How to build a fictional world - Kate Messner
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0:07 - 0:09In J.R.R.'s world,
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0:09 - 0:12Gandalf is one of five wizards sent by the Valar
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0:12 - 0:14to guide the inhabitants of Middle Earth
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0:14 - 0:18in their struggles against the dark force of Sauron.
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0:18 - 0:20Gandalf's body was mortal,
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0:20 - 0:22subject to the physical rules of Middle Earth,
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0:22 - 0:24but his spirit was immortal,
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0:24 - 0:27as seen when he died as Gandalf the Grey
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0:27 - 0:29and resurrected as Gandalf the White.
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0:29 - 0:32According to the Wachowski's script,
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0:32 - 0:34an awakened human only has to link up
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0:34 - 0:38and hack the neon binary code of the Matrix
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0:38 - 0:40to learn how to fly a helicopter
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0:40 - 0:41in a matter of seconds.
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0:41 - 0:43Or if you are the One,
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0:43 - 0:44or one of the Ones,
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0:44 - 0:46you don't even need a helicopter,
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0:46 - 0:49you just need a cool pair of shades.
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0:49 - 0:52Cheshire cats can juggle their own heads.
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0:52 - 0:54iPads are rudimentary.
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0:54 - 0:56No Quidditch match ends
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0:56 - 0:59until the Golden Snitch is caught.
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0:59 - 1:01And the answer to the ultimate question of life,
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1:01 - 1:02the universe,
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1:02 - 1:03and everything
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1:03 - 1:05is most certainly 42.
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1:05 - 1:06Just like real life,
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1:06 - 1:08fictional worlds operate consistently
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1:08 - 1:11within a spectrum of physical and societal rules.
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1:11 - 1:13That's what makes these intricate worlds
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1:13 - 1:14believable,
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1:14 - 1:15comprehensible,
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1:15 - 1:17and worth exploring.
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1:17 - 1:19In real life, the Law of Gravity
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1:19 - 1:22holds seven book sets of "Harry Potter"
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1:22 - 1:24to millions of bookshelves around the world.
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1:24 - 1:26We know this to be true,
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1:26 - 1:27but we also know
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1:27 - 1:30that ever since J.K. typed the words
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1:30 - 1:31wizard,
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1:31 - 1:31wand,
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1:31 - 1:33and "Wingardium Leviosa,"
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1:33 - 1:36that Law of Gravity has ceased to exist
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1:36 - 1:37on the trillions of pages
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1:37 - 1:40resting between those bookends.
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1:41 - 1:43Authors of science fiction and fantasy
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1:43 - 1:45literally build worlds.
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1:45 - 1:46They make rules,
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1:46 - 1:46maps,
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1:46 - 1:47lineages,
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1:47 - 1:48languages,
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1:48 - 1:49cultures,
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1:49 - 1:50universes,
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1:50 - 1:53alternate universes within universes,
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1:53 - 1:55and from those worlds sprout
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1:55 - 1:57story, after story, after story.
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1:57 - 1:58When it's done well,
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1:58 - 1:59readers can understand
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1:59 - 2:02fictional worlds and their rules
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2:02 - 2:03just as well as the characters
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2:03 - 2:05that live in them do
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2:05 - 2:06and sometimes,
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2:06 - 2:07just as well or even better
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2:07 - 2:09than the reader understands
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2:09 - 2:10the world outside of the book.
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2:11 - 2:12But how?
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2:12 - 2:15How can human-made squiggles on a page
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2:15 - 2:17reflect lights into our eyes
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2:17 - 2:19that send signals to our brains
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2:19 - 2:22that we logically and emotionally decode
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2:22 - 2:24as complex narratives
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2:24 - 2:25that move us to fight,
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2:25 - 2:26cry,
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2:26 - 2:27sing,
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2:27 - 2:28and think,
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2:28 - 2:29that are strong enough
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2:29 - 2:31not only to hold up a world
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2:31 - 2:33that is completely invented by the author,
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2:33 - 2:36but also to change the reader's perspective
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2:36 - 2:39on the real world that resumes
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2:39 - 2:42only when the final squiggle is reached?
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2:42 - 2:44I'm not sure anyone knows
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2:44 - 2:45the answer to that question,
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2:45 - 2:49yet fantastical, fictional worlds are created everyday
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2:49 - 2:50in our minds,
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2:50 - 2:51on computers,
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2:51 - 2:54even on napkins at the restaurant down the street.
