The Art of World Building: Expanding What You Know | Panel Flow

Summary

This video delves into the art of world-building in storytelling, emphasizing its significance in enhancing narratives across genres. It highlights three key elements—time, planning, and revealing connections—that elevate a story's depth and engagement. Using 'Fullmetal Alchemist,' 'One Piece,' and 'Naruto' as examples, the script illustrates how well-executed world-building can create unforgettable, timeless tales that resonate with readers.

Takeaways

• 🌐 World building is essential for enhancing characters, settings, and themes in any story genre.
• 🏗️ A well-built world goes beyond surface-level settings to understand the inner workings of the society, including its geography, politics, history, and social hierarchy.
• 📚 Fundamental elements like geography and politics are important but are not the focus of this script; instead, it delves into deeper aspects of storytelling.
• ⏳ The importance of 'time' in storytelling, where patience in revealing secrets can build anticipation and deepen the reader's engagement.
• 🍎 Using 'Fullmetal Alchemist' as an example, the script illustrates how time can be used effectively to reveal important plot points and deepen the narrative.
• 📘 'Planning' is crucial for a coherent narrative; authors should have a detailed plan for characters, arcs, and the world to ensure a logical progression of the story.
• 🔍 'One Piece' is highlighted as an example of meticulous planning, where the author has a clear vision of the story's end from the beginning.
• 🔗 'Revealing connections' is identified as a vital aspect of world building, which can bring excitement, answers, and character depth when done well.
• 🥷 'Naruto' serves as an example of how revealing connections can impact the narrative by showing how a character's past actions influence the present and future.
• 🎯 The script emphasizes three key elements for deeper world building: the timing of revelations, comprehensive planning, and the strategic revealing of connections.
• 💌 The video creator expresses gratitude for the support received during a hiatus, attributing their return to creating content to a kind tweet and supportive comments from the audience.

Q & A

What is the importance of world building in storytelling according to the script?

World building is crucial in storytelling as it helps to grow the world view of a story, enhances characters, settings, and themes, and provides a solid foundation for the narrative. It is necessary for fleshing out motives, history, and the impact of actions within the world.

What does the script suggest as the driving ideology behind the reality and substance of a world in writing?

The script suggests that places are real when they're developed beyond the surface level, meaning that understanding how the world works, including its gears of society, is the driving ideology behind creating a realistic and substantial world.

Why does the script emphasize the importance of time in storytelling?

Time is emphasized because it allows for the build-up to a revelation, making the reader think deeply about the connections being made. It helps in maintaining the reader's interest and ensures that the reveal is impactful and satisfying.

What is the role of planning in world building as discussed in the script?

Planning ensures that the writing has a clear direction and purpose. It helps in creating a coherent and interconnected world, where the past, present, and future of characters, groups, and locations are well thought out and detailed.

How does the script describe the impact of revealing connections in a story?

Revealing connections is described as one of the most important aspects of world building. It creates a wave of excitement, provides answers, and deepens the understanding of characters and the world. It helps in connecting multiple points of information and story beats into a coherent narrative.

What is an example of effective use of time in storytelling given in the script?

The script uses 'Fullmetal Alchemist' as an example, where the destruction of Xerxes and the philosopher's connection is foreshadowed and revealed over time, creating a satisfying and impactful narrative.

How does the script illustrate the importance of planning in 'One Piece'?

The script mentions that Eiichiro Oda, the author of 'One Piece', has detailed books for different plots, characters, arcs, and factions, showing a clear past, present, and future for each element, demonstrating meticulous planning.

What role does the character Obito play in 'Naruto' according to the script?

Obito acts as a keystone character in 'Naruto', with his actions and ideology impacting the story significantly. He is revealed to be connected to major events and characters, enhancing the depth and interconnectedness of the narrative.

How does the script define the three major pieces to consider for deeper world building?

The three major pieces are: the time it takes to reveal an answer, planning to ensure the story makes sense and serves multiple purposes, and revealing connections to flesh out the past and show its impact on the future.

What does the script suggest as the outcome of effective world building?

