Just In Time Worldbuilding

Why Your Fantasy Culture Need a Counter-Culture!

09 Jun 2026

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode of Just In Time Worldbuilding, we discuss counter-cultures, why the arise, why your world needs them, and what always happens in the...

How to Create a Class System That Supports Your Story!

09 Jun 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Slavery and serfdom are often seen in fantasy world, but when do they make sense? What kind of stories do they support? How can you use them in your...

You Need Guest Rights To Create Drama!

26 May 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Guest rights is a complicated subject, both in why it evolved and how it has been used over the years. This video explores guest rights, not just in...

Why Do Jokes In A Fantasy World Fail?

19 May 2026

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode of Just In Time Worldbuilding, we discuss humor, why jokes are funny and how to create humor in your fantasy world! Buy Sangwheel: ...

Designing Corrupt Regimes: Lessons from Real-World History

12 May 2026

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode of Just In Time Worldbuilding, we discuss corruption, how fantasy elements change it, and what storylines you can build using corrup...

What a Knight’s Life Was REALLY Like (And How to Fix Your Worldbuilding)

05 May 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Ever wonder what a knight actually did from sunrise to sunset? Beyond the armor and the jousting, the life of a knight was defined by economics, hyg...

Questing, War, and Holy Orders: What Did a Knight Actually Do?

28 Apr 2026

Contributed by Lukas

What did a knight do? Were quests real? What purpose did quests serve in medieval literature? What were the knightly orders and what impact did the ...

How To Make a Knight In Fantasy World!

21 Apr 2026

Contributed by Lukas

How did a knight's training working? Could commoners becoming knights? What equipment did a knight need? Did they all use swords? How do you use a l...

Why Knightly Lore Feels Fake And How To Fix It!

14 Apr 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Why did knights actual develop? How do you adjust that development process to your worldbuilding? Should you even have knights? Do they need to ride...

Your Cultural Worldbuilding is Incomplete Without Outcasts!

07 Apr 2026

Contributed by Lukas

When building a culture, all too often, the outcasts and fringes get neglected by the worldbuilder. But some of the best stories are told on the fring...

Gods as Memes | A Worldbuilding Revolution

31 Mar 2026

Contributed by Lukas

What if instead of HAVING concepts, your gods WERE concepts? What if they were born...from MEMES! Let's talk about how that would work and what effect...

Is the Honorable Warrior a Fantasy Necessity?

24 Mar 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Honorable warriors are a staple in fantasy, from the knight to the space marine. But why is that? And how should you build your honorable warrior? And...

Worldbuilding: The Fantasy School Problem

17 Mar 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Education is one of the central underpinnings of a society. And yet, in a fantasy world, it's often given short shrift by the writer. In this video, l...

These Cultural Errors Are Tanking Your World #worldbuilding #fantasywriting #tips

10 Mar 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Send a textCultural world building is one of the most complex and yet important parts of world building. And it's easy to get wrong, to end up wi...

These Cultural Errors Are Tanking Your World

10 Mar 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Cultural world building is one of the most complex and yet important parts of world building. And it's easy to get wrong, to end up with a mess of a c...

When Empires Rise and Fall With One Man

03 Mar 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Send a textSometimes an empire is not built to last. Sometimes an empire rises with its conquering hero and falls just as soon as the guy on the horse...

Sacred Groves Are Worldbuilding Gold—Here's Why

24 Feb 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Send a textSacred groves offer so many oppertunities for cultral and political worldbuilding, but too often they are relegated to "resting" ...

How Many Characters Should A Story Have

17 Feb 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Send a textUsing multiple different narrating characters is common in fantasy stories these days. But what actually is a narrating character? How shou...

Writing Love Stories That Destroy Your Reader's Heart

10 Feb 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Send a textAh February... The month of love... But what if you don't want to tell a love story? What if you want your reader sobbing into the pag...

