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* [[SlidingScale/MohsScaleOfScienceFictionHardness How "hard" or "soft" is it?]]

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* [[SlidingScale/MohsScaleOfScienceFictionHardness [[MediaNotes/MohsScaleOfScienceFictionHardness How "hard" or "soft" is it?]]
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corrected a green link


* OurMonstersAreDifferent: A new take on an old beastie is essential. For example, ''Film/TheThingFromAnotherWorld'' combined {{Doppelganger}} (by way of YouAreWhoYouEat) with BizarreAlienBiology, OurVampiresAreDifferent and PlantAliens (it's a species of carrot). The 1982 remake, ''Film/TheThing1982'', traded plant alien and different vampire for ShapeShifterMashup, to stomach-turning effect. But don't [[Literature/{{Twilight}} go so overboard that people shout]] NoTrueScotsman.

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* OurMonstersAreDifferent: A new take on an old beastie is essential. For example, ''Film/TheThingFromAnotherWorld'' combined {{Doppelganger}} (by way of YouAreWhoYouEat) with BizarreAlienBiology, OurVampiresAreDifferent and PlantAliens (it's a species of carrot). The 1982 remake, ''Film/TheThing1982'', traded plant alien and different vampire for ShapeShifterMashup, to stomach-turning effect. But don't [[Literature/{{Twilight}} [[Literature/TheTwilightSaga go so overboard that people shout]] NoTrueScotsman.
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expanded on Its Been Done


* ItsBeenDone. You need to brainstorm long and hard to make your setting truly unique. [[JustForFun/XMeetsY Or just cherry-pick bits from other works that you like, toss them in the metaphorical pot, and see what boils up.]] But be sure to boil long and hard so it doesn't look messily ripped off and stuck on with gore.
* Justforfun/RecycledInSPACE. If you want to (for example) make a reimagining of your favorite treasure hunt-story, but as a political satire, or it happens in an urban setting, really put effort in to it. Most of the popular *some character but in SPACE!* type of stories feel worthless, because the storytellers haven't put much thought in to how the story would change, if their Aquaman really WOULD go to space. How would they react? To underthink it, is the pitfall, not using the said trope.

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* ItsBeenDone. You need to brainstorm long and hard to make your setting truly unique. [[JustForFun/XMeetsY Or just cherry-pick bits from other works that you like, toss them in the metaphorical pot, and see what boils up.]] But be sure to boil long and hard so it doesn't look messily ripped off and stuck on with gore.
gore. It helps to read widely in your genre to see what has been done. Some literary agents recommend reading works published in your genre in the last five years.
* Justforfun/RecycledInSPACE. If you want to (for example) make a reimagining of your favorite treasure hunt-story, but as a political satire, or it happens in an urban setting, really put effort in to it. Most of the popular *some character but in SPACE!* type of stories feel worthless, because the storytellers haven't put much thought in to how the story would change, if their Aquaman really WOULD go to space. How would they react? To underthink it, is the pitfall, not using the said trope.
trope.
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* RecycledINSPACE. If you want to (for example) make a reimagining of your favorite treasure hunt-story, but as a political satire, or it happens in an urban setting, really put effort in to it. Most of the popular *some character but in SPACE!* type of stories feel worthless, because the storytellers haven't put much thought in to how the story would change, if their Aquaman really WOULD go to space. How would they react? To underthink it, is the pitfall, not using the said trope.

to:

* RecycledINSPACE.Justforfun/RecycledInSPACE. If you want to (for example) make a reimagining of your favorite treasure hunt-story, but as a political satire, or it happens in an urban setting, really put effort in to it. Most of the popular *some character but in SPACE!* type of stories feel worthless, because the storytellers haven't put much thought in to how the story would change, if their Aquaman really WOULD go to space. How would they react? To underthink it, is the pitfall, not using the said trope.
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None


* RecycledINSPACE. If you want to (for example) make a reimagining of your favorite treasure hunt-story, but as a political satire, or it happens in an urban setting, really put effort in to it. Most of the popular *some character but in SPACE!* type of stories feel worthless, because the storytellers haven`t put much thought in to how the story would change, if their Aquaman really WOULD go to space. How would they react? To underthink it, is the pitfall, not using the said trope.

to:

* RecycledINSPACE. If you want to (for example) make a reimagining of your favorite treasure hunt-story, but as a political satire, or it happens in an urban setting, really put effort in to it. Most of the popular *some character but in SPACE!* type of stories feel worthless, because the storytellers haven`t haven't put much thought in to how the story would change, if their Aquaman really WOULD go to space. How would they react? To underthink it, is the pitfall, not using the said trope.



