Worldbuilding for Masochists
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S7E26 Episode 182: Stranger than Fiction, ft. GABRIELLA BUBA
Sometimes, the truth is weirder and stranger than anything we could make up -- and that's something a worldbuilder can use to their benefit! Guest Gabriella Buba joins us to talk about building real…
S7E25 Episode 181: Journey to the Past, ft. SHANNON CHAKRABORTY
History underpins so much of what we do in the fantasy genre, directly and indirectly. So how do we make that history feel real in an invented world? What makes it feel old and settled as opposed to…
S7E24 Episode 180: Subgenre Spin, ft. FONDA LEE
In previous episodes, we've discussed how some genres are more aesthetic-driven (like sci fi & fantasy) and others are more structure-driven (like romance and mystery). So how do subgenres within…
S7E23 Episode 179: That's Me in the Spotlight, Worldbuilding My Religion, ft. VAISHNAVI PATEL
Faith is an element of society that intersects with a lot of other structures of power and privilege -- So what do we need to think about when incorporating real-world religions into our fantasy…
S7E22 Episode 178: Character and Conflict, ft. CARISSA BROADBENT
It's an oft-cited (though poorly citationed) aphorism of writing that you should “chase your character up a tree and throw rocks at them." Well, worldbuilding is what gives you the tree and the…
S7E21 Episode 177: Getting in Tune: Music in Worldbuilding, ft. MIA TSAI
Music is a cultural universal, something human societies have been producing since our very earliest days – So how do we use it when writing novels? How do we put the audial experience onto the…
S7E20 Episode 176: Atmospheric Conditions, ft. H.M. LONG
One of the things that can make a novel memorable is its atmosphere. So what do we mean, exactly, when we use that word, and how do we craft it? Guest H. M. Long joins us to attempt to answer that…
S7E19 Episode 175: Folklore Monsters and Their Origins, ft. AMÉLIE WEN ZHAO
From creatures to avoid in the woods to superstitions about numbers, folklore not only gives us inspiration for stories, but also stories for the characters in your world to tell. So where do…
S7E18 Episode 174: Stress-Testing Your Worldbuilding, ft. ANDREA STEWART
We often start the worldbuilding process with a lot of exciting ideas, shiny notions, and fun experiments -- so then, how do you make it make sense? Even in an invented world with its own history,…
S7E17 Episode 173: Talking about Writing: A Crossover Episode with SFF ADDICTS (Adrian M. Gibson, M.J. Kuhn, & Greta Kelly)
There comes a time in the life of every author when they have to do that truly terrifying thing: Talk about their book. In this special crossover episode with SFF Addicts, we talk about talking about…
S7E16 Episode 172: Inquiries and Interrogatives
It's our first episode of 2026, and that means it's time for another listener Q&A episode! From nitty-gritty craft details like writing good dialogue and measuring your pacing to broader concepts…
S7E15 Episode 171: Eight Days a Week
As we turn the pages of our own calendars, let's think about how the cultures we build in fantasy and science fiction mark the passage of time! What shapes the patterns of life for your characters?…
S7E14 Episode 170: Save It for the Patreon
We know we’re worldbuilding masochists – But when is too much really, really too much? Some of us try to do all our worldbuilding at the start of a project -- and some of us do it as we go. However…
S7E13 Episode 169: For the Cartography-Curious
Few things are more glorious than opening up a fantasy book and seeing a gorgeously detailed map right up front. So what goes into making that masterpiece for you to feast your eyes and imagination…
S7E12 Episode 168: It's Bigger on the Inside... of Book Two, ft. APARNA VERMA
So: Whether it was always intended and contracted, you told the “standalone with series potential” fib, or the public has simply demanded more, you now have to write a second book in the same world.…
S7E11 Episode 167: Spice Up Your Worldbuilding. ft. NIA DAVENPORT
So, you've decided it's time to turn up the heat on your worldbuilding. Maybe you're writing a full-on romantasy, or maybe it's a smaller component of your overall plot, but if your characters are…
S7E10 Episode 166: The Histo-Remix, ft. ALIX E. HARROW
We use history a lot in our worldbuilding, whether as a direct re-interpretation or as inspiration for a secondary world that we’re creating. So… why do we do that? And what choices do we need to…
S7E9 Episode 165: Pour One out for Your Worldbuilding
From beer to gin, from caffeine to tobacco, from mushrooms to hallucinogenic snails, a culture's options for achieving altered states of consciousness through consumables are vast! So when the people…
S7 Special Episode: ArmadilloCon 2025!
This episode was recorded live as a panel at ArmadilloCon 2025! We give a little history of the podcast, re-introduce ourselves for the in-room audience and any new listeners, and discuss the world…
S7E8 Episode 164: Worldbuilding and the Lens of Perspective, ft. MARTIN CAHILL
A point-of-view character's experience of the world will shape the information that the reader gets about that world. So, a lot depends on who that character -- or characters -- might be! How can you…
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Worldbuilding for Masochists has published 184 episodes since June 2019, covering topics in Arts, Books.
Worldbuilding for Masochists is currently highly active with new episodes every 2 weeks. Average episode length is 1h 5m.
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