The Fallacy of Compound Interest: How Immortal Economies Would Work

03 Feb 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textPeople so often say: Immortals would get rich with compound interest. This is a fallacy. There's way more risks down that road than...

7 Chemistry Facts That Will Change How You Build Worlds

27 Jan 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textYou think fantasy worlds don't need chemistry? Give me twenty minutes to change your mind with these seven basic chemistry facts th...

The Prophecy Trap Every Fantasy Writer Falls Into

20 Jan 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textStop using prophecy as a "plot coupon" that saves your hero from every consequence. We're exploring why literal prophecie...

The 90/10 Rule: Why Your Fantasy Worldbuilding Feels "Thin"

13 Jan 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textWhat is the 90-10 rule in fantasy worldbuilding? How do you use it tell great stories? In this video, we explore 5 techniques to show th...

Your Fantasy World's Diet Says Everything

06 Jan 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textWhat's on the menu in your fantasy world? This video discusses how neglecting character diets is a massive missed opportunity for c...

Craft Compelling Dissent in YOUR Fantasy Empire

30 Dec 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textThis episode dives into historical rebellions, discussing their origins, key figures, and the factors that led to their rise. Let's...

How To Hunt Lore and Continuously World Build

16 Dec 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textEver wonder where the most compelling ideas for your fantasy writing come from when crafting a fictional world?  Learn how to write ric...

Why Magic is the Most Dangerous Geopolitical Weapon

16 Dec 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textLet's explore how magic can become a strategic asset in your fantasy worlds! This video dives into geopolitics and diplomacy, showi...

What If Scenarios in Worldbuilding | How to Make the Right Changes

09 Dec 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textIn this episode, Marie and George dive deep into the art of creating compelling alternate history narratives. They discuss how to identi...

5 Ways Mythic Beasts Influence Sword and Sandal Worldbuilding!

02 Dec 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textLet's talk about the trap of gritty realism and how to create awesome fantasy worlds that truly feels mythic is the best sword and ...

Worldbuilding inspired by Chinese Fantasy & Politics!

25 Nov 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textLet's explore using the rich history and culture of China as a basis for fantasy worldbuilding! We'll talk history, culture, m...

7 Tiny Worldbuilding Tricks That Make Stories Awesome

18 Nov 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textSometimes with world building, we can get caught up in the big things. The king, the gods, the prophecy, the DRAMA. But there details th...

Hero or Anti-Hero? Why not both!

11 Nov 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textThe paladin and the anti-hero are both male trope staples, but falling into a cliche trap can be way too easy. Let's talk about the...

How to Write Compelling Male Mentor Characters!

04 Nov 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textThe Male Mentor who pegs in the first half of the story has a whole page to itself on TV Tropes with more examples than you can shake a ...

How Tiered Magic Shapes Your Fantasy Civilization!

28 Oct 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textLet's talk about tiered magic systems and the impact they have on the societies in which they arise! Worldbuilding Blueprints Kicks...

The REAL Reason Fantasy Games and Books Use Feudalism

21 Oct 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textWhy do we see feudalism so often in fantasy? What actually is feudalism? Would we really revert to feudalism in space? Worldbuilding Blu...

Spy, Matriarch, Witch... How to Avoid the Cliches of Using Female Tropes!

14 Oct 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textFemale characters can be hard to get right. Let's talk about 3 staples of the fantasy genre: The Spy, the Matriarch and the Witch o...

Badass or Cliché? Writing Female Warriors and Manipulators That Work

07 Oct 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textFemale characters can be hard to get right. Let's talk about 2 staples of the fantasy genre: The Badass Warrior and the Femme Fatal...

5 Political Strategies to Survive a Mad King's Reign!

30 Sep 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textLet's talk about mad monarchs and how to survive in their courts with these 5 strategies! Worldbuilding Blueprints Kickstarter: ht...

5 Mistakes writers make when ending an immortal storyline

23 Sep 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textLet's talk about how to bring an immortal storyline to a close and 5 pitfalls that even great storytellers sometimes fall prey to! ...