Effective world building results in a narrative that is engaging, exciting, and has depth. It allows stories to become unforgettable and timeless by creating a rich and interconnected world.

What personal anecdote does the script share about the creator's hiatus and return?

The creator shares that their initial hiatus was due to a dead-end job and the demands of a new job. They were brought back to creating content by a supportive tweet from a viewer, highlighting the impact of such interactions.

Outlines

00:00

🏰 The Importance of World Building in Storytelling

This paragraph emphasizes the critical role of world building in creating a rich narrative experience. It discusses how world building enhances characters, settings, and themes, and is essential for any story to thrive. The speaker intends to explore unique aspects of world building, particularly in manga, and how it can elevate a story to become unforgettable and timeless. The paragraph introduces the core belief that a world feels real when it is deeply developed, beyond surface-level settings, to include the mechanics of society, such as geography, politics, history, and social hierarchy. The speaker also mentions skipping over basic elements often covered in other videos, focusing instead on more subjective story elements that take storytelling to a deeper level, specifically time, planning, and revealing connections.

05:01

🕰 The Role of Time in Story Revelations

The speaker delves into the first element of deep world building: time. They liken storytelling to a fruit that needs time to ripen before it can be fully appreciated. Patience in revealing secrets or plot points is crucial to maintain reader engagement and build anticipation. The example of 'Fullmetal Alchemist' is given to illustrate the effective use of time in storytelling, where foreshadowing and the gradual revelation of the philosopher's connection to the story's plot kept readers intrigued and invested. The speaker highlights the importance of pacing in revealing information to ensure it resonates with the audience and contributes to the overall impact of the narrative.

10:02

📚 The Necessity of Planning for Cohesive Storytelling

The second element of world building discussed is planning. The speaker admires the level of detail and forethought that goes into planning stories, as exemplified by Eiichiro Oda's extensive notes for 'One Piece'. The planning process involves outlining the past, present, and future of characters, groups, and locations, ensuring a coherent and interconnected narrative. The speaker argues that effective planning prevents a story from feeling disjointed or improvised, and it allows for the meaningful progression of the plot and character development. The example of Luffy's journey in 'One Piece' is used to show how planning impacts the narrative and the world at large, creating a tangible sense of change and continuity.

15:02

🔗 Revealing Connections for Deeper Character and World Development

The final element of world building explored is revealing connections. The speaker argues that this is the most crucial aspect for creating a deep and engaging story. Connections between characters, events, and history provide a sense of coherence and depth to the narrative. Using 'Naruto' as an example, the speaker discusses how the revelation of Obito's impact on the story serves as a keystone, linking multiple plot points and character developments. This interconnectedness not only answers lingering questions but also enhances the understanding of characters and the world. The speaker emphasizes the importance of these revelations in creating a rich and immersive storytelling experience.

🎉 Returning to Content Creation and Gratitude for Support

In the concluding paragraph, the speaker reflects on their hiatus from content creation and expresses gratitude for the support that has brought them back. They recount their initial reasons for stepping away, including a demanding job and the need to focus on other responsibilities. However, a kind tweet from a viewer named Hoshi Zoras, along with other supportive comments, encouraged the speaker to return to creating content. The speaker is currently working on another surprise video and dedicates this video to their loyal subscribers and especially to Hoshi Zoras for the motivational tweet. They promise not to leave their audience waiting for so long in the future and sign off with a commitment to continue creating content.

Keywords

💡World Building

World building is the process of constructing an imaginary world, including its geography, history, culture, and social structures. In the context of the video, it's a critical component for creating depth in storytelling across genres like fantasy, sci-fi, and historical fiction. The script emphasizes that world building is essential for enhancing characters, settings, and themes, and it gives the example of 'Game of Thrones' to illustrate how understanding the intricate details of a world can enrich a story.

💡Character Motivation

Character motivation refers to the reasons that drive a character's actions and decisions within a story. The video script discusses how world building helps to flesh out these motivations, providing a richer understanding of why characters act the way they do. It's a fundamental aspect of storytelling that contributes to the believability and engagement of the narrative.