A simple example comes from ''Literature/TheWheelOfTime''. It stars a DestructiveSavior, one who is going to go AxCrazy and ruin everything BecauseDestinySaysSo. How could such circumstances even arise? Well, via worldbuilding. OurMagesAreDifferent: they "channel" a force called the One Power, which is [[NonIndicativeName divided into male and female halves]]. The series is big on the MarsAndVenusGenderContrast. In fact, it dominated the last repetition of the EternalRecurrence inherent in the [[TitleDrop Wheel of Time]]: the male mages couldn't agree with the female mages on how to defeat the BigBad. Eventually, the men chose a solution and went alone. This exposed them to an insidious counterattack by the Big Bad, who ''tainted the male half of the Source'' so that all male channelers would, forevermore, [[WithGreatPowerComesGreatInsanity go Ax-Crazy and ruin everything]]. This resulted in a massive WorldSundering that capped off the Second Age and gives rise to the MedievalStasis the actual {[Main Character}}s find themselves in some three thousand years later. It creates a WorldHalfEmpty where the best one can hope for is that TheChosenOne saves the world ''before'' they destroy it... and it all makes perfect sense because it all arises logically from the rules of the setting.

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A simple example comes from ''Literature/TheWheelOfTime''. It stars a DestructiveSavior, one who is going to go AxCrazy and ruin everything BecauseDestinySaysSo. How could such circumstances even arise? Well, via worldbuilding. OurMagesAreDifferent: they "channel" a force called the One Power, which is [[NonIndicativeName divided into male and female halves]]. The series is big on the MarsAndVenusGenderContrast. In fact, it dominated the last repetition of the EternalRecurrence inherent in the [[TitleDrop Wheel of Time]]: the male mages couldn't agree with the female mages on how to defeat the BigBad. Eventually, the men chose a solution and went alone. This exposed them to an insidious counterattack by the Big Bad, who ''tainted the male half of the Source'' so that all male channelers would, forevermore, [[WithGreatPowerComesGreatInsanity go Ax-Crazy and ruin everything]]. This resulted in a massive WorldSundering that capped off the Second Age and gives rise to the MedievalStasis the actual {[Main {{Main Character}}s find themselves in some three thousand years later. It creates a WorldHalfEmpty where the best one can hope for is that TheChosenOne saves the world ''before'' they destroy it... and it all makes perfect sense because it all arises logically from the rules of the setting.



* StandardFantasySetting: Everybody who thinks "Hey, I can write a fantasy epic!" usually plagiarizes [[Creator/JRRTolkien Tolkien]] or ''[[TabletopGame/DungeonsAndDragons D&D]]'', complete with MedievalStasis. There are comparatively few WeirdWest fantasy epics, for example, which can be counted on your fingers (''Franchise/TheDarkTower'', ''VideoGame/WildArms'' and ''TabletopGame/{{Deadlands}}'' are the only ones that springs to mind); Same with Sci-fi[=/=]fantasy crossover settings (''TabletopGame/{{Warhammer 40000}}'' and ''TabletopGame/{{Spelljammer}}''). Even if you want to keep the medieval flavor, you could set it somewhere more like [[ArabianNightsDays the old Near East]] or [[{{Mayincatec}} Precolumbian America]].

to:

* StandardFantasySetting: Everybody who thinks "Hey, I can write a fantasy epic!" usually plagiarizes [[Creator/JRRTolkien Tolkien]] or ''[[TabletopGame/DungeonsAndDragons D&D]]'', complete with MedievalStasis. There are comparatively few WeirdWest fantasy epics, for example, which can be counted on your fingers (''Franchise/TheDarkTower'', ''VideoGame/WildArms'' and ''TabletopGame/{{Deadlands}}'' are the only ones that springs to mind); Same with Sci-fi[=/=]fantasy crossover settings (''TabletopGame/{{Warhammer 40000}}'' and ''TabletopGame/{{Spelljammer}}''). Even if you want to keep the medieval flavor, you could set it somewhere more like [[ArabianNightsDays the old Near East]] or [[{{Mayincatec}} Precolumbian pre-Columbian America]].
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WorldBuilding is the process in which an author adds the finer details to his or her setting. Also check out SoYOuWantTo/BeOriginal and TheTropeHistoryOfTheUniverse.

