Worldbuilding Resources Collection

 A set of resources for world building (links valid as of 1/1/2025)

Not all of these work for everyone.  Everyone's tastes, needs, ideas, and skills are different.  Pick one that suits your purpose best.

7 Deadly Sins of Worldbuilding (because you need to learn what's bad)

7 Worldbuilding Tropes Science Fiction and Fantasy needs to Stop using (bad tropes)

https://gizmodo.com/the-difference-between-good-worldbuilding-and-great-wor-1658543247

A "mind map" for world building:
https://www.reddit.com/r/WorldbuildingAdvice/comments/bwjqdj/an_elaborate_worldbuilding_mindmap/#lightbox

https://www.novel-software.com/worldbuilding-questionnaire/

(other useful links here) https://www.eadeverell.com/writing-worksheet-wednesday-geography/

A very concise one from the New York Times:
https://s3.nybookeditors.com/blog/PDF/World-Building-Worksheet.pdf

Creating a fantasy language
Your Guide to Creating Fantasy Languages - Auden Johnson

Creating a fictional world:
World Building Template: Creating A Fictional World - Auden Johnson

Self Defense for seniors and disabled

 One of the better options for self defense is a cane.  It's useful for walking, legal to carry anywhere, and doesn't require licenses or anything special.  Here's a collection of videos on canes for self-defense:

If you only learn one move, this is the one to know:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bpjBwJmBaT8

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pULOnrVEmGs

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zo1G1cpOaBQ

Random thought.  This is the time (before January 2025) to push through any government-related document you might want or need.  Once the number of people in government gets slashed, getting ANYthing done is going to take freakin' forever.

Duncan & Mallory novels

 

Link to my Amazon page: https://www.amazon.com/stores/Mel.-White/author/B007FHDCHE

Class Links Egyptology Week 2

 

Smithsonian on the Egyptian pyramids  

October 5th discovery of mummies at Saqqara 

Mummy of Egyptian princess found in pyaramid

35 small pyramids in Sudan

Class links - Egyptology week 1

 Recent finds in Egypt: 

https://www.ancient-origins.net/news-history-archaeology/new-egyptian-mummies-0014355

Recommended:

http://ancient-egypt-online.com/

https://www.ucl.ac.uk/museums-static/digitalegypt//Welcome.html

Oriental Institute of Chicago on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/OrientalInstitute

My favorite Egyptologists

• Geraldine Pinch
• Joyce Tyldesley
• James P. Allen
• Jan Assman

Fun reading:  The Amelia Peabody books by Egyptologist Barbara Mertz

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amelia_Peabody_series

Class links - Roaring Twenties - 08/03/20

An hour of twenties music
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YYNEJITxi2Y  

A good look at the "Other Half" - Rosalind Russel in "Auntie Mame"

Jeanne Toussaint

https://www.cartier.com/en-us/maison/l-odyssee-de-cartier/jeanne-toussaint.html

What the English language pages don't tell you about Jeanne Toussaint

https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jeanne_Toussaint

Debutante practice for presentation to queen

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hgEeHvzJ2Bw

The Sloaney (luxury lifestyle magazine)

https://www.thesloaney.com/

Listverse:  the wildest parties in history:

https://listverse.com/2014/02/02/10-of-the-wildest-parties-in-history/

Graphic Novel - Lackadaisy (which will also be an animated short film)

https://lackadaisycats.com/

(page 1 of the comic; https://lackadaisycats.com/comic.php?comicid=1)

Oheka Castle - the second largest private home (now a hotel) in the US

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oheka_Castle

Class Links - Roaring Twenties - July 27, 2020

Some of the fun things to explore today!

Cookbooks

Mary Ronald's Century Cookbook on Archive.org
https://archive.org/stream/cu31924003579038#page/n1/mode/2up

Perry Ladies' Cookbook
http://www.kancoll.org/books/perry/index.html

A simple fruit shrub (fruit vinegar for drinking) - there are lots of recipes, some of them take months to make.  This one doesn't.

https://www.myrecipes.com/how-to/how-to-make-shrub

And since it's summer, a cherry-balsamic shrub 

https://www.kcet.org/food/recipe-cherry-balsamic-shrub

Or how about "water pie"

https://www.southernplate.com/water-pie-recipe-from-the-great-depression/

Tents and campers of 1920-1930 (in case you want an adventure)

https://mobilehomeliving.org/tents-of-the-1920s-and-30s/

Short filmsBabe Ruth, King of Swat in "Perfect Control"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4llAK8_o4GU&list=FLddem5RlB3bQe99wyY49g0g

Link to Citizen Archivist for National Archives

https://www.archives.gov/citizen-archivist

Chautauqua Society

https://www.mdhumanities.org/programs/chautauqua/