💡Setting

The setting of a story is the time and place in which the narrative occurs. In the video, the setting is highlighted as a basic element of world building that needs to be well-developed to provide a solid foundation for the story. It's not just a backdrop but an integral part of the narrative that influences characters and plot.

💡Manga

Manga is a term used to describe Japanese comics or graphic novels. The script uses examples from various manga series, such as 'Fullmetal Alchemist' and 'Naruto,' to demonstrate effective world building practices. These examples show how manga, as a medium, can utilize visual storytelling to enhance world building.

💡Time

In the context of the video, 'time' refers to the pacing and timing of revealing information or plot twists within a story. The script argues that patience in storytelling is crucial, as it allows for the build-up of anticipation and deeper engagement with the narrative. 'Fullmetal Alchemist' is cited as an example where time is effectively used to create suspense and impact.

💡Planning

Planning in storytelling involves having a clear vision and structure for the narrative before writing. The video mentions 'One Piece' creator Eiichiro Oda's meticulous planning as an example of how thorough preparation can lead to a coherent and impactful story. Planning helps to ensure that world building elements are logically consistent and serve the story's overall arc.

💡Revealing Connections

Revealing connections is the act of connecting different elements of a story to create a cohesive and engaging narrative. The script discusses how revealing these connections can provide answers, deepen character understanding, and drive the plot forward. 'Naruto' is used as an example to illustrate how connections between characters and events can have significant impacts on the story.

💡Transmutation Circle

A transmutation circle, specifically from 'Fullmetal Alchemist,' is a symbolic diagram used to perform alchemical reactions. The video script uses the transmutation circle as an example of a world-building element that ties into the plot and history of the story, creating a sense of mystery and connection that spans the narrative.

💡Systemic Issues

Systemic issues refer to deep-rooted, complex problems within a society or system. The video mentions these in relation to world building, suggesting that understanding the systemic issues of a fictional world can provide insight into its运作 and contribute to a more immersive and realistic narrative.

💡Spoilers

Spoilers are pieces of information that reveal key plot points or twists in a story, potentially diminishing the experience of discovering them naturally. The script mentions trying to keep spoilers to a minimum, indicating a consideration for the audience who may not have read the manga series discussed.

Highlights

World building is essential for enhancing characters, settings, and themes in any story genre.

A well-developed world deepens the reader's understanding and engagement with the story.

Basic elements like geography, politics, history, and social hierarchy are fundamental to world building.

Readers need a solid grasp of these elements, especially in unfamiliar and strange worlds.

The video will focus on story elements that elevate world building to a deeper level.

Time, planning, and revealing connections are key to effective world building.

Patience in storytelling allows for impactful revelations that resonate with readers.

Fullmetal Alchemist uses world building to drive the plot and character development.

The story of Xerxes in Fullmetal Alchemist was built up over time for a satisfying reveal.

Planning is crucial for a coherent narrative that serves multiple purposes in the story.

Eiichiro Oda's meticulous planning for One Piece ensures a clear and impactful storyline.

Revealing connections between characters and events deepens the narrative and enriches the world.

Naruto effectively uses character connections to reveal hidden aspects of the world and its history.

Obito's character in Naruto serves as a central connection that impacts the entire storyline.

The importance of revealing a connection as a keystone to bridge multiple points in storytelling.

The video creator's hiatus and return, motivated by supportive feedback from the community.

The impact of audience engagement on content creators and their motivation to produce.