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WorldBuilding is the process in which an author adds the finer details to his or her their setting. Also check out SoYOuWantTo/BeOriginal and TheTropeHistoryOfTheUniverse.
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* [[MohsScaleOfScienceFictionHardness How "hard" or "soft" is it?]]

to:

* [[MohsScaleOfScienceFictionHardness [[SlidingScale/MohsScaleOfScienceFictionHardness How "hard" or "soft" is it?]]
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* How will your justice system work? No matter what you're building, every setting ''will'' have at least some crime. What punishments are given out to criminals - imprisonment, whippings, or outright death? Who puts them on trial and makes sure that they have a fair and impartial trial (if they do have one in your setting, anyway?) And what does the setting do with convicted criminals? Do they put them in prison, send them off to be exiled, or just execute them?


* FiveRaces[=/=]FantasyAxisOfEvil. Orcs (Or Orks, however you want to spell it), Drow[=/=]Dark Elves, Goblins, Undead and Dark Dwarves (or necromantic humans, whatever) get a bad rap in most stories, simply because of WhatMeasureIsANonHuman. Mix it up a little. Stories like ''Webcomic/{{Goblins}}'', ''Webcomic/YetAnotherFantasyGamerComic'', and ''Webcomic/{{Drowtales}}'' explore the "Bad guys" side of it. One could also have the Five races/ Axis of evil completely flipped, with [[VideoGame/WorldOfWarcraft noble orcs and brave goblins vs. bloodthirsty humans and ruthless elves, or peaceful Undead fending off religious nutjobs who consider them "Unholy."]]

to:

* FiveRaces[=/=]FantasyAxisOfEvil. Orcs (Or Orks, however you want to spell it), Drow[=/=]Dark Elves, Goblins, Undead and Dark Dwarves (or necromantic humans, whatever) get a bad rap in most stories, simply because of WhatMeasureIsANonHuman. Mix it up a little. Stories like ''Webcomic/{{Goblins}}'', ''Webcomic/YetAnotherFantasyGamerComic'', and ''Webcomic/{{Drowtales}}'' explore the "Bad guys" side of it. One could also have the Five races/ Axis of evil completely flipped, with [[VideoGame/WorldOfWarcraft noble orcs and brave goblins vs. bloodthirsty humans and ruthless elves, or peaceful Undead fending off religious nutjobs who consider them "Unholy."]]
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Added DiffLines:

!!! The RandomEventsPlot and How To Avoid It
In an episode of ''This Dumb Industry'', Creator/ShamusYoung [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RzLZvXB2lbc quotes]] Creator/TreyParkerAndMattStone, who decry the idea that scenes and plot points should be connected by the phrase "And then [X]." Instead, they claim, the links should be, "And ''therefore'' [X]" or "''However'', [X]" -- the things that happen next are consequences or reactions to the things that happened before. Young describes this consequence-based narrative as "Domino worldbuilding" and points out how it adds verisimilitude to the fiction. It's also very accurate to RealLife, where most actions are (in fact) consequences or reactions to the things that happened before -- to the point that certain events become {{Foregone Conclusion}}s. (For instance, contemporary Americans saw the UsefulNotes/AmericanCivilWar coming ''75 years'' before it started.)

A simple example comes from ''Literature/TheWheelOfTime''. It stars a DestructiveSavior, one who is going to go AxCrazy and ruin everything BecauseDestinySaysSo. How could such circumstances even arise? Well, via worldbuilding. OurMagesAreDifferent: they "channel" a force called the One Power, which is [[NonIndicativeName divided into male and female halves]]. The series is big on the MarsAndVenusGenderContrast. In fact, it dominated the last repetition of the EternalRecurrence inherent in the [[TitleDrop Wheel of Time]]: the male mages couldn't agree with the female mages on how to defeat the BigBad. Eventually, the men chose a solution and went alone. This exposed them to an insidious counterattack by the Big Bad, who ''tainted the male half of the Source'' so that all male channelers would, forevermore, [[WithGreatPowerComesGreatInsanity go Ax-Crazy and ruin everything]]. This resulted in a massive WorldSundering that capped off the Second Age and gives rise to the MedievalStasis the actual {[Main Character}}s find themselves in some three thousand years later. It creates a WorldHalfEmpty where the best one can hope for is that TheChosenOne saves the world ''before'' they destroy it... and it all makes perfect sense because it all arises logically from the rules of the setting.

