• Where is scientific and/or magical research done — universities, private labs, under the auspices of the ruler/government, etc.?
• Does it require a license to be a wizard? If so, is it more like a driver’s license (something nearly everyone in our culture gets upon coming of age) or like a doctor’s license (something only a small percentage of the population will ever get)? Who certifies wizards: government, wizard’s guild/AMA, local priests?

By Patricia C. Wrede Copyright © 1996 General Do average people believe old tales, or do they dismiss some that have a basis in fact (e.g., Troy)? Do wild and rebellious young people dress any differently from anyone else? Are they allowed to? How do most people make a living here? Customs Does the weather […]

Rules of Magic

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What things can magic not do? What are the limits to magical power? How do magicians try to get around these limits?

By Patricia C. Wrede
I. The World

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Basics
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Are the laws of nature and physics actually different in this world, or are they the same as in real life? How does magic fit in? How do magical beasts fit in?

General

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In which geographical areas will the story take place? How much ground will the story cover? What are the most striking features of landscape, climate, animals, etc. in thisarea? How will these features affect travel time, communication, etc.?

by Stephen Baxter Copyright © 1995 by Stephen Baxter. First published in the Fall 1995 issue of the Bulletin. Many reviewers have pointed out the influence on much of my work of James Blish’s classic hard sf tale “Surface Tension” (1952). Parallels with “Surface Tension” show up most strongly in those of my stories which […]

We’re pleased to announce that the second season of Narrative Worlds will debut on Sunday, November 21, at 1:00pm Pacific Time!  Part of the ongoing 2021 Nebula Conference Online, this worldbuilding webinar series is hosted by best-selling author and SFWA member Kate Elliott. Her guest for the first episode of Season 2 will be award-winning […]

The Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America, Inc. is pleased to announce a new webinar series as part of the ongoing 2020 SFWA Nebula Conference Online! On Sunday, October 11, at 1:00 pm Pacific Time, Narrative Worlds will premiere live for Nebula conference attendees. This monthly Sunday series will dig into the idea of […]

A designer must consider far more boring details than a writer. Game writing is all about the big ideas in a game and how they fit together. That requires detail to ensure everything meshes, but a world or character can tap into a gamer’s imagination to fill in the details.

by Nancy Fulda

My oldest sister is very wise. Once, long ago, when I was struggling to master a difficult situation, she sent me a letter about strength and weakness. The gist of the content was this: Many strengths are the flip side of weakness.