Transcripts

what makes you interested in learning

more about a world and what makes you

understand a world in a deeper way

in any story whether it be medieval

fantasy sci-fi or a story about a

wandering samurai going through the

meiji period of japan

world building is continually touted as

one of the connecting threads that helps

to not only grow the world view of a

story but also enhances the characters

settings and theme

i think it would be fair to say that no

story worth at salt could actually

survive without it it's needed to flesh

out motives in the history of these

worlds and explain how the actions of

others impact the world that we are

exploring today

in this video i want to take a deeper

dive into world building and flesh out

what makes the world building of a story

unique show examples of these practices

within manga and how when these are done

properly the reader can reap the fruits

of the author's labor by taking that

story to the next level when these

pieces all come together that in turn

allows the stories to become

unforgettable and timeless

in my mind there is one single ideology

that drives the reality and substance of

a world that's being written

places are real when they're developed

now what does that mean

it's when you go past the surface level

of a setting and get into how the world

itself works

how do the gears turn in this society

and what makes them turn

it's taking basic elements the geography

the politics the history the social

hierarchy and laying them out for the

reader to enjoy and to dive deeper into

it's one of my most firm opinions that a

story won't be able to thrive without

the reader having an extremely solid

grasp of answers to all of these

elements especially if it's an a manga

set in an unfamiliar and strange world

with power sets already established

relationships and connections and the

systemic issues of that world

to know a game of thrones for example

you need to know the kingdoms and their

divisions you need to know the king the

peasants the lords you need to know the

wars that ravaged westeros and essos the

ruling hierarchy and how the people are

still being impacted by the setting to

this day

but while all of these elements are

extremely important i actually think

that i'm going to skip over these

elements today while they're absolutely

fundamental to any story that you read

or want to write there are about a

million videos on youtube that go into

these basic elements with plenty of

depth

i don't think i'd really add anything to

the conversation that's already been had

on those subjects but what i'll do

instead is link to a couple of great

videos in the description below

but what i want to dig into are the

story elements and the world building

elements that takes a story to a deeper

level entirely

they're more subjective but

what i think will bring any story to the

next level are these three things

time

planning

and revealing connections

as a heads up i will be mentioning a few

different manga and their examples of

world building but i'll try to keep any

spoilers to a minimum

first is time

think of a fruit

any fruit on any tree is going to need

time to be picked time to ripen and

finally time to eat

the same goes for storytelling a secret

isn't really a secret if it's revealed

in the same chapter where it's

introduced

patience is needed to help the story

build up to the next revelation

if it's picked too early it might not

stay with the reader if it's picked too

late the reader might turn frustrated

since the reveal didn't live up to the

expectations after all of the time that

went behind it

you want to have the reader think deeply

about the connections that are being

made

maybe the answer to your seeker gets

revealed in the next chapter the next

arc or right at the end of your story

but when the reader waits and as long as

that wait isn't too long

they will start to experience the

awesome build up to this revelation

they will finally get to eat the fruit

that they've been staring at

let's look at an example of time done

right

fullmetal alchemist is still one of my

favorite stories in all of fiction not

just manga i think the characters are

great the power system is fun but most

importantly in regards to this video the

world building plays directly into the

plot and the future of that story along

with all of its answers and consequences

of that world building for example this

page regarding the destruction of xerxes

and the philosopher from the east and

west had an ample amount of

foreshadowing leading into the final

moments of fullmetal alchemist

sharing myths is a common aspect in the

real world and when i first saw this i

thought that both of these philosophers

were the same person perhaps a traveling

alchemist that was able to share

knowledge many years ago which therefore

helped establish the knowledge the world

has today my mind started to erase and

think of more and more questions where

did they come from is this philosopher

related to the destruction of xerces

they were first mentioned in this

chapter where we come across the ruins

of xerxes for the first time so there's

probably something connecting those two

pieces but because himaru arakawa the

author fullmetal alchemist took the time

to lead up to this answer it sat in the

back of the reader's mind when we see

that there's more to the story

afterwards we're practically salivating

for that first bite in this chapter

there's talk about how this great city

this shining civilization

was brought down to its knees in one

night edward stumbles across the first

preview of our answers to these

questions

ed stares at what looks to be a

transmutation circle but one that's a

little more off than the normal ones

we've seen

in the middle of that transmutation

circle there's a familiar looking symbol

we've seen something quite similar to it

on ed's pocket watch the same that he

got when he became a state alchemist but

it isn't exact

the realization is that there's probably

more of a connection that we'll see

later on later in the series we learned

that van holenheim the father of edin

alphonse was working with the dwarf in

the flask who would later be known as

father

pieces start to come together you can

see in the bottom left panel of this

page that the same transmutation circle

that edis stood in front of is present

in this bandit's list of instructions

those readers with great memories or

those that went back and reread the

first chapter when we came across xerxes

undoubtedly picked this up the tension

starts to build as you read from one

page to the next looking for hints and

answers to our questions what's

fascinating is that van hoenheim's

realization that the dwarf from the

flask has built a city-wide

transmutation circle to wipe out xerxes

matches what we as the readers are

learning in that moment it's because

arakawa took enough time to build up to

this point that we were sufficiently

shocked by how this flashback ended as

we worked our way through the story we

eventually needed an answer and once we

get that answer it would create the

wasteland where ed eventually stood four

centuries later van hohenheim is tricked

and in turn the very same transmutation

circle lays waste to the city

the first appearance of the ruins was in

chapter 40 and the reveal and the answer

to the lingering questions that we had

was in chapter 75.

