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Driven by movie franchises and role-playing games such as Dungeons & Dragons, interest in worldbuilding has grown rapidly in recent years. Lycoming College joined the party this spring with a popular course that attracted students from a large variety of majors.
Led by Phoebe D. Wagner, Ph.D., an assistant professor of creative writing at Lycoming College who has been recognized Publisher’s Weekly for her worldbuilding, Lycoming College’s Creative Writing 350, or “Worldbuilding,” covers the basics of designing a world for a creative project, for example a novel or a video game. Students in the class study constructed worlds including the TV show Andor, Tolkien's Middle Earth, Faulkner's Yoknapatawpha, and then construct their own worlds by creating a variety of documentation, from maps to mythologies and even languages.
“This course is a great choice for anyone interested in writing a novel or developing a world for other types of media, such as motion pictures or video games. I personally am looking to pursue writing and film production after graduation, and this course has been hugely beneficial for me.”
“So many students on our campus have a creative streak or a novel they're working on or a tabletop role-playing game they are running that this course was immediately recognizable to them as something they could have fun with,” said Wagner. “At its heart, worldbuilding is fun.”
Wagner explained that while the term “worldbuilding” is often relegated to science fiction and fantasy, all storytelling uses setting, description, atmosphere, and social/cultural aspects to build engaging stories. Through weekly writing exercises, literary analysis, and worldbuilding portfolios, students in the course practice the act of creating their own worlds and complete the course with a developed world ready to be used beyond the classroom.
“I highly recommend the class to anyone looking to expand their writing skills and get a firm grasp on the intricacies and wider scope of building a world within a story,” said Kayli Berry ’27, a creative writing major with minors in screenwriting, as well as communication and media studies. “This class has been an excellent way for me to hone my own writing skills and study a wide variety of different worlds through a combination of craft exercises, class discussion, and literature study. This course is a great choice for anyone interested in writing a novel or developing a world for other types of media, such as motion pictures or video games. I personally am looking to pursue writing and film production after graduation, and this course has been hugely beneficial for me.”
Cohen Nearhoof ’28, a computer science and math double major with a minor in writing, said the class was a defining moment for him. “It not only exceeded its purpose in helping me create my own worlds for writing but exposed me to a multitude of diverse perspectives in relation to worldbuilding,” said Nearhoof. “The course encouraged deep understanding of the subject material, which stimulated thought-provoking conversations. I enhanced my analytical skills, which is extremely beneficial to me in math and computer science courses.”
After graduation, Nearhoof plans to pursue a career in the field of cybersecurity/ programming and write a novel in his free time. “I would absolutely recommend this class for anyone who is interested in creative writing, reading and analyzing diverse perspectives, or wishes to enhance their critical analysis skills,” he added.
“I've been impressed by the growth of the students and the breadth of their creative worlds. We have everything from vampires and zombies to superpowers to epic fantasy to galactic science fiction—and everything in-between,” said Wagner. “To have 30+ students each doing something so unique is a real blast for me as a professor.
“I hope students ended the semester with a creative practice, stronger critical thinking skills, and a more developed world of their design that they could use for a novel, screenplay, TTRPG, or something else.”
English at Lycoming College
The Lycoming College English department is a tight-knit community where students combine their passions for writing and reading with their natural curiosity about the world. Whether they choose to focus on literature or creative writing, students learn the power of language and communication to shape the world around them. To learn more about the English and creative writing program at Lycoming College, visit: https://www.lycoming.edu/english/.