October 20 @ 7:00 pm - October 22 @ 7:00 pm
Online
$59Overview
As storytellers, worlds are built with your imagination and hard work. Join editor Emma D. Dryden for an intensive look at worldbuilding from the inside, out. There will be an abundance of writing exercises for you within the program, and to try on your own!
This program is a great fit if you’re looking for a short course of two, 75-minute sessions offering limited interaction with the community, and loads of information.
- Tuesday, October 20 (7pm – 8:15pm Eastern)
- Thursday, October 22 (7pm – 8:15pm Eastern)
- Webinar-style program with closed captioning available and limited interaction in the chat.
- Recordings available until November 30, 2026.
Why This Workshop?
All stories—fantasy or reality, picture book or novel—need to have well established worlds for our readers to enter.
This short course explores worldbuilding, e.g. the physical, psychological, and emotional contexts for our stories and our characters, so that we may bring them to life for our readers.
Join editor and author Emma D. Dryden to learn and discuss:
- Internal worldbuilding tips
- External worldbuilding tips
- Hands-on worldbuilding writing exercises
- and more!
Additionally, Emma will provide worldbuilding writing exercises for you to try on your own, applicable to your work(s)-in-progress.
It’s a Great Fit If…
- You want to learn more about building context and layers into your story.
- You have a completed draft of a picture book or middle grade or young adult novel and are looking for ways to deepen the internal and external themes in the book.
- You have taken your manuscript through at least one or two rounds of revision and are ready to deepen the world you’ve crafted.
- You’re looking for something short, sweet, and smart! This is not a full workshop; they are short sessions meant to build your understanding of world-building in stories for kids and teens.
Tentative Agenda – Worldbuilding 101
At registration: You will receive a Zoom link to use each night of the course. Sessions will be recorded and shared with participants.
All Times are Eastern Time. Click on the headings below to explore the agenda in more detail.
Part One: Tuesday, October 20 (7pm-8:15pm Eastern)
- What is world building and why is it important?
- Different methods of world building
- Determining and interviewing our story-world
- Mapping our story-world (with a drawing exercise)
- Defining the “rules” of our story-world (with a writing exercise)
- Q & A
Part Two: Thursday, October 22 (7pm-8:15pm Eastern)
- What is internal world building and why is it important?
- Determining and interviewing our characters
- Mapping our main character’s emotional world (with a writing exercise)
- Defining the “rules” of our character’s world (with a writing exercise)
- Q & A
About This Worldbuilding Workshop with Emma Dryden
DUMMY ROW - WILL BE HIDDEN
What Level of Feedback Can I Expect for My Work?
- None is included in the course. There will be limited interaction in the chat feature of the webinar-style program.
WILL THE SESSIONS BE RECORDED? CAN I ACCESS THE RECORDINGS?
IF YOU CAN’T ATTEND LIVE: If you are unable to attend either session for any reason, you’ll have access to the recordings (with closed captioning) through November 30, 2026.
- Please note that if you cannot attend live but you’d like to receive recording links by email, you must register for this course. Recordings are not sold separately; they are only available to those who register.
- Please also note that if you register for the course after the start of the first session, you will not receive recordings immediately. You’ll receive both recordings after the close of the last session, usually within 24 hours.
How Does This Online Workshop Support Our Mission?
Our mission is to positively impact children by amplifying the voices of storytellers who inform, educate, and inspire children to become their best selves. Readers connect to your story best if they can engage in the world you’ve created. Emma D. Dryden’s world-building tips will help you shape the world of your story to be its very best!
CAN I CONNECT WITH OTHER PARTICIPANTS DURING THE WORKSHOP?
There will be limited interactivity within the chat. There may also be Q&A portions.
Are There Additional Resources I Can Access to Learn More?
- 5 Reasons to Revise Your Work, Emma Dryden
- 5 Common World Building Mistakes, Alisa Alering
- 6 Ways Research Can Enhance Your Fiction Writing, Boyds Mills Faculty
