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Ideas and Inspiration for Vivid Sci Fi Worldbuilding
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Casey Hudson bases her sci fi writing ideas on real-world science and technology. World Workings is where she shares her research, sci fi world building technique, and publishing journey.
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Building a Fictional World shows the transition from science to fiction and offers prompts and inspiration to tease out your own sci fi writing ideas.
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When Scratch Building Drifting Amalgams, Casey's modeler, Aaron, sculpts, paints, builds, and kitbashes his way to sci fi world building models.
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Sci-Fi Self-Publishing Journey shows the path from sci fi writing ideas to sci fi books.
Where to Begin: Designing Transportation for Your Sci-Fi World
Transit infrastructure is complex. And with aspects that include modes of transport, environmental factors, and security, getting started can be daunting. But you only need a few aspects to create a solid foundation. Adapting Transit for Extreme Settings: Ice, Desert, and Ocean Planets Environment is one of the most important factors to consider for your transit infrastructure and network. Understanding where people are travelling will help you envision their world’s transpor
Aug 31
How to Design a Realistic Sci-Fi Character Routine
A fleshed-out character does more than just act out a story. They have everyday lives, with mundanities that peek through the spaces between action scenes. For that level of depth, they need ordinary activities and a regular routine. These are the fundamentals for worldbuilding everyday life details. Rather watch a video? Check out the YouTube version of this blog post. Worldbuilding Everyday Life Details: Physical Needs Let’s start with the physical. We do hundreds of things
Jul 6
Pointers for Building a Fictional Government from Scratch
Everything from wars to scientific advancements can hinge on a government’s values and structures. So governing bodies are an important part of worldbuilding, whether they’re on display or idling in a narrative’s background. This is my approach to building a fictional government from scratch. Rather watch a video? Check out the YouTube version of this blog post. Thinking about how to Choose a Fictional Government Type An important thing to remember when creating a fictional g
May 4
How to Create a Fictional Galaxy to Intrigue Sci-Fi Audiences
If your sci-fi lives outside the Milky Way, you may be thinking about worldbuilding galaxy aspects. But space is vast, it can be difficult to create something meaningful. Unless you focus on what’s important for your universe. This is a primer on how to create a fictional galaxy. Rather watch a video? Check out the YouTube version of this blog post. How to Create a Fictional Galaxy’s Interstellar Space Because space is so immense, it’s helpful to define the extent of your nar
Mar 9
How to Create Global Relationships that Captivate Readers
Intercultural relations are more than just politics. They affect everyday life, from the products we buy to the media we can access. So how do you worldbuild cultural relationships that truly impact your plot and characters? This is a framework for creating relationships on a global level. Rather watch a video? Check out the YouTube version of this blog post. How it Makes you Feel: The Essence of the Relationship Relationships can be antagonistic or amicable. They can be char
Jan 12
How to Worldbuild Sci-Fi Homes for any Environment
Sci-fi homes can be like the residences of today. Or they can quietly communicate your world’s uniqueness. But how do you create distinct homes that align with the cultures you’re worldbuilding? These are the ways to make shelters special to your world–no matter where your characters live. Rather watch a video? Check out the YouTube version of this blog post. How to (World) Build a Sturdy Foundation for a Sci-Fi Home Writers overlook house design because it’s usually enough t
Nov 3, 2025
Worldbuilding Concept | Turning Bat Diets into Sci-Fi Cuisine
From foundational foods to flavor, a lot goes into worldbuilding cuisine that’s unique. This is how I go from concept to narrative when creating food for the Drifting Amalgams universe. Rather watch a video? Check out the YouTube version of this blog post. Worldbuilding Bat-Inspired Sci-Fi Cuisine I’m worldbuilding cuisine for one of the cultures in my Drifting Amalgams universe. Since the species for this culture is based on the Mexican free-tailed bat, I want this culture t
Aug 25, 2025
Fundamental Questions for Worldbuilding Cuisine in Sci-Fi
Food is foundational to culture. It’s how we express emotion. How we take care of ourselves. How we show what we can’t say. And it’s in...
Jul 14, 2025
Character Design for Writing Main Characters in Sci-Fi
Appearance is one of the cornerstones of character design. And while it may seem simple to write a basic character description, the...
Jun 2, 2025
Beyond the Nuts and Bolts of Designing a Spaceship
My Drifting Amalgams universe has plenty of ships. But I rarely focus on the technical aspects of these vessels. When designing a...
Apr 19, 2025
Framework for Worldbuilding Terrain in Sci-Fi Writing
When I’m worldbuilding geography for my Drifting Amalgams universe, I want the landmasses and water features I describe to set the mood...
Mar 17, 2025
Writing Economic Systems in Sci Fi: Worldbuilding Economy 101
I got to thinking about how money works in the Drifting Amalgams universe. Since there’s no all-encompassing governing body, I’ll need to...
Feb 10, 2025
Worldbuilding Religion for a Science Fiction Universe
Turns out religions are complex. But I’ve finally landed on a structured approach for worldbuilding religion. For those of you who‘ve...
Feb 3, 2025
Worldbuilding Fictional Schools: How Sci Fi Birds Evolve
Even when I’m not writing a narrative where schools are central to the plot, it’s helpful to think about what the characters know and how...
Jan 13, 2025
A Society in Orbit: Worldbuilding a Sci-Fi Space Station
Sci-fi space stations are common in books and film, but when writing about a satellite station in space, it’s not enough just to mention...
Dec 9, 2024
Video: Worldbuilding a Sci-Fi Space Station
Want to worldbuild more detail into your space station fiction? Watch these ideas for making your satellite station in space more...
Dec 9, 2024
Building a Fictional World: A Sci-Fi Writing Process
Welcome to World Workings! I’m Casey Hudson, and I write sci-fi novels, …and this is about the writing process that gets me from science...
Nov 18, 2024
Looking for a Head Start on Your Sci Fi Worldbuilding?
Check out our Templates
Explore these starter sheets for building everything from planets and technology to culture and characters.
Worldbuilding Geographies
Worldbuilding Cultures
Worldbuilding Characters
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