Differentiating Between Writers Block and World Building

Pretty simple. Of the four forums in Real-ish, two are dedicated to creating. I think I should take it upon myself as a person in absolutely no way part of the TV Tropes Forums Mod Staff to help you guys clarify the difference between the Writers Block and World Building stuff.

World Building: Concept discussion for any aspects of crafting a mythos. They can range anywhere from general discussion of world building principles to your own mythoi and naruto-barney crossover slashfics; this includes highly specific threads, maybe discussing technology like: "Hey, just how badly does my neutron-twin-blade propeller jet space transition Qwib-Qwib FTL drive make anyone who made it past the third grade want to kill themselves?" Yes, that's right, I was mocking you personally.

Writers Block: For the less "creative" side of writing. This section is for critiquing prose, discussing writing styles, etc. I've seen people post threads about aspects of their mythos with no direct relation to writing itself in this section, which prompted me to arrogantly post this clarification thread.

Well, I hope this confused you properly. Carry on!

I commend this thread.

Really, one of these needs to be stickied. Snarky or not, it's important that people realize the difference between the two forums, so it doesn't get horribly cluttered. Not that it isn't already.

It's really only a problem in the Writer's Block.

Okay, gentlemen, here are examples of Good threads and Bad threads in Writer's Block.

Woo! Threads

• A Guide To Getting Critique On This Forum

• Character Study or Grand Plot?

BOOO! Threads

• A New Mythos

• High Powered Science Fiction Long-arm Concept

• Do these mecha sound reasonably justified?

Come on, people, let's keep it clean.

edited 24th Mar '11 8:26:39 AM by Pyroninja42

For some reason, Writer's Block seems to be better than World Building. The threads are more varied, and I get more responses for my threads here.

If I want to set up an official thread for a story project, which forum does that go on?

I guess if it's about a story (as in going into plot, characters and whatnot), I guess writer's block. Premises are a bit ambiguous.

So... specific stuff here (dialogue, plot, characterization) and general stuff over there (setting, mythos, science)?

For the record, the New Mythos thread actually focuses on the individual blogs, critiquing them (though people aren't doing that right, prolly 'cause there are so many), and whatnot. I will admit, I wish people didn't focus on creating the actual creatures in the thread. That should be done in World Building.

Also, I've been here since October, and this is the first time anyone's told me what World Building is. o_o I didn't even know that Writer's Block was for working on aspects of writing until a couple months ago. Maybe there should be a guide of sorts on the front page of the forum that tells what each section is for?

Yeah, all I know is that Writer's Block is the better of the two places to get advice.

^^There is — its near the top of the topmost part of the fora, under "About the forums".

Though, to be fair, "Feeling Creative?" is a really crappy description for the World Building subforum...

In my defense, I asked for the mecha thread to be transferred to world building, but it died.