now it's never a hard formula for how

long you should wait to answer a

question that's been posed it's always

going to be subjective based on the

story and the events in the plot but in

this case the amount of time that was

used to help pique the reader's interest

was perfect

it also helps to answer multiple

questions at once

what happened to the ruins of the city

what was different about the

transmutation circle that ed saw and it

also helped to further develop the

backstories of van hollenheim and the

creature that would later be known as

father as well as expanding their

relationship and the reasoning behind

their future interactions

the world of fullmetal alchemist is a

very ripe and connected one this is just

one of the many threads that are pulled

throughout the story and it's one of the

reasons why it remains so engaging and

exciting to this day

second is planning

having a plan of attack is crucial to

make sure that the writing isn't just

going by the seat of their pants or

winging it

for example here you can see a

screenshot of some books that achiera

oda the author of one piece has

regarding different plots characters

arcs and factions

from left to right you see a book about

the character big mom the middle about

the group the revolutionary army and the

right being the location of zou in each

of these books there's a very clear past

present and future written for that

character or group

there are motivations power sets groups

plots geography ways of life and their

connections to the larger world written

in massive detail if you're a writer you

should honestly strive to do the same in

my opinion there are very very few

writers in the world who have reached

this level of forethought in their

series and oda is absolutely one of them

when the author is able to effectively

plan out a story and when the mysteries

start to shine through and reveal

deep-seated facts about the world the

past and the integral parts of the

societies that they live in it answers

questions

how are these factions important to the

world at large

what do they do to impact the places

that they live today what are their

guiding principles what do they want and

what will they do in order to achieve

their goals from day one oda has been

pretty clear regarding the plan that has

been set out for one piece he said that

he's had the final panel in his mind

since he started the story

by simply reading the story you feel

like oda has never winged it while

writing one piece

there is always a very clear plan moving

forward

how does luffy progress through the

world he gains crewmates and allies

defeats villains and continues to cement

himself in various plotlines and how

they're able to interact with the world

at large after they've interacted with

luffy his presence

changes the future of those places that

he's been to in a meaningful and

tangible way

we're able to see these changes thanks

to the planning and story that has

already been laid out by oda

the third and final part of this is

revealing connections

as all good things come in threes i

think this might actually be the most

important aspect of them all albeit only

slightly

revealing the connections of a world is

one of the single most important things

that an author can do in regards to

world building when an author reveals a

connection there should be a massive

title wave of either excitement answers

to questions or improving the depths of

characters that are being connected

together hopefully you can hit all three

and there are quite a few instances of

that happening in various series

but for this one

i actually think that a series that hits

this point extremely well is the one

about everyone's favorite ninja naruto

i think that naruto has plenty of

encounters throughout the series that

are worthy to be put on the list for

interconnectedness but i'll stick with

in my opinion the best examples in the

series

wait what no no no no no get out of here

blacks at you get out get out

okay that's better naruto wasn't all

winners but i've always liked how obito

chiha was inserted in the story and how

his impact on the series has his

fingerprints all over it when revealing

a connection in a story there has to be

one piece of information whether it be

an event a character or a place that

acts as a kind of keystone to literally

bridge together multiple points of

information and story beats whether that

be the ones that dive into the past

behaviors of different characters the

reasoning behind their actions or in

regards to a long forgotten history

something has to interlock these

multiple hanging threads into one

coherent piece of storytelling

if we look at obito we know that his

start in regards to naruto at large is

when he was put on a team with kakashi

but throughout the journey that they're

on they start to see each other's

worldview learn from the other's

perspective and therefore get brought

closer to each other's ideologies

a quick example of this is how their

time together still affects kakashi

decades later

