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On Writing and Worldbuilding - Volume I  By  cover art

On Writing and Worldbuilding - Volume I

By: Timothy Hickson
Narrated by: Larissa Thompson, Merphy Napier
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Publisher's summary

Writing advice tends to be full of "rules" and "tips" which are either too broad to be helpful or outright wrong. In On Writing and Worldbuilding, we will discuss specific and applicable ideas to consider, from effective methods of delivering exposition and foreshadowing, to how communication, commerce, and control play into the fall of an empire.

On Writing

  • Part I: Prologues
  • Part II: The First Chapter
  • Part III: The Exposition Problem
  • Part IV: Foreshadowing
  • Part V: Villain Motivation
  • Part VI: Hero-Villain Relationships
  • Part VII: Final Battles
  • Part VIII: The Chosen One
  • Part IX: Hard Magic Systems
  • Part X: Soft Magic Systems
  • Part XI: Magic Systems and Storytelling

On Worldbuilding

  • Part XII: Polytheistic Religions
  • Part XIII: Hidden Magical Worlds
  • Part XIV: How Empires Rise
  • Part XV: How Empires Work
  • Part XVI: How Empires Fall

Exclusive Content

  • Part XVII: How I Plan a Novel

Dozens of sidenotes and extra thoughts on all these wonderful stories

©2019 Timothy Hickson (P)2020 Timothy Hickson

What listeners say about On Writing and Worldbuilding - Volume I

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all hail mishka

the content? absolutely amazing. the pronunciation of Javert? "JAH-verT" (instead of "ja-VER). tfw you don't know french so you just go hardcore on the american.

but otherwise, as a writer, this is literally setting off so many plot points that I think is gonna make my book dope af. my favorite is the villain sections, especially with the final battle.

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7 people found this helpful

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overall good.

I enjoyed the content, gave a lot to think about. the narrator mispronounces several names

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5 people found this helpful

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Great book, okay reading

This book really is an invaluable source for writers in ALL genres, not only those we "typically" associate with worldbuilding like fantasy or science fiction. All stories are comprised of worlds, even if they ostensibly take place in the "real" one, and Tim really understands that. Accessible and well-researched. Not the biggest fan of the narrator, who often mispronounced words or sometimes mis-read the book to the point where I had to refer to my print copy in order to understand points. This made listening less immersive.

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3 people found this helpful

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    3 out of 5 stars
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good lord, her pronunciation is atrocious!

there was some decent information here, but the reader absolutely butchered certain words, and repeatedly, which made it difficult to listen to. it was jarring because for the most part she was okay, and I appreciated her enunciation and clarity, and then suddenly she would pronounce something so incorrectly that I had to back up and listen again just to get the point of the sentence. it was so distracting.
also, I wish the author had properly credited the creator of dragon Ball as Akira Toriyama. If you're going to cite anime, at least be aware that the true creators are the writers of the manga.

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2 people found this helpful

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Phenomenally helpful!

This book is phenomenally helpful in writing novels, screenplays, teleplays, and more. Tim Hickson (Hello Future Me), is as talented as they come!

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2 people found this helpful

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Fantastic, informative, insightful

Long time fan of this author's work with his YouTube channel. Bought the paperback and it's one of my favorite books for writing. After hearing that there was an audiobook too, I absolutely had to get it. Was not disappointed :) looking forward to volume 2

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Solid enjoyment from youtube

I enjoyed having the videos structured from initial concepts to more nuanced ones near the end. My only sadness was that it ended too quickly for me. I look forward to Tim's part 2.

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1 person found this helpful

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Easily accessible and non judgemental

This author doesn't tell you how to write but guides you through different ways to do it. The book didn't make the writing process feel restrictive, nor one size fits all. Instead, he encouraged me to develop my own method.

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A great guide

This book and its sequel have helped me so much in my writing journey and having the audio version to listen to when I’m out to help me has been a great help

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The Narrator was Unlistenable

The narrator has a bit of vocal fry and weird emphasis on words. Maybe I am just too old (43 years old)? I really liked the subject matter, but I only lasted an hour. I missed portions of the material because I was too jarred by the narration. Bizarre choice for a narrator.

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