5 Mistake to Avoid in Creating Fantasy Species!

16 Sep 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textToday we close out the species creation series with 5 mistakes I hate to see when people create fantasy species! Worldbuilding Blueprin...

5 Ways to Create Transformed Creatures in Fantasy!

09 Sep 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textIn this episode, we talk about transformation of people into creatures, monsters, higher beings, and undead. Worldbuilding Blueprints K...

3 Ways to Uplift Animals in Fantasy Worldbuilding

02 Sep 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textIn this episode, we delve into using upliftment to create fantasy species. Worldbuilding Blueprints Kickstarter: https://www.kickstarter...

How to worldbuild created life in 3 easy steps!

26 Aug 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textIn this episode, we delve into created life! We'll cover everything from golems to Hal 9000 and discuss how you can create your own...

Superman 2025: The Power of a Steadfast Hero!

19 Aug 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textSuperman 2025 was a masterclass in having a great villain opposed by a true hero and the FANTASTIC story you can tell with a steadfast c...

How to actually tame a dragon!

12 Aug 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textIn this episode, we explore domestication for plants and animals and fantasy beasties! From the Fs for animals and the Ps for plants, we...

Can We REALLY Achieve Harmony with Other Species?

05 Aug 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textIn this episode, we explore four models for multi-species diplomacy in fantasy worldbuilding. Then we'll see those models in action...

What cultural evolution means for YOUR Worldbuilding!

29 Jul 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textIn this episode, we explore how cultures evolve alongside biological evolution and how you can use studies from our world to make your f...

What Mythic Logic REALLY Means for YOUR Fantasy World

22 Jul 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textWelcome to the first episode in the new series on creating non-earth creatures, plants, and other beasties! In this episode we discuss w...

Evolution in Fantasy Worldbuilding Explained Simply

15 Jul 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textHow to use evolution to create fantastical creatures of all shapes and sizes. Worldbuilding Blueprints Kickstarter: https://www.kicksta...

Why You Need More Fantasy In Your World!

08 Jul 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textWelcome to the first episode in the new series on creating non-earth creatures, plants, and other beasties! In this episode we discuss w...

Weird Facts About Cold Deserts You Never Knew!

01 Jul 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textLets talk about worldbuilding cold deserts for fantasy worlds! I wrote a worldbuilding book! Check out the Kickstarter: https://www.kic...

How to Write Political Intrigue in Fantasy!

24 Jun 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textLet's discuss how to write political intrigue  in fantasy books by looking at examples like the A Song of Ice and Fire and Shadows...

Indus vs Nile vs Yellow River vs Amazon River Basin Explained!

16 Jun 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textLets talk about river basins and the civilizations they create and how you can use them in your fantasy world! Signup for the newslette...

Myth Creation Explained Simply!

09 Jun 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textLets talk about Jungian Archetypes, the 6 layers of mythic storytelling and how to make myths that resonate with the cultures you create...

Why do cities in certain locations thrive?

03 Jun 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textLet's talk fantasy maps and where it makes sense for you to put your cities!My thanks to  @iammrbeat   for a very good video on w...

5 Ways to Create Fantasy Religions using Real World Mythos

27 May 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textLearn how to create fantasy religions using real world mythos with these 5 techniques. Perfect for writers inspired by authors like Kath...

I wrote 500K words. Here's what I learned about storytelling.

19 May 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textI wrote and published half a million words! In this video, I take you for a walk in the Finnish forest and share the lessons I wish I&ap...

5 Secrets to Make a Fantasy Town Unique!

13 May 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textIt's all to easy for a fantasy town to simply feel like any other fantasy town. Don't fall into that trap. Join me on a walk i...

From Tectonics to Tolkien: Write Better Mountains

06 May 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textMountains are an amazing story device. They create towering world building blocks, they can be magic, they can even be alive. Let's...

Write Lore Without Boring Your Reader!

