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Illustration of two heroes standing at the top of a hill overlooking a valley.
 

Center for

Worldbuilding and Storytelling

Inspiring creativity and critical analysis, worldbuilding and transmedia storytelling can be tools for exploring real-world implications of technological and societal changes.

What is Worldbuilding at RIT?

At RIT, when we talk about worlds, worldbuilding, and storytelling, we use the following definitions:

Worlds

are defined as a designated place at a particular time, with defined spatial and temporal boundaries at different levels of scope, e.g. the world of modern downtown Rochester, the world of Shakespeare’s England, the world of the Aztec Empire;

Worldbuilding

is defined as the act of representing a world—either reality-based or imaginary—in language, image, and/or data, and;

Storytelling

is defined as a type of narrative or visual discourse in which different aspects, or different perspectives, on the world are presented in different forms of media.

An illustration of a warrior standing in front of a dragon.

The primary goal of a worldbuilding project is to create a model that illustrates the many various and often competing social forces at play in the world— the dynamic interplay of governance structures, economics systems, social relations, and cultural influences.

Different people feel the push and pull of these social forces in different ways. At times, these forces may give some groups of people advantages or opportunities, while at the same time creating disadvantages and obstacles for others.

In building worlds, we can listen to and represent a diverse array of people’s stories and experiences. We can intentionally craft a view that is informed by many different sets of eyes. We see where worlds overlap. We can examine and test out ideas. We can inspire and envision real change.

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Email: worldbuilding@rit.edu

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