The Art of Upheaval: Mastering Change in World-building
Summer Camp Anticipation, Week 1: Change
Before I begin, let me remind you of this quick foundation:
plot + world-building = story
story + craft (editing/revisions) = polished art
World-building is what makes your version of one of the seven basic plots different from my version of one of the seven basic plots.
Earlier today, I posted a note1 in which I promised to go further into the idea of change in world-building.2 I really appreciate you sticking around for my nattering on about a subject I love. This is the first part of my Summer Camp anticipation series; read them all here: Change | Refuge | Belief | Decay
Change is the lifeblood of storytelling. It’s the spark that ignites the fire of narrative, propelling characters into action and transforming static worlds into dynamic arenas where anything can happen.
In the art of world-building, change isn’t just a plot device; it’s a cataclysmic event that has the power to reshape landscapes, redefine civilizations, and rewrite history.
Let’s take a closer look at my examples from earlier to illustrate my point.
“We are aging, many of us are growing.” Alright, aging changes a number of things and one of those is often eyesight. As humans, we are sight-first creatures, we engage with the world primarily through what we see, so the natural change in vision can be scary and disorienting, and it can lead to mishaps both tragic and comical.
“The world turns, the sun appears to cross the sky.” Claude Monet was just one of many artists who studied how the light changed during different times of day, different seasons, different weather. He would go to the same place, in “different light” and capture the exact same thing as though it were almost new. Entirely different colors, the shapes made by the shadows, the play of light and dark. (World-building in a visual medium is another topic for another day.)
“There are new people around us on our commute.” Right…let’s dig in and play with this one.
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You’re sitting on the bus. It’s your usual Monday commute, bland and gray overhead. The same bland grayness is reflected in the familiar faces of the others on the bus, strangers you know only by habit. Even their polite smile-and-nods as you boarded were the same bland, gray smile-and-nod as the one you gave in return. The pull of custom is a powerful thing.
As you scroll Substack on your phone, you feel the bus slow. You hear the pneumatic hiss of the brakes, and the squeak of the door opening. You tear your eyes away from Jaime Buckley’s weekly coffee chat, ready to serve up another helping of leftover manners. Your eyes graze over the newcomer’s face, and your heart drops into your ass.
In this little piece, I’ve very quickly built a scene (a rainy Monday on the bus), a main character (you), and supporting cast (everyone else on the bus). The very next thing I did…was make a change to what’s normal.
The bus stopping is normal, you’re on a bus, you expect it to stop, you’re ready to smile to whoever gets on.
Then your heartbeat changes.
It’s a small and familiar change, it’s something we all know; that sensation when the roller coaster drops, or when you take a step down and it’s further than you think before your foot hits the ground, or when you’re on the swings and go just a liiiiitle bit too high.3
But let’s not stop there. Change begets change. The initial shockwave is just the beginning. The classic metaphor of a pebble in a pond, and the ripples it creates is so familiar because it’s so true. A tree that falls in the woods will damage other trees on the way down. A collapsed bridge can block a stream which can cause a flood which can…. You see how piling on change affords us the opportunity to pile on the drama with our characters’ actions and reactions.
Consider the much-beloved Dungeons & Dragons setting of Forgotten Realms or the vast universe of Star Trek. These settings thrive on the concept of change. A new spell-book discovered, a warp drive malfunctioning — each incident a pebble tossed into the narrative pond, sending ripples across the entire canvas of the world.
Remember that change is not just about the big bangs and epic battles. It’s also found in the quiet moments — the subtle shift in a character’s gaze, the soft closing of a book that signals the end of an era. These changes, though small, are the threads that weave the tapestry of your world’s history.
I encourage you: in your own world-building endeavors, embrace the chaos of change. Let it be the wind that fills the sails of your story, carrying it forward and forcing your characters to DO instead of experience. Whether it’s the ascension of a red wizard or the tragic loss of a starship, change challenges your characters, tests their mettle, and ultimately, reveals their true nature.
World Anvil’s Summer Camp — a series of 40(+?) writing prompts grouped into weekly themes — runs from June 29 - August 3, 2024. I will be participating, developing my fictional world of Avalon, Indiana. This is the setting of my WIP, “Cornfields of Avalon,” a supernatural thriller. Please, follow my Avalon, Indiana World Anvil and support me through this incredible marathon!
Let's talk about the theme of CHANGE in world-building! (1)
World Anvil's annual World-Building Summer Camp begins on Saturday, and I am hyped! So of course, I'm here to share my passion and enthusiasm!
CHANGE IS EVER PRESENT
A key element of storytelling is change. Our MC is doing things, living life in the world, whatever that means for them. We have a status quo, a state of normal.
And then, something changes, and our story is propelled into motion, our MC must act and/or react.
That moment of change comes from our world-building. Change is everywhere, always. From the atomic level all the way to the cosmic level, everything is constantly different.
It is tempting to look for big changes in our world to use in our storytelling. But the small moments can be just as full of compelling and dramatic change.
We are aging, many of us are growing. The world turns, the sun appears to cross the sky. There are new people around us on our commute.
Each of these can provide complex changes that can drive our story forward.
Want to know more? Fancy some examples?
Follow, subscribe, and stay tuned through the day as I continue to rhapsodize about Change in world-building!
I intended to post a few more notes, but work was busy, and my schedule is controlled by whoever pays my bills.
No such thing. Higher! HIGHER! HIGHER!!!
Great post Haly. I have now followed your Substack and will see what I've missed and look forward to your future posts. Fellow Anvilite & Worldbuilder here too! :)
There's a lot to unpack here, and a lot I'd like to comment on. When I've slept, I'll return and make logical observations.
I too am a proud Anvilite anxiously awaiting the start of Summer Camp 2024. (Uclandia & Naagani)