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2:54 - 2:56The truth is your imagination
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2:56 - 2:58and a willingness to, figuratively,
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2:58 - 3:00live in your own world
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3:00 - 3:02are all you need to get started writing a novel.
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3:02 - 3:04I didn't dream up Hogwarts
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3:04 - 3:06or the Star Wars' Cantina,
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3:06 - 3:08but I have written some science thrillers
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3:08 - 3:09for kids and young adults.
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3:09 - 3:12Here are some questions and methods I've used
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3:12 - 3:13to help build the worlds
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3:13 - 3:16in which those books take place.
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3:16 - 3:18I start with a basic place and time.
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3:18 - 3:20Whether that's a fantasy world
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3:20 - 3:22or a futuristic setting in the real world,
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3:22 - 3:24it's important to know where you are
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3:24 - 3:26and whether you're working in the past,
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3:26 - 3:27present,
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3:27 - 3:28or future.
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3:28 - 3:30I like to create a timeline
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3:30 - 3:32showing how the world came to be.
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3:32 - 3:35What past events have shaped the way it is now?
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3:35 - 3:37Then I brainstorm answers to questions
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3:37 - 3:41that draw out the details of my fictional world.
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3:41 - 3:43What rules are in place here?
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3:43 - 3:45This covers everything from laws of gravity
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3:45 - 3:46(or not)
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3:46 - 3:47to the rules of society
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3:47 - 3:51and the punishments for individuals who break them.
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3:51 - 3:54What kind of government does this world have?
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3:54 - 3:54Who has power,
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3:54 - 3:56and who doesn't?
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3:56 - 3:58What do people believe in here?
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3:58 - 4:01And what does this society value most?
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4:01 - 4:04Then it's time to think about day-to-day life.
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4:04 - 4:06What's the weather like in this world?
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4:06 - 4:07Where do the inhabitants live
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4:07 - 4:08and work
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4:08 - 4:09and go to school?
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4:09 - 4:10What do they eat
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4:10 - 4:11and how do they play?
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4:11 - 4:13How do they treat their young
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4:13 - 4:14and their old?
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4:14 - 4:15What relationships do they have
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4:15 - 4:18with the animals and plants of the world?
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4:18 - 4:20And what do those animals and plants look like?
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4:20 - 4:23What kind of technology exists?
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4:23 - 4:24Transportation?
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4:24 - 4:25Communication?
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4:25 - 4:27Access to information?
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4:27 - 4:29There's so much to think about!
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4:29 - 4:32So, spend some time living in those tasks
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4:32 - 4:34and the answers to those questions,
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4:34 - 4:35and you're well on your way
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4:35 - 4:38to building your own fictional world.
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4:38 - 4:39Once you know your world
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4:39 - 4:41as well as you hope your reader will,
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4:41 - 4:43set your characters free in it
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4:43 - 4:45and see what happens.
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4:45 - 4:46And ask yourself,
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4:46 - 4:48"How does this world you created
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4:48 - 4:50shape the individuals who live in it?
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4:50 - 4:54And what kind of conflict is likely to emerge?"
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4:54 - 4:55Answer those questions,
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4:55 - 4:57and you have your story.
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4:57 - 4:59Good luck future world-builder!
- Title:
- How to build a fictional world - Kate Messner
- Speaker:
- Kate Messner
- Description:
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View full lesson: http://ed.ted.com/lessons/how-to-build-a-fictional-world-kate-messner
Why is J.R.R. Tolkien's Lord of the Rings trilogy so compelling? How about The Matrix or Harry Potter? What makes these disparate worlds come alive are clear, consistent rules for how people, societies -- and even the laws of physics -- function in these fictional universes. Author Kate Messner offers a few tricks for you, too, to create a world worth exploring in your own words.
Lesson by Kate Messner, animation by Avi Ofer.
- Video Language:
- English
- Team:
- closed TED
- Project:
- TED-Ed
- Duration:
- 05:25
Krystian Aparta commented on English subtitles for How to build a fictional world | ||
Krystian Aparta edited English subtitles for How to build a fictional world | ||
TED edited English subtitles for How to build a fictional world | ||
TED edited English subtitles for How to build a fictional world | ||
Jessica Ruby approved English subtitles for How to build a fictional world | ||
Jessica Ruby accepted English subtitles for How to build a fictional world | ||
Jessica Ruby edited English subtitles for How to build a fictional world | ||
Jessica Ruby edited English subtitles for How to build a fictional world |
Krystian Aparta
The English transcript was updated on 2/13/2015.