Edwards Bookworm hosts a talk on creating fictional worlds in books and games

Calling all science fiction and fantasy readers, writers, and tabletop roleplaying masters: Creating worlds from scratch for storytelling in books and games can be very intimidating and difficult. Luckily, award-winning Colorado author Olivia Chadha and local gaming expert and librarian Nick Dawson are coming to Bookworm to share their extensive knowledge of worldbuilding with us.

On Tuesday at 6 p.m., two world-building experts will talk about how to create the most immersive worlds in your writing and games, or how your favorite authors do it in their books: Olivia Chadha, author of The Mechanists Series, and Nick Dawson, a game master with decades of experience. Following the presentation, there will be a Q&A and book signing, and light refreshments will be available.

It seems Chadha’s life has always been about becoming a writer. “As a child, I collected pencils, erasers and notebooks,” Chadha said. “Although the notebooks remained mostly blank for years, it now seems like I am preparing for a future life. My high school English teacher was surprised that I chose chemical engineering as my (first) major. She was right; that didn’t last. But my love of science always remained a constant.”

However, writing is not always easy, even if you have a passion for it. “Writing is difficult. If it wasn’t, I wouldn’t be interested,” said Chadha. “I see each novel and short story as a massive puzzle that I create and then solve. I was drawn to language as a tool that allows us to express impossible emotions like joy, love and despair.”

Chadha uses her writing as a tool to process big themes and concepts. “In science fiction and speculative fiction, we can explore questions about possible futures, rethink the past, and even delve into areas of science that aren’t yet solved,” Chadha said. “What’s not to like?”

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Beginning with “The Rise of the Red Hand,” Chadha’s sci-fi series explores possible futures and our current realities. “The story began as a story about two people on opposite sides of society who grow fond of each other and learn to develop compassion for each other’s plight in order to bridge a huge social divide and create real social change,” Chadha said. “Although it shows a world ravaged by climate change, our world is already ravaged by climate change. We already struggle with the effects every day, and in some places more than others. So in some ways, it’s not a dystopia. It’s reality. At the heart of the series is the search for empathy.”

Chadha had to create an entire world in which her story was set, which required a lot of research. “When it comes to world-building, I can get carried away with research,” Chadha said. “When I was a lecturer at CU, I had access to their entire library, which made research easier. The easiest thing is to be captivated by a topic, no matter how small. The hardest thing is knowing when to stop falling down a rabbit hole. I like to reach out to scientists, astrophysicists, botanists, historians, and pretty much anyone who is an expert in whatever I’m researching. It’s amazing how willing people can be to help you with your novel.”

Chadha advises writers to do as much research as possible to become better writers. “My best advice is to write about what you know, but know more,” Chada said. “Follow your areas of expertise and interests first, then use research to fill in the areas you’re unfamiliar with. Be aware of your unconscious biases toward cultures that aren’t your own.”

In addition to the writing tips she and Nick Dawson will share at Tuesday’s event, Chadha hopes readers of her books will also gain optimistic life advice. “I hope readers enjoy the fast-paced story about teenagers fighting for their future,” Chadha said. “And I also hope they realize that citizens hold the real power, while those in power want to make us feel like small actions can’t make real change.”