This kind of worldbuilding takes a ''lot'' more skull sweat, but it comes with fewer {{Plot Hole}}s -- and is, to a limited extent, immune to them, because a reader who is thinking about the cool thing you thought of, may not be sparing much attention for the things you ''didn't'' think of.
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Chained Sinkhole.


* Will your genre be ScienceFiction, {{Fantasy}}, [[ScienceFantasy both]] [[TwentyMinutesIntoTheFuture at]] [[UrbanFantasy once]] or [[AlternateHistory neither?]]

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* Will your genre be ScienceFiction, {{Fantasy}}, [[ScienceFantasy both]] [[TwentyMinutesIntoTheFuture at]] [[UrbanFantasy both at once]] or [[AlternateHistory neither?]]



* [[HumanAliens What]] [[RubberForeheadAliens are]] [[StarfishAliens the]] [[HumansAreSpecial inhabitants]] [[EldritchAbomination like]]?
* Are [[{{Muggles}} everyday people]] [[PunyEarthlings useless]], [[HumansAreSpecial minorly flawed (but that's part of their charm)]], [[HumansAreFlawed jerks]], or [[HumanityIsSuperior awesome and]]/ [[HumansAreCthulhu or terrifying]]?
* [[FiveRaces What are]] [[FantasyAxisOfEvil the politics?]]

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* [[HumanAliens What]] [[RubberForeheadAliens are]] [[StarfishAliens the]] [[HumansAreSpecial inhabitants]] [[EldritchAbomination like]]?
What are the inhabitants like?
* Are [[{{Muggles}} everyday people]] [[PunyEarthlings useless]], people useless, [[HumansAreSpecial minorly flawed (but that's part of their charm)]], [[HumansAreFlawed jerks]], or [[HumanityIsSuperior awesome and]]/ [[HumansAreCthulhu or terrifying]]?
* [[FiveRaces What are]] [[FantasyAxisOfEvil are the politics?]]politics?



* [[FunctionalMagic Is there magic?]] If so, [[MagicAIsMagicA what are the rules?]] [[WalkingTechbane How does]] [[AntiMagic it interact]] [[MagiTek with technology?]]
* [[DeliberateValuesDissonance Accepted]] [[FetishFuelFuture morals?]]
* [[CrapsackWorld Over]]-[[CrapsaccharineWorld all]] [[{{Utopia}} tone?]]

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* [[FunctionalMagic Is there magic?]] If so, [[MagicAIsMagicA what are the rules?]] [[WalkingTechbane How does]] [[AntiMagic does it interact]] [[MagiTek interact with technology?]]
technology?
* [[DeliberateValuesDissonance Accepted]] [[FetishFuelFuture Accepted morals?]]
* [[CrapsackWorld Over]]-[[CrapsaccharineWorld all]] [[{{Utopia}} tone?]]Overall tone?
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dewicking


* [[HumanAliens What]] [[RubberForeheadAliens are]] [[StarfishAliens the]] [[HumansAreSpecial inhabitants]] [[EldritchAbomination like]][[AllBlueEntry ?]]

to:

* [[HumanAliens What]] [[RubberForeheadAliens are]] [[StarfishAliens the]] [[HumansAreSpecial inhabitants]] [[EldritchAbomination like]][[AllBlueEntry ?]]like]]?
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None


* RecycledINSPACE. If you want to (for example) make a reimagining of your faforite treasure hunt-story, but as a political satire, or it happens in an urban setting, really put effort in to it. Most of the popular *some character but in SPACE!* type of stories feel worthless, because the storytellers haven`t put much thought in to how the story would change, if their Aquaman really WOULD go to space. How would they react? To underthink it, is the pitfall, not using the said trope.

to:

