I’m a bit of a Michael Kirkbride fan, and a bit of a Tolkien fan (same as everyone). MK’s work on the Elder Scrolls series sets the bar for how original, offbeat, and deep I want my work to be. I want to be able to say I wrote a world from the ground up and filled it with dynamism, surprise, mystery, and drama. Unlike Tolkien, I’ll never be one for conlangs. I wouldn’t know where to start, but more importantly I wouldn’t know why to start. Tolkien came to storytelling via conlangs, and that’s just not me, so I tend to imitate MK instead.

You’re writing a world. Did you set out with a scope in mind? What sparked the desire? Are you, like me, writing lore instead of constructing an actual narrative because it’s just more fun (at least for now)? Who/what do you admire for worldbuilding?