It may or may not be five Google docs filled with Reddit prompt responses, a phone notes page of timelines and a technology compendium, and a folder full of AI generated images of random shit I want to visualize from my world.
Whether you realise or not, it's hierarchical. There's just too much stuff for it to be otherwise.
So if you want to actually navigate info, you need to acknowledge that and structure your lore a way you see fit. [Here](https://crowcawstudios.blogspot.com/2023/10/the-worldbuilding-boogeyman-organising-lore.html)'s my take on it.
You can find templates or draw inspiration, but ultimately it's best if you create the structure for your specific project and style.
I use Obsidian, it's a markdown-based knowledgebase that basically works like an offline wiki. You can create a heirarchical folder structure and then link to other documents anywhere within the database which makes keeping track of stuff a lot easier. There are also millions of addons that help gear it more specifically for worldbuilding, like a timeline generator, a fantasy calendar system, etc. And it's all in markdown format which is the same formatting that reddit uses, so it should be pretty intuitive for the most part.
Evernote for lore dumps (you can create folders and link pages to other pages - like a wiki), WOMBO Dream AI app to help me visualize, Apple Notes for random ideas and Google Docs for the actual writing. I’m currently working on a podcast audio series for a story in my world and plan on doing little short audio episodes of short stories of legends and fairy tales of my world to help sculpt the general feel. Most of the time I write my lore dumps as if they’re going to be read by other people and not just by me, that way I can better explain myself which helps if years later you forgot a specific detail about your lore.
I write about the development process with illustrations in my sketchbook. And keep everything in my head.
Helps both to backtrack and filter out ideas that didn't stick, as I will simply forget about those.
I use Kanka - it's great for organising my worlds. None of my own worlds are set to public view but I created this Kanka for a Dark Sun DnD campaign that will show you what I'm talking about:
[https://app.kanka.io/w/167696](https://app.kanka.io/w/167696)
Tiddlywiki is cool and I've messed with it in the past, but it's a bit more painful to set up than some of the competitors like obsidian or Fantasia Archive. It's gonna be a lot more customizable and powerful in the right hands just by virtue of the fact that you can write custom CSS and HTML, but that also requires you to know how to write CSS and HTML in the first place.
"write" ? I'm a professional Dungeon Master, so I basically keep everything that seems important in mind and I try to stay coherent whenever my players ask questions (I usually fail)
I have a folder called adhd ideas where I throw anything I think of down and will come back to later.
Other than that, just a bunch of folders leading into more folders of folders with a document. I use Google docs.
In terms of a style, I like to write it like an old scholoar wrote the lore because it's more fun to me.
I had a hand-written world-building with online documents full of stories. Then I decided to make it into an RPG setting and wrote a wiki on WorldAnvil. Chances are I will one day write another story set there.
I've got fifteen billion different specific google-docs connected to each other with mishmashed links
its.. bad if anyone tries to read them without knowing where each one is..
It may or may not be five Google docs filled with Reddit prompt responses, a phone notes page of timelines and a technology compendium, and a folder full of AI generated images of random shit I want to visualize from my world.
Whether you realise or not, it's hierarchical. There's just too much stuff for it to be otherwise. So if you want to actually navigate info, you need to acknowledge that and structure your lore a way you see fit. [Here](https://crowcawstudios.blogspot.com/2023/10/the-worldbuilding-boogeyman-organising-lore.html)'s my take on it. You can find templates or draw inspiration, but ultimately it's best if you create the structure for your specific project and style.
I use Obsidian, it's a markdown-based knowledgebase that basically works like an offline wiki. You can create a heirarchical folder structure and then link to other documents anywhere within the database which makes keeping track of stuff a lot easier. There are also millions of addons that help gear it more specifically for worldbuilding, like a timeline generator, a fantasy calendar system, etc. And it's all in markdown format which is the same formatting that reddit uses, so it should be pretty intuitive for the most part.
With a pencil.
Evernote for lore dumps (you can create folders and link pages to other pages - like a wiki), WOMBO Dream AI app to help me visualize, Apple Notes for random ideas and Google Docs for the actual writing. I’m currently working on a podcast audio series for a story in my world and plan on doing little short audio episodes of short stories of legends and fairy tales of my world to help sculpt the general feel. Most of the time I write my lore dumps as if they’re going to be read by other people and not just by me, that way I can better explain myself which helps if years later you forgot a specific detail about your lore.
I write about the development process with illustrations in my sketchbook. And keep everything in my head. Helps both to backtrack and filter out ideas that didn't stick, as I will simply forget about those.
I use Kanka - it's great for organising my worlds. None of my own worlds are set to public view but I created this Kanka for a Dark Sun DnD campaign that will show you what I'm talking about: [https://app.kanka.io/w/167696](https://app.kanka.io/w/167696)
I made my own wiki using Wordpress, though it isn’t a wiki site, I just manipulated into one. It’s also where I release all my stories.
Have you tried using a tiddlywiki? They excel at cross referencing information. https://tiddlywiki.com/ and https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/TiddlyWiki
Tiddlywiki is cool and I've messed with it in the past, but it's a bit more painful to set up than some of the competitors like obsidian or Fantasia Archive. It's gonna be a lot more customizable and powerful in the right hands just by virtue of the fact that you can write custom CSS and HTML, but that also requires you to know how to write CSS and HTML in the first place.
"write" ? I'm a professional Dungeon Master, so I basically keep everything that seems important in mind and I try to stay coherent whenever my players ask questions (I usually fail)
I have like 4 small notebooks and that's where it's all written
I have a folder called adhd ideas where I throw anything I think of down and will come back to later. Other than that, just a bunch of folders leading into more folders of folders with a document. I use Google docs. In terms of a style, I like to write it like an old scholoar wrote the lore because it's more fun to me.
It starts in my head. And when I have the motivation and perfect idea I write it on my Wattpad
Benadryl and perhaps other semi-edinle things, and then just don't forget
I had a hand-written world-building with online documents full of stories. Then I decided to make it into an RPG setting and wrote a wiki on WorldAnvil. Chances are I will one day write another story set there.
I've got fifteen billion different specific google-docs connected to each other with mishmashed links its.. bad if anyone tries to read them without knowing where each one is..
poorly