World Building AUs and Original Works

[Jon-LockeEdwards]

Alright. So I’ve been at this for a while, and for the life of me, I can’t figure out which is more fun.

On the one hand, AUs (Alternate Universes) of existing fandoms are fun because it challenges me to stay within the theme presented to me, or to adapt it in a way that is still creative and engaging. Crossovers are especially fun here. I love seeing how stories and universes can intersect, and how characters who otherwise might never have met one another may interact.

That said, one’s own original works provide a different kind of satisfaction all their own. You and, if present, your friend(s) put a lot of time and effort into building a new world from scratch. Cultures, political intrigue, nations, the very laws of nature, all of it at your fingertips! I’ve always been fond of forging new nations with their own unique cultures, and sticking my characters into the mix, sometimes as major leaders and heroes, other times, as average people simply making their own way in the given environment.

With either form of worldbuilding/storytelling, the possibilities always seem to be endless. The only limiting factor seems to be the imagination in either case!

But what do you all think? I’d love to hear other perspectives on this one!

 

[nerdy tangents]

I work full time so I just don’t have the mental bandwidth or physical time to create a lot of original worlds.

Plus I have found that having a common foundation helps when explaining things to other people. If I am making something up from scratch then I have to explain how everything works to people with no frame of reference.

If I’m doing an AU I just explain how it differs from the source material.

 

[Caroline1539]

Honestly in all my time writing, I've gravitated towards writing AUs the most. I've never really been fascinated with the detail work that creating one's own world entails, and find it much more engaging to work with fandom characters.

Getting to explore the characters far and beyond what the source material displays is endlessly entertaining to me, and I love being able to really dig down into a character and find what makes them tick; what do they like, what do they dislike, why do they think the way they do and can they change their perspective? What happens when they run into people that are opposite them, or have vastly different viewpoints on something? How would they react if their situations were radically different than what they're used to?

Really taking a magnifying glass (and maybe a scalpel) to my favorite fandom characters will never grow old, and I think I'll always be writing with them! There's always an opportunity to discover something new and different, and AUs give the perfect opportunity to really get to the heart of what makes a character who they are.

 

[Jon-LockeEdwards]

Honestly in all my time writing, I've gravitated towards writing AUs the most. I've never really been fascinated with the detail work that creating one's own world entails, and find it much more engaging to work with fandom characters.

Getting to explore the characters far and beyond what the source material displays is endlessly entertaining to me, and I love being able to really dig down into a character and find what makes them tick; what do they like, what do they dislike, why do they think the way they do and can they change their perspective? What happens when they run into people that are opposite them, or have vastly different viewpoints on something? How would they react if their situations were radically different than what they're used to?

Really taking a magnifying glass (and maybe a scalpel) to my favorite fandom characters will never grow old, and I think I'll always be writing with them! There's always an opportunity to discover something new and different, and AUs give the perfect opportunity to really get to the heart of what makes a character who they are.

I love this take! You’re right! Character design and development doesn’t have to end with the source material either!

Roleplay offers us the unique opportunity to really dig into the depths of what makes each character truly stand out. Plus, alternate timelines gives unlimited alternate possibilities to how said characters can grow and change, or what relationships they’ll develop, be it friendships or romantic connections, or bitter rivalries.

I’ve grown fond of exploring these various possibilities with a number of characters too! Though the friends I used to explore these things with have gone their own ways sadly….

So many unexplored ideas….