World-Building Answers Going Up!

11/29/2017

I let those questions pile up for longer than I anticipated, but tonight and tomorrow I'll be going in and making up responses to all your world-building scenarios!

If your question is in now, it's getting answered (as long as it isn't a spoiler)! One caveat: some of you got in there with a bunch of scenarios or questions, which is fine, but I can't promise I'll answer everything. I'll pick the most fun scenario from each comment and answer that, otherwise I'll be here for weeks.

Diving in on some of these questions right now! Stay tuned!

-Will

49 Comments

Magpie Jack

11/29/2017 04:43:40 pm

Nice! I can't believe I got that last question squeezed in.

sneakyfan

11/29/2017 07:24:36 pm

So what I'm getting is that if we come up with a new question now, we need to sneak it in as a reply to a previous question.

Will link

11/30/2017 09:26:20 am

Yeah, I'm just kind of hoping there isn't too much of that.

Paul

2/7/2025 06:11:08 am

Why does jai chan look familiar to Wei she lending. Sorry my spelling is bad, but this is my third read through of the series and my son reads them with me. This just came up to me in black flame.

A Suggestion

11/29/2017 09:06:19 pm

Honestly though you should write a world building book. You're doing 80% of the work anyway, and I'm pretty sure I'd buy a "The World of Cradle" book.

Deadnettle

11/29/2017 09:22:43 pm

Seconded! He probably won't be able to release it until the series is done though, due to spoilers.

Scott

11/30/2017 06:09:19 am

This as it is reminds me of the "World of Remnant" series RWBY did for awhile. (If you know what that is)

Will link

11/30/2017 09:27:14 am

That's exactly what it reminded me of, which is a red flag, because I hated those segments. The world-building was better in the normal scenes, and the World of Remnant stuff just felt like a disappointment that it wasn't adding to the plot.

...to me. I'm sure there are some people that love them.

A Suggestion

11/30/2017 10:25:40 am

Hmm, maybe you'd be more interested in a "Legends of Cradle" short story collection? Like HBO's bluray extras: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6uE04nQfO-Q

Scott

11/30/2017 10:49:02 am

To me, World of Remnant was always just a disappointment that there wasn't a full episode that week. (I agree that World of Remnant was often worse at world-building than the actual data-dump episodes).

Super cool that you watch RWBY(Or at least know about it)! Do you like Season 5 so far?

Will link

11/30/2017 01:50:56 pm

Oh, I actually didn't know Season 5 was going on. I felt like they kind of jumped the shark in Season 4, and I stopped watching halfway through.

How's season five?

Scott

12/1/2017 06:17:09 am

It's... Ok. Not really an improvement over season 4 at this point (episode 6) and I feel as though they still haven't improved on Seasons 1-3. 3 was my personal favorite. There are some cool fight scenes in this and some funny moments. If you didn't like 4, I would definitely not start this unless you manage to get through the rest of 4. (Also you know, spoilers.)

I did like some bits in 4 though towards the end (Like the fight scene with the Nuckelavee, and both Ren's and Weiss' story arcs. Oscar is becoming more interesting too in Season 5)

TLDR: If you can, finish volume 4 first, because you probably won't like 5 if you can't finish 4.

Nobanarga

12/4/2017 10:17:29 am

I like the short story collection idea. I mean, getting them as part of a mailing list is great and all, but I would also like to be able to read them on my kindle. Easier on the eyes. Plus, like the other person said, you're already doing most of the work, so it's not like it will take much time away.

Robert Ghayoori

11/30/2017 07:13:55 pm

Lets see if I can sneak this in regardless of being two days late. This may be a spoiler question depending on what's coming up, but given the flow of the story I highly doubt it. How many monarchs are their within cradle?a

Wazzapuzit

11/30/2017 09:15:39 pm

There are at least four, three tangentially mentioned: Luminous Queen Shia Mara (might have spelled that wrong), Northstrider Dragon-eater, Possibly the Eight-man empire if you count them as one person.

There's also Malice Akura, who actually appeared.

As for people not in the series, Will has mentioned that one guy on the path of the something key, who slew a rival a few years ago and stole Northstrider's prey at one point. The one who got a prophecy he says means he is destined to rule the world.

So there are at least 4-5 monarchs. Probably more. I'd say less than 40 though, if you consider that some of them dislike fame and want to lie low, or who have made recent breakthroughs.

Quinn

12/1/2017 01:02:56 pm

6-8. Don't forget the Monarch level dragon that Northstrider is trying to overcome. And Will just spoke of two that might be on that level in the new world building exercise.. Juwei the whisperfox and Nightsong

Will link

12/7/2017 08:10:18 pm

Quinn is bizarrely observant. There are eight currently, if we count the Eight-Man Army as one. Which we do, because individually none of them are a Monarch-level power.

