Hi Reader,

Hope your week is going well! Today, let’s talk about worldbuilding.

This is one of the most exciting parts of writing genre stories - especially if you love fantasy, sci-fi, or horror.

It’s the part where you get to invent, and come up with the rules of the world, the dangers hiding inside it, the history behind it, the systems that run it, the creatures, the politics, the technology, the mythology - all the things that make a story world feel rich and alive.

And it’s also one of the easiest places to go wrong.

Once you’ve built a cool world, it’s very tempting to explain all of it. I should know, I've built story worlds in just about every genre there is - alien worlds, Old West towns, haunted mansions, video game arenas, and supernatural racetracks, just to name a few. And believe it or not, that’s where a lot of scripts hit trouble if the writer isn't careful.

The writer knows the world inside and out, which is great. But instead of letting the audience discover that world through the story, they start unloading information. The result is usually too much exposition, not enough momentum, and scenes that feel more like lessons than drama.

That’s the problem.

Great worldbuilding in a screenplay should feel clear, cinematic, and fast.

The audience doesn't need every detail.

They need:

• enough to understand the rules
• enough to follow the stakes
• enough to feel the danger
• and enough to believe the characters are truly living inside that world

In my latest video, I break down 7 key worldbuilding tips for screenwriters, with examples from films like Alien, A Quiet Place, The Terminator, Pan’s Labyrinth, Children of Men, District 9, and Escape from New York.

A few of the big ideas I cover:

• build the world around the story, not the other way around
• establish the rules quickly and clearly
• reveal the world through the characters
• use visuals before explanation
• let dialogue carry subtext instead of info dumps
• use the world to create conflict
• and leave some mystery

That last one is a big one. Sometimes the fastest way to make a world feel bigger is not to explain every corner of it. Rather, mystery is what makes the world feel alive.

If you’re working on a genre screenplay right now, this is a topic worth getting right. A strong story world can make your script feel bigger, sharper, and more immersive. A weak one can make even a good premise feel muddy or over-explained.

So if you want a clearer approach to building your story world without turning your script into a textbook, check out my full video.

🎥 Watch it here: Screenplay Worldbuilding - Breaking Down What Works​

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And if you want help with your screenplay - worldbuilding, character work, structure, pacing, or rewriting - I can help there too:

👉 My one-hour coaching calls are great for brainstorming, outlining, character work, and solving story problems early: Book Your Session today!​

Book Your Coaching Call Here!

👉 My coverage packages are a great next step if you need meaningful developmental feedback before diving back into the draft: Click here!​

Click Here for Coverage!

👉 Rewrite to Greenlight is my ongoing developmental editing program for taking a script from almost there to funding- or production-ready: Click here!​

Book a Free Strategy Call Today!

So have fun building the world, but always remember to serve the story.

Stay creative!

Neil

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P.S. Check out my feature film, Spin the Wheel - out now on Tubi!

Click here to watch for FREE: https://tubitv.com/movies/100030151/spin-the-wheel​

Learn more about storytelling, screenwriting, and filmmaking:​ www.neilchasefilm.com.

Looking for in-depth help with your script, story or film? Check out my one-on-one coaching services here.

Check out my Gothic horror-western novel, Iron Dogs, available in eBook, print, and audiobook.

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