TedTest

From the Ted Talk by Kate Messner: How to build a fictional world

Unscramble the Blue Letters

In J.R.R.'s world, Gandalf is one of five wizards sent by the Valar to giude the inhabitants of mldide Earth in their srltueggs against the dark force of soruan. Gandalf's body was mortal, subject to the physical rules of Middle Earth, but his spirit was immortal, as seen when he died as Gandalf the Grey and rseecrurted as Gandalf the White. According to the Wachowski's script, an aeknwaed human only has to link up and hack the neon bairny code of the Matrix to learn how to fly a helicopter in a mttaer of soecnds. Or if you are the One, or one of the Ones, you don't even need a helicopter, you just need a cool pair of shades. Cheshire cats can juggle their own heads. iapds are rudimentary. No Quidditch match ends until the godeln Snitch is cuahgt. And the answer to the ultimate qosituen of life, the universe, and everything is most certainly 42. Just like real life, fictional worlds operate consistently within a spectrum of physical and societal rules. That's what makes these intricate worlds believable, comprehensible, and wtroh exploring. In real life, the Law of gvaitry holds seven book sets of "Harry Potter" to millions of bveeskoohls around the world. We know this to be true, but we also know that ever since J.K. typed the words wizard, wand, and "Wingardium Leviosa," that Law of Gravity has ceased to exist on the trillions of pages resting between those bookends. Authors of science fiction and fantasy literally build worlds. They make rules, maps, lineages, languages, cultures, universes, alternate universes within universes, and from those worlds sprout story, after sorty, after story. When it's done well, readers can understand fcniaiotl worlds and their rules just as well as the characters that live in them do and sometimes, just as well or even better than the reader understands the world outside of the book. But how? How can human-made squiggles on a page rflecet lights into our eyes that send signals to our brinas that we logically and emotionally decode as complex narvietras that move us to fight, cry, sing, and think, that are strong enough not only to hold up a world that is completely invetend by the author, but also to change the reader's perspective on the real world that resumes only when the final squiggle is reached? I'm not sure anyone knows the answer to that question, yet fantastical, fictional worlds are created everyday in our minds, on computers, even on napkins at the restaurant down the street. The ttruh is your imagination and a wenislnigls to, favituigrely, live in your own wlord are all you need to get started winitrg a novel. I didn't draem up hartgwos or the Star Wars' Cantina, but I have wetirtn some science thrillers for kids and young atduls. Here are some questions and mhdteos I've used to help build the worlds in which those books take pacle. I satrt with a basic place and time. Whether that's a fantasy world or a futuristic setting in the real world, it's ioanmtrpt to know where you are and whether you're working in the past, present, or future. I like to create a timeline showing how the world came to be. What past events have shaped the way it is now? Then I brainstorm answers to questions that draw out the details of my fictional world. What rules are in place here? This covers everything from laws of gravity, or not, to the rules of society and the punishments for individuals who break them. What kind of government does this world have? Who has power, and who doesn't? What do people believe in here? And what does this society value most? Then it's time to think about day-to-day life. What's the weather like in this world? Where do the inhabitants live and work and go to school? What do they eat and how do they play? How do they treat their young and their old? What rshlinepiotas do they have with the animals and pantls of the world? And what do those animals and plants look like? What kind of technology exists? tarrotitsnapon? Communication? Access to information? There's so much to think about! So, spend some time living in those tasks and the answers to those questions, and you're well on your way to building your own fictional world. Once you know your world as well as you hope your reader will, set your characters free in it and see what happens. And ask yourself, "How does this world you crateed shape the iudlivnidas who live in it? And what kind of conflict is likely to emerge?" awnesr those qsnieutos, and you have your story. Good luck, frtuue world-builder!