Diego

11/30/2017 07:19:05 pm

You know Will I feel these world building tibits are so cool. IDK how you do it, I'm trying to be imaginative with magic. Literally anything is possible and I keep coming back to the generic stuff. Mana, Qi and Psychic power.....geez >.>

Samuel

11/30/2017 09:36:49 pm

Martial power... no darn it. That's taken too. What about ki... WTF

Diego

12/1/2017 01:44:39 pm

Martial power, Qi, Ki, Chi and sometimes even Chakras are sort of considered the same thing I believe, only a few novel differ in this. Idk if Dao and Tao are included in that list though.

Will link

12/7/2017 08:23:27 pm

I'm glad you enjoy them! They're fun for me too, they just take a long time due to sheer volume.

I find it easier to be imaginative within constraints. So when someone asks me "What's the Cradle equivalent of a piano?" I tell myself that I have to give them a satisfying answer. I can't just say "There is none," or "It's a piano," unless there's a story reason to do so. I have to actually invent a Cradle piano.

Which is fun. It makes me consider avenues of the worlds that I hadn't considered.

As for your trying to be imaginative, it's not like my systems are the most original magic systems ever designed. I just give myself permission to have fun with it.

I start with what general kind of magic I want the people to use. For Traveler's Gate, I started with the idea of an extradimensional mansion where you went for martial training. I knew I wanted the House to exist, so then I built a world where extradimensional training grounds were commonplace.

For Elder Empire, I started by knowing that I wanted a world where significant objects held automatic power through their significance. Excalibur wielded by King Arthur would have automatic power BECAUSE it was Excalibur and BECAUSE it was King Arthur's sword. Then I worked out from there.

You can do that too. And there's nothing wrong with using principles from known magic systems; madra is basically just elemental mana.

My main weakness is that I throw in everything but the kitchen sink. Every idea I can think of goes in. There are more Territories than necessary, for instance. Too many Guilds. Reading, Awakening, Soulbound, etc. are more complicated than they need to be, and could probably be separated into two systems. Vital aura is essentially elemental energy, but by trying to integrate it into the madra system I accidentally made it muddy and unclear.

No approach is perfect, but I like mine because it's fun. My magic systems might be too unintuitive or complicated, but they're colorful and fun. That's my priority over a logical, fully hammered-out, and ultimately simpler system.

Of course, the Holy Grail is a simple, intuitive system that nonetheless fires your imagination and can be used to create as many fun and colorful situations as you want. And toward that distant goal, we all strive.

Jorgen

12/8/2017 01:47:28 pm

Simple, easy-to-understand worlds with just enough magic to work is for authors who struggle with creativity. Part of the reason I love your books is because they are so alive, almost organic in the way there is always more to be discovered. Everything doesn't have to make sense; we can barely understand our own world, adding magic into the mix should only make things even more chaotic!

Will link

12/8/2017 01:58:53 pm

I think so too, Jorgen! This is the fun route for me, so I'm sticking with it, though there are a few tradeoffs.

But it's the fun of discovery and shared imagination that brings a fantasy world to life for me.

Need you to charge more money Will!

11/30/2017 07:32:33 pm

Hey will so interesting story for you Will, I was trying to get my friend to read Unsouled but he refused because he said it was too cheap... He said if an author doesn't value their book at at least $5 or $3 per 100 pages it's not worth his time. He showed me his purchase history as proof.

I think if you make an alternate listing for your books and make them completely identical, except for the fact that the price is twice as high, you would get many more customers like him who otherwise would not read the book because it is too cheap.

Just a thought for your future listings!

Samuel

11/30/2017 09:39:41 pm

If they won't read the book because of the price... they don't deserve this wonderful story that Will has made. So unique, masterful story telling with a spectacular magic system and depth of characters that surpasses other xianxia novels. And Lindon wasn't even born OP, can you believe it?

Need You To charge More Money Will!

12/1/2017 07:35:04 am

Yeah but if all he needs to do is charge more money that's an easy fix.

Will link

12/7/2017 08:39:27 pm

If that's his view, then no problem! He's free to choose books based on whatever criteria he likes.

But that's a position based on ignorance. If he really said "if an author doesn't value their book at at least $5 or $3 per 100 pages it's not worth his time," then he doesn't understand book pricing or publishing.

The only people publishing books at $5 per 100 pages are traditional publishers. I make more money per copy of my $4 books than I would if I were traditionally published and selling my book for $20. Also, if I were published by a traditional publisher, the price of the book would not reflect my personal estimation of the story's worth at all, because I would have no input in the pricing of the book.

Frankly, there is no circumstance in which that statement makes any sense. However, I do want to reiterate that it's his prerogative to choose to read whatever he wants. If he won't read any books with red covers because red is his least favorite color, then no problem, that's up to him!

And thanks for recommending the book! I'm glad you enjoyed it!

And I understand being skeptical of cheap books (if not for quite the same reasons). If a book is cheap, there must be something wrong with it, right?

