Considering that world building is necessary to tell a good story (Tolkien invented languages!) is it possible to do too much world building?
>>7336755
No to your assertion and yes to your question. Move along.
>>7336761
What? How can a story not be helped by taking place in a fleshed-out world?
>>7336755
>world building is necessary to tell a good story
Wrong.
>world building
The most important thing a writer must build is an engaging story or at least an interesting character or two. At best, the author wants to communicate an important message to the reader.
And since the world is already built for you, you have only to research it.
–Oh, you wanted to make cheap Tolkien knock-offs. Fuck off.
>>7336811
>And since the world is already built for you, you have only to research it.
Even if it takes place in the real world, you need to know all about your characters. Where did they go to school? What subjects did they excel in? Who were their parents? Were their parents happily married? Is the story taking place where they characters grew up or are they from elsewhere?
Even if none of these things explicitly come up in the story being told, they all inform the makeup of the characters.
>>7336755
The greatest novels of all time take place in the, more or less, real world. You literally cannot debate it.
>>7336846
Writing a back-story for characters is fine, though it can be done in your head easily enough
Depends on the intent. I'm a sucker for tragedies where worldbuilding can be helpful in some cases (e.g. when an adventure takes place) but can often detract focus from the characters. Goethe did both and even managed to end it all cyclically and on a positive note, which I've always loved.
I'm a fan of Miller, who's dramas generally take place both within a small area, but within a small timespan. This complete lack of world building works to his advantage.
Worldbuilding is for autists who can't write relationships so they just make up details and backgrounds that don't matter.
Star Wars. Lucas focused so much effort into world building and so little into writing the movies. They could've been so much better. Or worse depending on how you feel about his directorial choices
>>7337183
You've moved into film on a literature board, my son.
Lucas is said to have written a very basic long story arch to reflect the serialized Flash Gordon shorts of ye olde days, fully intending to start in the middle of the thing for one film. The story, the execution, and the look and sound of the thing did so well people wanted more. Don't compare.
>>7336795
Narrative is about characters who represent perspectives and how those perspectives play out when thrust into a scenario. Plot without good characters explores nothing. Setting only exists to create the characters necessary to represent ideas.
>>7336755
>is it possible to do too much world building?
Yes. Read Wheel of Time.
