World Builders' Guild Newsletter

The cost of a well-loved world is the risk you take when you open the doors.

I recoil when I hear rumblings of "building a society" or "creating a culture". If there were such a thing as a creator of culture or society, they would fail because these arise naturally out of the experiences and interactions of the people within.

The worlds of your imagination are exactly the same.

You may be thinking, "But, Matt, when you build a world it's literally all under your control."

Yes, but only until you throw open the doors. People rush in. They break stuff. They make it their own. We can plant the seeds, but transformation happens when we allow for beautiful engagement.

I remember my first trip to Disney World. The allure of that magical land drew me in long before I boarded the plane for the swamps of central Florida. Standing in the morning sun, park map in hand, I adjusted my Mickey ears and plotted my journey of adventure and discovery.

Nobody told me, "Do this first. Then this. Then that. No, not that. This."

Disney World (and all Disney properties) was designed to maximize serendipitous adventure. Wonder lives in every corner; at every waypoint. You are under no obligation to follow anyone's path but your own. Your adventure is yours. Go on Space Mountain 5 times in a row? Suit up. It's a Small World not on your itinerary? Not mandatory.

Some people love to lounge at Epcot and slug beer while the world goes bye.

They set the table. How you play is up to you.

Sharpening the Toolkit

• The Atlantic interviews Cyberpunk creator Mike Pondsmith on how his masterpiece world predicted 2020.
• A 20-year old Wired look at the late Terrence McKenna's world-altering psychedelic philosophy.

To future worlds,

Matt Ventre

If you received this email from a friend, be sure to subscribe to the World Builders' Guild Newsletter and follow me on social media for more exclusive content on world building and creative processes!

twitter.com/mventre

matthewventre.com

twitch.tv/PlayArchitect

matt@matthewventre.com

Love what you're reading? Tell a friend to join the World Builders' Guild today.