Need You to Charge More Money Will!

12/8/2017 08:26:39 pm

Honestly, I could take half the stuff he says and post it on r/IAmVerySmart. That being said, he did agree to read the Elder Empire series because he said it seemed "Somewhat innovative in construction". He said he'll put you fourth on his reading list, right in between The Republic and The Sound and the Fury.

So you're right on his list between Plato and William Faulkner.

Fart

12/1/2017 12:18:16 pm

wait... so what's yerin's bra size?

Benjamin

12/4/2017 03:28:32 am

Dude she’s canonically like seventeen, that’s really really creepy

Diego

12/4/2017 10:59:53 am

It's not so crazy....Most countries have the age of consent at 16, ancient times have them below 15.....that is creepy. By comparison 17 is fine, I think my grandfather had like 30 years on my grandmother too. She was like 16 and he was like 40 something..... That age thing is a modern thing and Yerin's mentality seems pretty grown up too. I think that counts for something as well.

Scott

12/4/2017 11:13:07 am

The question itself isn't that creepy, it's that I (and probably others) can't think of any reason you would want that information or want Will to answer you that isn't creepy.

What would anyone do with that info that is acceptable?

Diego

12/4/2017 11:58:30 am

Maybe he wants to know how attractive Yerin is. From my understanding she's Asian, has short black hair( she cuts it herself so it's rough.), she's maybe average sized because Lindon's taller than her (I think), and she has a lot of thin scars. Oh and she has a tendency to look like she crawled out of her own grave constantly because she's always covered in blood after a fight.

*That's all, for that matter Will doesn't go much into how attractive his characters are, well except for Leah in travelers gate and all he says is she's pretty.

Scott

12/4/2017 12:03:40 pm

That question "How attractive is Yerin?" Seems to be (quite) different from the one actually asked. Personally, it's the specific details they're asking for that makes me think it's creepy.

The Creepin' Creepster

12/4/2017 12:24:18 pm

I'm going to go on a limb here and say they're on the smaller side. In my mind she also had a narrow head with pronounced cheekbones, is about 5'6" but looks taller because she's thin and her general head shape, and has a high muscle to bodyfat ratio.

I hope that is right, because I'm working on a sketch of Yerin right now and that's what I'm going with. You might see it on the fan reddit after I clean it up and color it.

Kevin

12/4/2017 02:50:11 pm

What if they are asking because they want to do a highly accurate Yerin cosplay?

Scott

12/4/2017 06:34:54 pm

You got me there. I salute you, that made me laugh for a full five seconds lol.

Will link

12/7/2017 08:44:24 pm

Having never picked out a bra myself, I don't fully understand bra sizing. Therefore I'm going to go with the safe answer and say I don't know.

Adarsh

12/1/2017 12:28:26 pm

Will, you seem to have skipped a huge chunk of questions right in the middle. Like you answered a bunch of questions, then i scroll down for a few pages before you answered a few more. Are those questions in the middle going to be answered?

Ralgalagalgala

12/1/2017 01:19:52 pm

He is doing a few of them at a time. He did some at the bottom to mark when submissions closed so people couldn't keep sneaking in questions and just leave and endless array of questions for him to answer.

Will link

12/7/2017 08:40:39 pm

Finally finished them, Adarsh! Just like the murloc below me said, I answered some at the bottom so people would know where I was ending, and then I went back to the beginning and slowly worked my way through.

There were a lot of questions. I'm tired.

manty05

12/1/2017 03:05:52 pm

Hey Will
You told us sometime back that you could not properly write a short story about the Sacred valley after Lindon left without spoiling the main story. But how about a story from the time before Lindon left. For Example the seven years festival from Kelsa's point of view.
Oh by the way is Akura Mercy a refiner or is studying to be one, or did she just have easy to use healing/medical elixir with her in the Skysworn exam.

Deadnettle

12/1/2017 04:19:15 pm

A wonderful suggestion.

Diego

12/1/2017 05:53:54 pm

Mercy's family is filthy rich, she might be a refiner though. Still I don't find it odd that she had those pills. I think I remember her having a bottle filled with them.

Will link

12/7/2017 08:09:04 pm

She just keeps some on her in case of emergency.

For the record, I'm still CONSIDERING doing a story in Sacred Valley after Lindon left. I just have to be careful how I do it, to avoid the dreaded spoilerinos.

As for before Lindon left, that's not a bad idea. Or even before Lindon was born.

Tboy

12/6/2017 09:10:21 pm

will u ded?

Will link

12/6/2017 10:13:08 pm

Yes.

Tboy

12/7/2017 05:30:01 am

omg zombie author.

Waharah

12/7/2017 05:36:39 am

Shh. Don't disturb Will. I have a 23 hour flight + train ride the day before Christmas and I need OKAK to keep me busy.

In which we ramble on.
And by we, I mean me.