Hi Rosiee! Thanks for inviting us to the Be Your Own Mentor blog. We’re so excited to delve deeper into the following topic … economic worldbuilding!  Let’s get started! Maybe you’ve heard of the book The Prince and the Pauper by Mark Twain. A little known book, right? Well, if you do know it, then … Continue reading Economic Worldbuilding: How Class, Economy, and Money Affects Your Characters

Worldbuilding is a complex balancing act. Every piece of your world affects the others in unique ways kind of like an electrical circuit; they all have to be just right in order for the light to turn on. Because of this, it is absolutely key to treat every piece of worldbuilding with precision and purpose. … Continue reading Worldbuilding Ripple Effects: Steering Social Worldbuilding with Purpose

Figuring out the politics of the world you’re creating can be a thorn in your side, but its a hugely useful tool for making your world feel real and lived-in. The best stories don’t feel like they’re happening in a vacuum, they feel like one thread being followed in a tapestry, a handful of people … Continue reading Political Worldbuilding

I know what you’re thinking: “world building? But I write contemp, that doesn’t apply to me! That’s for fantasy.” Hey, guess what! It 100% does apply to you! Today we’re going to talk about how and why world building matters for contemporary authors, and how to work on it as much as you would characters … Continue reading Contemporary Worldbuilding

There’s a popular sentiment in writing circles: You can’t teach voice. Want to learn to craft a strong plot? Check out the hero’s journey or Save the Cat. Want to make your characters come to life? Two seconds of Googling will give you more character worksheets than you could ever complete. But ask a writer … Continue reading Voice: Writing Words that Sing

Welcome to part two of my series on writing bad people! Last week, we talked about writing villains, and, today we’re going to be talking about how to write antiheroes, aka morally ambiguous heroes aka the absolute best kinds of characters. This article will talk about how to write a compelling character who isn’t necessarily … Continue reading Antiheroes

Hi everyone! This is part one of a two part series I’m doing here. Next week I’ll be discussing how to write antiheroes, but today we’re going to be talking about the (in my opinion) best part of the story—villains!! What is a Villain? The villain is often the antagonist in your plot, the obstacle … Continue reading Villains