Open Cloze

In J.R.R.'s world, Gandalf is one of five wizards sent by the Valar to _____ the inhabitants of ______ Earth in their _________ against the dark force of ______. Gandalf's body was mortal, subject to the physical rules of Middle Earth, but his spirit was immortal, as seen when he died as Gandalf the Grey and ___________ as Gandalf the White. According to the Wachowski's script, an ________ human only has to link up and hack the neon ______ code of the Matrix to learn how to fly a helicopter in a ______ of _______. Or if you are the One, or one of the Ones, you don't even need a helicopter, you just need a cool pair of shades. Cheshire cats can juggle their own heads. _____ are rudimentary. No Quidditch match ends until the ______ Snitch is ______. And the answer to the ultimate ________ of life, the universe, and everything is most certainly 42. Just like real life, fictional worlds operate consistently within a spectrum of physical and societal rules. That's what makes these intricate worlds believable, comprehensible, and _____ exploring. In real life, the Law of _______ holds seven book sets of "Harry Potter" to millions of ___________ around the world. We know this to be true, but we also know that ever since J.K. typed the words wizard, wand, and "Wingardium Leviosa," that Law of Gravity has ceased to exist on the trillions of pages resting between those bookends. Authors of science fiction and fantasy literally build worlds. They make rules, maps, lineages, languages, cultures, universes, alternate universes within universes, and from those worlds sprout story, after _____, after story. When it's done well, readers can understand _________ worlds and their rules just as well as the characters that live in them do and sometimes, just as well or even better than the reader understands the world outside of the book. But how? How can human-made squiggles on a page _______ lights into our eyes that send signals to our ______ that we logically and emotionally decode as complex __________ that move us to fight, cry, sing, and think, that are strong enough not only to hold up a world that is completely ________ by the author, but also to change the reader's perspective on the real world that resumes only when the final squiggle is reached? I'm not sure anyone knows the answer to that question, yet fantastical, fictional worlds are created everyday in our minds, on computers, even on napkins at the restaurant down the street. The _____ is your imagination and a ___________ to, ____________, live in your own _____ are all you need to get started _______ a novel. I didn't _____ up ________ or the Star Wars' Cantina, but I have _______ some science thrillers for kids and young ______. Here are some questions and _______ I've used to help build the worlds in which those books take _____. I _____ with a basic place and time. Whether that's a fantasy world or a futuristic setting in the real world, it's _________ to know where you are and whether you're working in the past, present, or future. I like to create a timeline showing how the world came to be. What past events have shaped the way it is now? Then I brainstorm answers to questions that draw out the details of my fictional world. What rules are in place here? This covers everything from laws of gravity, or not, to the rules of society and the punishments for individuals who break them. What kind of government does this world have? Who has power, and who doesn't? What do people believe in here? And what does this society value most? Then it's time to think about day-to-day life. What's the weather like in this world? Where do the inhabitants live and work and go to school? What do they eat and how do they play? How do they treat their young and their old? What _____________ do they have with the animals and ______ of the world? And what do those animals and plants look like? What kind of technology exists? ______________? Communication? Access to information? There's so much to think about! So, spend some time living in those tasks and the answers to those questions, and you're well on your way to building your own fictional world. Once you know your world as well as you hope your reader will, set your characters free in it and see what happens. And ask yourself, "How does this world you _______ shape the ___________ who live in it? And what kind of conflict is likely to emerge?" ______ those _________, and you have your story. Good luck, ______ world-builder!

Solution

place
middle
start
question
reflect
fictional
bookshelves
sauron
brains
resurrected
transportation
gravity
answer
ipads
struggles
written
world
relationships
golden
invented
guide
narratives
hogwarts
binary
seconds
questions
truth
important
writing
willingness
plants
matter
created
worth
figuratively
individuals
dream
awakened
future
story
methods
adults
caught

