes them feel empty and unengaging. The speaker compares them to real-world places like the island of Sulawesi to show how real-world geography has unique shapes that can inspire interesting worldbuilding.

What is the issue with copying real-world continents and countries in fantasy maps?

When fantasy maps too closely resemble real-world regions, it can break immersion for the audience. The speaker specifically mentions Protagnia, which is a copy of European geography, as an example. The problem lies in the lack of originality and failure to create unique worlds that don't feel derivative.

Why does the speaker emphasize that worldbuilding should fit the tone of the story?

The speaker argues that if a world features fantastical or absurd elements, like a world on a turtle (a reference to Terry Pratchett's Discworld), the story should embrace that tone and make it work within the universe. A mismatch between the world's design and the narrative can lead to a tonally inconsistent or unconvincing story.

What is 'unequal lore development' and why is it a problem in worldbuilding?

Unequal lore development occurs when certain regions or cultures in a fantasy world are highly detailed, while others are left undeveloped or underexplored. The speaker highlights that this imbalance can make parts of the world feel lifeless, especially when they are meant to play a role in the plot.

How does bad naming affect the quality of worldbuilding?

Bad naming can detract from the believability of a fantasy world. The speaker points out that names should be thoughtfully crafted to fit the language, culture, and tone of the world. Examples of bad names include obvious wordplay (like 'Protagonia' or 'Antagonia') and names that are hard to pronounce or culturally insensitive.

What role does real-world history and culture play in effective worldbuilding?

The speaker argues that drawing inspiration from real-world history and culture isn't lazy, but rather a vital tool for creating a rich, layered world. Fantasy should mix elements of real history to create something fresh, offering new perspectives while staying rooted in the familiar. This approach can make the world more relatable and believable.

What does the speaker mean by 'irony poisoning' in the context of worldbuilding?

'Irony poisoning' refers to the tendency for some creators to become so self-aware and ironic about their worldbuilding that it ends up feeling shallow or insincere. The speaker encourages embracing worldbuilding choices with purpose and confidence, even if some people might find them cringeworthy.

How does the speaker's own map and worldbuilding process relate to the video’s themes?

The speaker shares their own map and acknowledges that while some elements of their world (like a desert kingdom) may be inspired by real-world geography, they put effort into making these places unique. This example reinforces the idea that drawing from real history is acceptable if it's done thoughtfully and with a purpose, rather than lazily copying elements.