#151. How Rowling Built A World Ripe For Life Or Death Conflicts (An Interview With Savannah Gilbo & Abigail K. Perry)

Fiction Writing Made Easy

Ever wonder how Rowling created such a fantastic, three-dimensional story world for her Harry Potter series?
That’s exactly what you’ll hear in this week’s brand-new podcast episode! Join me, Abigail K. Perry, and Tim Grahl, as we discuss the world-building in Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone—and what we learned from our analysis of this mega best seller.
You’ll hear us talk about things like:

• [02:38] How Rowling built a fantastic story world ripe for life and death conflicts (but in a way that’s age-appropriate for middle-grade readers)
• [04:39] How Rowling focused on fleshing out the world-building details that mattered for book one—and introduced them to readers right alongside Harry
• [08:18] How to think about your own world-building (spoiler alert: you don’t need to have everything figured out or perfectly mapped in your early drafts!)
• [12:43] How Rowling made every detail of her world count—and how she used those details to hide important plot clues and encourage character development
• [16:27] And so much more…

If you like this episode, you’ll LOVE my book, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone: A Story Grid Masterwork Analysis Guide. Click here to pre-order a copy and get access to a collection of bonuses in addition to a copy of the book.
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🔗 Links mentioned in this episode:

• Pre-order my new book, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone: A Story Grid Masterwork Analysis Guide, and get a handful of special bonuses!
• Watch the video interview on Story Grid’s YouTube channel

Save your seat in my upcoming LIVE training > Your Start To Finish Book Blueprint: How to Write a Novel In 5 Easy Steps (No MFA Or Creative Writing Degree Required)

👉 Looking for a transcript? If you’re listening on Apple Podcasts or Spotify, scroll down below the episode player until you see the transcript.

Chapters

1. Worldbuilding as a Character in Fantasy (00:00:00)

2. Expanding the Wizarding World Through Worldbuilding (00:04:30)

3. Importance of Tight Plotting in Writing (00:09:16)