Original Text

In J.R.R.'s world, Gandalf is one of five wizards sent by the Valar to guide the inhabitants of Middle Earth in their struggles against the dark force of Sauron. Gandalf's body was mortal, subject to the physical rules of Middle Earth, but his spirit was immortal, as seen when he died as Gandalf the Grey and resurrected as Gandalf the White. According to the Wachowski's script, an awakened human only has to link up and hack the neon binary code of the Matrix to learn how to fly a helicopter in a matter of seconds. Or if you are the One, or one of the Ones, you don't even need a helicopter, you just need a cool pair of shades. Cheshire cats can juggle their own heads. iPads are rudimentary. No Quidditch match ends until the Golden Snitch is caught. And the answer to the ultimate question of life, the universe, and everything is most certainly 42. Just like real life, fictional worlds operate consistently within a spectrum of physical and societal rules. That's what makes these intricate worlds believable, comprehensible, and worth exploring. In real life, the Law of Gravity holds seven book sets of "Harry Potter" to millions of bookshelves around the world. We know this to be true, but we also know that ever since J.K. typed the words wizard, wand, and "Wingardium Leviosa," that Law of Gravity has ceased to exist on the trillions of pages resting between those bookends. Authors of science fiction and fantasy literally build worlds. They make rules, maps, lineages, languages, cultures, universes, alternate universes within universes, and from those worlds sprout story, after story, after story. When it's done well, readers can understand fictional worlds and their rules just as well as the characters that live in them do and sometimes, just as well or even better than the reader understands the world outside of the book. But how? How can human-made squiggles on a page reflect lights into our eyes that send signals to our brains that we logically and emotionally decode as complex narratives that move us to fight, cry, sing, and think, that are strong enough not only to hold up a world that is completely invented by the author, but also to change the reader's perspective on the real world that resumes only when the final squiggle is reached? I'm not sure anyone knows the answer to that question, yet fantastical, fictional worlds are created everyday in our minds, on computers, even on napkins at the restaurant down the street. The truth is your imagination and a willingness to, figuratively, live in your own world are all you need to get started writing a novel. I didn't dream up Hogwarts or the Star Wars' Cantina, but I have written some science thrillers for kids and young adults. Here are some questions and methods I've used to help build the worlds in which those books take place. I start with a basic place and time. Whether that's a fantasy world or a futuristic setting in the real world, it's important to know where you are and whether you're working in the past, present, or future. I like to create a timeline showing how the world came to be. What past events have shaped the way it is now? Then I brainstorm answers to questions that draw out the details of my fictional world. What rules are in place here? This covers everything from laws of gravity, or not, to the rules of society and the punishments for individuals who break them. What kind of government does this world have? Who has power, and who doesn't? What do people believe in here? And what does this society value most? Then it's time to think about day-to-day life. What's the weather like in this world? Where do the inhabitants live and work and go to school? What do they eat and how do they play? How do they treat their young and their old? What relationships do they have with the animals and plants of the world? And what do those animals and plants look like? What kind of technology exists? Transportation? Communication? Access to information? There's so much to think about! So, spend some time living in those tasks and the answers to those questions, and you're well on your way to building your own fictional world. Once you know your world as well as you hope your reader will, set your characters free in it and see what happens. And ask yourself, "How does this world you created shape the individuals who live in it? And what kind of conflict is likely to emerge?" Answer those questions, and you have your story. Good luck, future world-builder!

Frequently Occurring Word Combinations

ngrams of length 2

collocation	frequency
fictional worlds	3
fictional world	2

Important Words

access
adults
alternate
animals
answer
answers
author
authors
awakened
basic
believable
binary
body
book
bookends
books
bookshelves
brains
brainstorm
break
build
building
cantina
cats
caught
ceased
change
characters
cheshire
code
communication
completely
complex
comprehensible
computers
conflict
consistently
cool
covers
create
created
cry
cultures
dark
decode
details
died
draw
dream
earth
eat
emerge
emotionally
ends
events
everyday
exist
exists
exploring
eyes
fantastical
fantasy
fiction
fictional
fight
figuratively
final
fly
force
free
future
futuristic
gandalf
golden
good
government
gravity
grey
guide
hack
heads
helicopter
hogwarts
hold
holds
hope
human
imagination
immortal
important
individuals
information
inhabitants
intricate
invented
ipads
juggle
kids
kind
languages
law
laws
learn
leviosa
life
lights
lineages
link
literally
live
living
logically
luck
maps
match
matrix
matter
methods
middle
millions
minds
mortal
move
napkins
narratives
neon
operate
page
pages
pair
people
perspective
physical
place
plants
play
power
present
punishments
question
questions
quidditch
reached
reader
readers
real
reflect
relationships
restaurant
resting
resumes
resurrected
rudimentary
rules
sauron
school
science
script
seconds
send
set
sets
setting
shades
shape
shaped
showing
signals
sing
snitch
societal
society
spectrum
spend
spirit
sprout
squiggle
squiggles
star
start
started
story
street
strong
struggles
subject
tasks
technology
thrillers
time
timeline
transportation
treat
trillions
true
truth
typed
ultimate
understand
understands
universe
universes
valar
wand
weather
white
willingness
wizard
wizards
words
work
working
world
worlds
worth
writing
written
young