even kakashi's famous words about those

who do not care for and support their

fellows are even worse than garbage are

ones that he took directly from obito

seeing this and revealing this

connection shows an integral part of

kakashi's character he has still been

impacted by the philosophy of obito to

this day and it still drives his actions

and behaviors during obito's apparent

demise kakashi is gifted with obito's

sharingan giving us the answer to the

question that i remember talking about

on the playground in middle school

how did kakashi get his sharingan

without being a member of the uchiha

family the idea of stealing one didn't

really seem like it was up kakashi's

alley so what happened and it's because

kishimoto the author of naruto was able

to weave this narrative and reveal these

connections into the story in an

effective way

when obito attacks the leaf village he

not only summons the nine tales to

attack the village for him but he also

fights his old master

now because obito is the connection

that's being revealed in the story we

start to see that he was responsible for

other age-old questions in the community

and therefore he acts as a centerpiece

in the past of naruto and it's clear

that he's going to continue impacting

the present and the future as well how

did the fourth hokage die how did naruto

get the nine tails sealed within him

once you start to understand the origins

and the ramifications of these events

you realize that it's because of obito

in regards to his relationship with

kakashi minato naruto the ninetales and

for the ninja world in general that the

events we read about were all kicked off

by him

if you want to think about a web of the

characters that obito has had a

significant impact on the list just

keeps getting bigger and more

interconnected if obito is the center

connecting these threads and all of

these outside connections are related to

each other somehow through their own

separate interactions that just further

enables the depth of characters to be

fleshed out and enhanced to a new level

in naruto obito might have had the

biggest coherent impact on the events of

the story

his ideology lived on through kakashi

his actions caused the death of naruto's

parents and in turn sealed the nine

tails in naruto this is really just

scratching the surface of obito's

character and his impact on the story at

large

but now since the origins of our

original questions are revealed we start

to understand the hidden aspects and

lore of this world

so to review we have three major pieces

to think about when looking at deeper

world building the time that it takes to

reveal the answer to a question

planning to guarantee that it makes

sense in the story and is able to serve

multiple purposes in that story and

finally revealing the connections to

help flesh out the past of the world and

show in a very direct way how that

impacts the future of the story being

told

i think that just about wraps up this

video but i guess i should also take

this opportunity to say hi

we haven't spoken in a while i just want

to say thanks for sticking around

basically my initial hiatus for this was

due to a few things

when i first started on this channel

coveted hit and the job i was working

was just a total dead end cluster

i was working from home and i would

write record and edit videos during work

hours

since i was doing so little in my job so

it was nice to be a paid youtuber before

i had any kind of ad revenue right

but i got a job pretty shortly after the

last upload that i had and that consumed

pretty much all of my time and energy i

was working on another video but it

really just slipped off my plate since i

was dealing with the new job

what brought me back was a

super kind tweet that i got from hoshi

zoras and hopefully i'm pronouncing that

correctly but

i can absolutely and confidently say

that i would not have done this video

without your tweet bringing me back to

even check out the channel

once i logged back in i saw all of the

other supportive comments below the

videos and some of them were months and

months old honestly i thought that all

of my videos just kind of got sucked

into the pits of youtube and i didn't

really expect anyone to find them so

thank you to everyone else who commented

as well getting that kind of positive

feedback for something that you thought

wouldn't mean anything is truly

truly a really great feeling i'm working

on another video right now and that

one's going to be a surprise but for

this one

this whole video is dedicated to the

people who liked and subscribed before

and hoshi zoras for that nice tweet you

know they're really simple comments when

you do leave them and i'm sure when you

left them you might not have thought

very deeply about it when you first sent

it off but

it had an impact on me and made me jump

back on the horse so thank you so much

as for me i'm panel flo and i'll see you

next time

i promise i won't ghost you for a year

again bye

[Music]

so

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you