29 Apr 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textAnd finally we come to where the metal hits the road. How do you actually write lore in a way that is engaging for the reader? Here are ...

How to make lore matter in your fantasy story!

22 Apr 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textWe've discussed why ancient lore matters and how to build it, now let's talk about how to use in a way that impacts your story...

Ancient Lore Creation: World build like J.R.R. Tolkien

15 Apr 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textThere are 2 very different ways to world build for fantasy (well, really, there's a lot, but there's 2 umbrellas anyway). On t...

Ancient Lore Creation: World build like George R.R. Martin

08 Apr 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textThere are 2 very different ways to world build for fantasy (well, really, there's a lot, but there's 2 umbrellas anyway). On t...

4 Steps to Write EPIC Ancient Lore in Fantasy!

01 Apr 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textHow do you actually build ancient lore? Do you start from the past and build into the future? Or start from the future and build into th...

Why you need to build ANCIENT LORE for your Fantasy World!

25 Mar 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textLets talk about ancient lore and why you need it. Signup for the newsletter! https://www.mariemullany.com/newsletterSupport the Channel...

One Trick To Create Compelling Characters

18 Mar 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textLets talk about how to create characters that are compelling, characters that speak to readers, characters that drive the story and the ...

Crafting AMAZING Character Driven Subplots Easily

11 Mar 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textLets talk about subplots! Why do they matter and how do you create a subplot that makes your story POP!Signup for the newsletter! https:...

The Hero’s Journey & 6 other ways to weave a fantasy plot!

04 Mar 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textLets talk about basic plot ideas, starting with the familiar hero's journey and moving on from there to Ursula K. Le Guinn's C...

Empires Collapse, But Can You Build a LASTING Successor State?

25 Feb 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textDiscover how the collapse of mighty empires like Rome and Han China birthed fascinating hybrid cultures that would shape history forever...

Why Declining Empires are the MOST Captivating!

18 Feb 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textDiscover how empires crumble not with a bang but through a fascinating cascade of interconnected failures. This episode delves deep into...

Golden Ages are the SECRET to Building Fantasy Empires!

11 Feb 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textEmpires have life cycles and often the most admired period is the Golden Age, but why is this also the best time to use for a fantasy em...

The Secret to Social Cohesion in Fantasy Worldbuilding!

04 Feb 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textWhat is social cohesion and why does it matter in cultural world building?The Empire form: https://forms.gle/VXnyyD84juv7Przo8Signup for...

How to Create a Believable Fantasy Empire (Worldbuilding Tips)

28 Jan 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textLearn how to create a believable fantasy empire with these worldbuilding tips. From the pioneering phase to the conquest phase, we'...

The Rise and Fall of Empires in Fantasy Worldbuilding

21 Jan 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textLet's explore the life cycle of empires and how that affects a fantasy world writer! The Empire form: https://forms.gle/VXnyyD84juv...

This world building model COMPLETELY changed my PLOT

14 Jan 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textI applied my 7 cultures model to my world building... and discovered a whole new plot! Signup for the newsletter! https://www.mariemulla...

Revolutionize Your Novel Outlining with STORY CIRCLES

07 Jan 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textLearn how to revolutionize your novel outlining with story circles, a unique method that takes the best of the hero's journey and f...

World building Fantasy Calendars Made Easy!

31 Dec 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textLet's explore the creation of custom calendars for your fantasy world! Support the Channel:Affiliate link for Sudowrite: https://ti...

How Lost Rituals Shape Cultures (and Your Fantasy Worlds!)

24 Dec 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textWhy do you feel lonely and do characters in your world also feel lonely?Support the Channel:Affiliate link for Sudowrite: https://tinyur...

Why Your Elite Warriors Are Doomed: The Power Shift Explained!

17 Dec 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textTechnological changes can have a dramatic effect on war, politics and culture. Let's explore how you can build lore for your world ...

5 Strategies to Give Your Worldbuilding Instant Depth!

10 Dec 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textDeep lore can be hard to build, but it doesn't have to be. Here are 5 tricks to fake your way to deep fantasy worldbuilding! Suppor...

