“Collective Worlds” 2022, made with Midjourney AI

Welcome to World-Building: Practice and Co-Creation. This is a living document that contains assignments, the schedule, and requirements for this course. This document will evolve over the course of the semester as we evolve our practice of World-Building.

Syllabus:

What happens when we reject the classic hero’s journey in favor of new myths? From folktales to franchises, this course from the Digital Storytelling Lab will explore transportive worlds and the methods used to create them. Collectively, we will deconstruct the idea that World-Building is a private practice and instead, uplift the notion that it is a creative tool to strengthen stories and expand ideas. As Author and activist Clarice Lispector writes: “Creating isn’t imagination, it’s taking the great risk of grasping reality,” but what happens when we use World-Building to shift the systems that govern our reality?

Leveraging storytelling techniques of Alternate Reality Games (ARGs) and Role Playing Games (RPGs), we will deconstruct Fairy Tales and collectively build a world that transcends the classroom and moves into the outside world, ultimately bringing participants together to tackle complex issues and redefine solo authorship as a collaborative space. This course culminates in the collective experience of passing on our co-created world to a new group of makers. There are no prerequisites for this course.

Readings and Assignments:

Our class Miro board will serve as our hub for all lectures and group exercises. Students are expected to check in and add to the Miro board throughout the semester. Readings and activities will be added to the Miro board. Additionally, there will be optional recommended articles, books, and experiences to peruse as the semester unfolds.

Syllabus:

(Reminder this syllabus is subject to change)

Week 1: Welcome to World-Building: Practice and Co-Creation- 1/19/23

• Intros and Goals
• Framing Lecture: What is World-Building: Practice and Co-Creation?
• Framing Lab: Blockchain Fairytales: Social Dreaming
• Check-out: Next Steps and Reflection
• HW: Read On Fairy-Stories by J.R.R Tolkien and listen to The World of Freedom #BlackLivesMatter from Exolore; fact-based fictional world-building by Dr. Moiya McTier

Week 2: Collaborative and Decentralized Storytelling- 1/26/23

• Guest Speaker: Toni Thai
• Framing Lecture: World-Building: Fairytales and New Myths
• Framing Lab: Modular Fairytales pt. 1
• Check-out: Next Steps and Reflection
• HW: Read Before People Were Talking About Decentralization, Decentralization was Talking to Them by Amelia Winger-Bearskin.

Week 3: Myths and Role-Playing Games- 2/2/23

• Guest Speaker: Nick Fortugno
• Framing Lecture: World as Narrator
• Framing Lab: Modular Fairytales pt. 2
• Check-out: Next Steps and Reflection
• HW: Read up to page 33 of Building Imaginary Worlds: the Theory and History of Subcreation by Mark J.P. Wolf (see Miro board).

Week 4: Imagination and Subcreation- 2/9/23

• Framing Lecture: The Art of Subcreation
• Framing Lab: Modular Fairy Tales pt. 3
• Check-out: Next Steps and Reflection
• HW: Read [Visit to a Strange Planet](https://web.mit.edu/jscheib/Public/foundations06/efsmallplanet.pdf) by Elinor Fuchs. Add images and a description of your element(s) to the Miro board.

Week 5: Virtual Worlds and Unreal Worlds- 2/16/23

• Framing Lecture: Virtual and Unreal Worlds
• Framing Lab: Modular Fairytales pt. 4
• Check-out: Next Steps and Reflection
• HW: Read up to page 64 of Building Imaginary Worlds: the Theory and History of Subcreation by Mark J.P. Wolf.

Week 6: Character and Persona- 2/23/23

• Framing Lecture: Deconstructing the Hero’s Journey
• Framing Lab: Character Elements
• Check-out: Next Steps and Reflection
• HW: TBD

Week 7: World-Building: Purpose- 3/2/23- VIRTUAL CLASS

• Guest lecturer: Laika O’Brien
• Framing Lecture: Storytelling with Purpose
• Framing Lab: Writing a Mission Statement
• Check-out: Next Steps and Reflection
• HW: Finish and re-submit your Mission statement based on our time with Laika and any feedback. Submit a new Muse board based on the world’s environment. Model these images around the area(s) of interest that we discussed in our World-Building interview.

Week 8: World-Building: Environment and Fantasy- 3/9/23

• Guest lecturer: Andrew Hoepfner
• Framing Lecture: Environmental World-Building
• Framing Lab: Generating a Creation Story
• Check-out: Next Steps and Reflection
• HW: Submit an early proposal for your world-building physical or digital artifact.

NO CLASS- Spring break

Week 9: World-Building: Structures and Systems- 3/23/23

• Framing Lecture: Storytelling and Social Theory
• Framing Lab: Dismantling Systems through World-Building
• Check-out: Next Steps and Reflection
• HW: World-Building

Week 10: World-Building: ARGs and Treasure Hunts- 3/30/23

• Framing Lecture: Scavenger Hunter, ARGs, and Treasure Hunts
• Framing Lab: Collective Prototype Design pt. 1
• Check-out: Next Steps and Reflection
• HW: Play Randonatica and Present your Findings

Week 11: World-Building: Story-Driven Discoveries- 4/6/23

• Framing Lecture: Scavenger Hunter, ARGs, and Treasure Hunts
• Framing Lab: Collective Prototype Design pt. 2
• Check-out: Next Steps and Reflection
• HW: Play Motto

Week 12: Co-Creation and World-Building- 4/13/23

• World-Building Discussion
• Framing Lab: Artifact Building
• Check-out: Next Steps and Reflection
• HW: Artifact and presentation

Week 13: World-Building: Fabricating Worlds- 4/20/23

• World-Building Discussion
• Framing Lab: Connecting Worlds: Students Iterate on Each Other’s Artifacts
• Check-out: Next Steps and Reflection
• HW: Bring in materials for the World Release and presentation

Week 14: World Release- 4/27/23

• Framing Lecture: World-Building Release
• Framing Lab: Release of World to DSL 2
• Check-out: Next Steps and Reflection

Assessable Tasks

Students will be required to complete the following tasks to finish the class:

• A number of short responses or presentations, in which students present solo or in a group for a few brief minutes. Due throughout the semester.
• A Muse Board for the part of the world you are designing (Due Week 8)
• An Artifact proposal (Due week 9)
• Two mission statements due throughout the semester
• Final presentation of your material(s) for the collective World-Building project. (Due Week 13)

Final Grade Calculation:

Participation /Collaboration 30%

Attendance 20%

Weekly Assignments 20%

Final Project and Presentation 30%

TOTAL 100%