Category Archives: Politics

7 Deadly Sins of Worldbuilding

Worldbuilding is an essential part of any work of fiction. But especially for science fiction or fantasy, it’s the lifeblood of storytelling. But when worldbuilding fails, it can wreck your whole story, and leave your characters feeling pointless. Here are seven deadly sins of worldbuilding. 1. Not thinking about basic infrastructure. How do they eat? […]

Finland has a Brand Book?

Did you know that Finland has a Brand Book? I haven’t made it through this 365-page monster yet, but once you get past the cringe-worthy hyperbole of the first few pages, it actually turns pretty interesting. And insanely granular: there’s even a mission for grandparents.

http://www.demoshelsinki.fi/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/TS_Report_EN.pdf

Roman Mars: Why city flags may be the worst-designed thing you’ve never noticed

Roman Mars is obsessed with flags — and after you watch this talk, you might be, too. These ubiquitous symbols of civic pride are often designed, well, pretty terribly. But they don’t have to be. In this surprising and hilarious talk about vexillology — the study of flags — Mars reveals the five basic principles of flag design and shows why he believes they can be applied to just about anything.

10 Worst Misconceptions About Medieval Life You’d Get From Fantasy Books

Some tropes are so ingrained in Medieval-inspired fantasy stories that it’s tempting to think that they represent real aspects of Medieval life. But often these stories are just reinforcing myths and misconceptions about life in the Middle Ages. One thing that it’s important to remember when talking about the Medieval period is that it spans […]