Elevate Your Worldbuilding: Create DEEP LORE through Language!

03 Dec 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textLet's explore building deep lore through the creation of fantasy terms, languages and expressions.Support the Channel:Affiliate lin...

Mastering Deep Lore: Transform Your Fantasy World’s History

26 Nov 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textLet's explore building deep lore through the creation of inflection points, moments where everything about a fantasy culture change...

Mastering Worldbuilding: When to Go Deep with Your Lore

19 Nov 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textWhat is deep lore and when should you use it in writing your story? What is shallow lore and when is it good enough? Let's explore ...

4 Essential Elements to Consider When Creating Your Fantasy Sky

12 Nov 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textFrom eclipse to northern lights to super nova, celestial events offer a rich mine for world building magic, prophecy and calendars. Let&...

5 steps to create an epic manipulative villain!

05 Nov 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textRings of Power Season 2 had an amazing arc for Annatar and Celebrimbor. By analyzing that arc, we can learn a lot about writing a great ...

Fantasy Worldbuilding: How to contain the RESTLESS DEAD

29 Oct 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textIt's spooky season! Does your world have ghosts? How do people contain the undead in your cultures? Let's explore some real wo...

9 Must-Know Geography Facts for Fantasy Maps

22 Oct 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textSo you're about to draw a map. What geographical features do you REALLY need to know? Support the Channel:Affiliate link for Sudowr...

From Hero to Villain: Craft a Compelling Character Arc

15 Oct 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textHow to write a great hero to villain falling arcSupport the Channel:Affiliate link for Sudowrite: https://tinyurl.com/sudowrite-jitwBuy ...

Create Scenes that Hook Readers - Anatomy of a Must Read

08 Oct 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textHow long should a chapter be? What should go into it? How do write scene after scene that keeps a reader reading? Let's dive in int...

5 Benefits of Good vs Evil: Why Binary Narratives Create Great Stories

01 Oct 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textBinary narratives, stories of good vs evil, can resonate deeply with readers. What are the main advantages of using this kind of narrati...

How to Write an Immortal Character without Screwing Up

24 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textSometimes, immortals can get out of hand. They can create issues that are hard to deal with a story. Let's talk about ways to deal ...

How to create a custom measurement system in fantasy writing!

17 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textShould you create a custom measurement system? What benefit does it offer you as a world builder? And how do you go about it? Support th...

Why YOU should use IMMORTALS in a fantasy world!

10 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textImmortals get a bad rap, but honestly they can be very useful indeed to a fantasy writer. Check out the all the themes they unlock and a...

How to use manipulative characters for great storytelling!

03 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textManipulative characters can contribute to your plot in amazing ways. But how do you create them and what role can they actually play in ...

Asimov vs Avatar: The power of sentient worlds and how to build them

27 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textSentient worlds can be amazing. Let's take a look at how to build and how you can use them in your story! Join the Channel: https:...

Fantasy Worldbuilding: Create the cultures your story needs!

20 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textCulture builds characters, but who builds cultures and how can the fantasy world build ensure they're building the right cultures t...

5 Pitfalls of Writing Political Fantasy and how to fix them

14 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textPolitical fantasy is a complicated genre. Avoid these 5 common pitfalls in crafting your fantasy plots and learn how to create a compell...

How to create political fantasy using history and myths!

06 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textDo you want to create a world that's rife with intrigue? A story that ebbs and flows with the beats of politics? Join me and let&ap...

How to use gambling and boardgames in fantasy writing and worldbuilding

02 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textJoin the Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCxvBH0EkwuHsQ9ryHHQNi2Q/joinMy books: https://www.mariemullany.com/booksEngage my wor...

5 Ways to spice up your magic system using the natural world!

30 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textNature is a potent force in our world. In a fantasy world, it can be even more. It can fuel your magic, provided familiars, and be used ...