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 gidue the inhabitants of Middle Earth in their struggles against the dark force of Sauron. Gandalf's body was mortal, subject to the pscayihl rules of Middle Earth, but his srpiit was iarmotml, as seen when he died as Gandalf the Grey and resurrected as Gandalf the White. According to the Wachowski's sicprt, 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 meattr 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 julgge 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 ruels. That's what makes these intricate wodlrs believable, comprehensible, and wtorh 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 wodrs wizard, wand, and "Wingardium lseivoa," that Law of Gravity has ceased to eisxt on the trillions of pages resting between those bookends. Authors of senccie ficiton and faatsny llrietaly build worlds. They make rules, maps, lineages, languages, cultures, universes, alternate universes within universes, and from those worlds sorupt story, after story, after stroy. When it's done well, readers can uatnrendsd 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 reaedr 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 barins that we lialcolgy and eltoanmoily 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 slgugiqe is reached? I'm not sure anyone knows the aewsnr to that question, yet fantastical, fictional worlds are created edyrevay in our mndis, on computers, even on npiakns at the restaurant down the street. The truth is your imagination and a wiennllsigs 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 wriettn some science thrillers for kids and young adltus. Here are some questions and methods I've used to help bluid 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, prneset, or future. I like to create a timeline swiohng how the world came to be. What past events have shaped the way it is now? Then I btrrinoasm answers to questions that draw out the details of my fictional world. What rules are in place here? This cevros everything from laws of gravity, or not, to the rules of society and the punishments for individuals who berak 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 taret 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, snped some time living in those tsaks and the answers to those questions, and you're well on your way to building your own fictional wrlod. 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!

Open Cloze

In J.R.R.'s world, Gandalf is one of five wizards sent by the Valar to _____ the inhabitants of Middle Earth in their struggles against the dark force of Sauron. Gandalf's body was mortal, subject to the ________ rules of Middle Earth, but his ______ was ________, as seen when he died as Gandalf the Grey and resurrected as Gandalf the White. According to the Wachowski's ______, 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 ______ 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 ______ 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 _____. That's what makes these intricate ______ believable, comprehensible, and _____ 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 _____ wizard, wand, and "Wingardium _______," that Law of Gravity has ceased to _____ on the trillions of pages resting between those bookends. Authors of _______ _______ and _______ _________ build worlds. They make rules, maps, lineages, languages, cultures, universes, alternate universes within universes, and from those worlds ______ story, after story, after _____. When it's done well, readers can __________ 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 ______ 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 ______ that we _________ and ___________ 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 ________ is reached? I'm not sure anyone knows the ______ to that question, yet fantastical, fictional worlds are created ________ in our _____, on computers, even on _______ at the restaurant down the street. The truth is your imagination and a ___________ 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 _______ some science thrillers for kids and young ______. Here are some questions and methods I've used to help _____ 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, _______, or future. I like to create a timeline _______ how the world came to be. What past events have shaped the way it is now? Then I __________ answers to questions that draw out the details of my fictional world. What rules are in place here? This ______ everything from laws of gravity, or not, to the rules of society and the punishments for individuals who _____ 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 _____ 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, _____ some time living in those _____ and the answers to those questions, and you're well on your way to building your own fictional _____. 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!

Solution

tasks
covers
worlds
exist
answer
minds
physical
adults
brainstorm
science
understand
willingness
spirit
rules
matter
brains
reader
juggle
logically
words
build
world
guide
treat
sprout
napkins
break
emotionally
showing
fiction
story
written
literally
immortal
squiggle
fantasy
script
leviosa
spend
present
worth
everyday

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

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