In yesterday's newsletter, we debunked the single biggest time-wasting misconception in fantasy writing: the idea that worldbuilding must come before the story.
The solution is a philosophy called Conflict-First Design. The core idea is simple: instead of building a world and then searching for a story in it, you start with your character's conflict and build only the parts of the world that amplify that struggle.
For example, instead of designing a thousand-year timeline, ask this one question: "What is the one event from the past your villain uses to justify their monstrous actions today?" That single, targeted answer will give you more usable story material than a decade of unfocused lore-crafting.
If you're ready to stop procrastinating and start building with purpose, you need to be on the newsletter list. Sign up here so you're ready for the next big idea: thetaletinkerer.com/newsletter?community=SEP27_25
The Tale Tinkerer
In yesterday's newsletter, we debunked the single biggest time-wasting misconception in fantasy writing: the idea that worldbuilding must come before the story.
The solution is a philosophy called Conflict-First Design. The core idea is simple: instead of building a world and then searching for a story in it, you start with your character's conflict and build only the parts of the world that amplify that struggle.
For example, instead of designing a thousand-year timeline, ask this one question: "What is the one event from the past your villain uses to justify their monstrous actions today?" That single, targeted answer will give you more usable story material than a decade of unfocused lore-crafting.
If you're ready to stop procrastinating and start building with purpose, you need to be on the newsletter list. Sign up here so you're ready for the next big idea: thetaletinkerer.com/newsletter?community=SEP27_25
3 days ago | [YT] | 40