* RecycledINSPACE. If you want to (for example) make a reimagining of your faforite favorite treasure hunt-story, but as a political satire, or it happens in an urban setting, really put effort in to it. Most of the popular *some character but in SPACE!* type of stories feel worthless, because the storytellers haven`t put much thought in to how the story would change, if their Aquaman really WOULD go to space. How would they react? To underthink it, is the pitfall, not using the said trope.
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None


* StandardFantasySetting: Everybody who thinks "Hey, I can write a fantasy epic!" usually plagiarizes [[Creator/JRRTolkien Tolkien]] or ''[[TabletopGame/DungeonsAndDragons D&D]]'', complete with MedievalStasis. There are comparatively few WeirdWest fantasy epics, for example, which can be counted on your fingers (''Franchise/TheDarkTower'', ''Franchise/WildArms'' and ''TabletopGame/{{Deadlands}}'' are the only ones that springs to mind); Same with Sci-fi[=/=]fantasy crossover settings (''TabletopGame/{{Warhammer 40000}}'' and ''TabletopGame/{{Spelljammer}}''). Even if you want to keep the medieval flavor, you could set it somewhere more like [[ArabianNightsDays the old Near East]] or [[{{Mayincatec}} Precolumbian America]].

to:

* StandardFantasySetting: Everybody who thinks "Hey, I can write a fantasy epic!" usually plagiarizes [[Creator/JRRTolkien Tolkien]] or ''[[TabletopGame/DungeonsAndDragons D&D]]'', complete with MedievalStasis. There are comparatively few WeirdWest fantasy epics, for example, which can be counted on your fingers (''Franchise/TheDarkTower'', ''Franchise/WildArms'' ''VideoGame/WildArms'' and ''TabletopGame/{{Deadlands}}'' are the only ones that springs to mind); Same with Sci-fi[=/=]fantasy crossover settings (''TabletopGame/{{Warhammer 40000}}'' and ''TabletopGame/{{Spelljammer}}''). Even if you want to keep the medieval flavor, you could set it somewhere more like [[ArabianNightsDays the old Near East]] or [[{{Mayincatec}} Precolumbian America]].
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None


* ItsBeenDone. You need to brainstorm long and hard to make your setting truly unique. [[XMeetsY Or just cherry-pick bits from other works that you like, toss them in the metaphorical pot, and see what boils up.]] But be sure to boil long and hard so it doesn't look messily ripped off and stuck on with gore.

to:

* ItsBeenDone. You need to brainstorm long and hard to make your setting truly unique. [[XMeetsY [[JustForFun/XMeetsY Or just cherry-pick bits from other works that you like, toss them in the metaphorical pot, and see what boils up.]] But be sure to boil long and hard so it doesn't look messily ripped off and stuck on with gore.
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None


* RecycledINSPACE. If you want to (for example) make a reimagining of your faforite treasure hunt-story, but as a political satire, or it happens in an urban setting, really put effort in to it. Most of the popular *some character but in SPACE!* type of stories feel worthless, because the storytellers haven`t put much thought in to how the story would change, if their Aquaman really WOULD go to space.
How would they react? To underthink it, is the pitfall, not using the said trope.

to:

* RecycledINSPACE. If you want to (for example) make a reimagining of your faforite treasure hunt-story, but as a political satire, or it happens in an urban setting, really put effort in to it. Most of the popular *some character but in SPACE!* type of stories feel worthless, because the storytellers haven`t put much thought in to how the story would change, if their Aquaman really WOULD go to space. \n How would they react? To underthink it, is the pitfall, not using the said trope.

Changed: 50

Removed: 88

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* OurDwarvesAreAllTheSame: Dwarves are usually all short, fat, mildly agoraphobic drunkards who really like mining, eating, drinking, gold, and fighting. The most different dwarves usually get is that "oh, my particular dwarves have SteamPunk tech and /or guns because they stink at magic." [[ItsBeenDone Done to death.]]
So how about trying something different with `em? Elves who live with dinosaurs, anyone?

to:

* OurDwarvesAreAllTheSame: Dwarves are usually all short, fat, mildly agoraphobic drunkards who really like mining, eating, drinking, gold, and fighting. The most different dwarves usually get is that "oh, my particular dwarves have SteamPunk tech and /or guns because they stink at magic." [[ItsBeenDone Done to death.]]
]] So how about trying something different with `em? Elves who live with dinosaurs, anyone?`em?

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