My Favorite World-Building Mistakes

Hey everyone. I thought I would do something a bit different this week and share my favorite mistakes made by writers, filmmakers, artists, and other creators when it comes to world-building. These are not mistakes I would make myself, and are not things I think are inherently bad. They're just things that I enjoy seeing. Here they are:<br><br>* **Overpowered magic:** I love it when the magic system of a world is incredibly powerful, but the characters rarely use it. I think this is a fun way to make characters feel more realistic. I love this about Harry Potter and I also love this about Avatar: The Last Airbender. Both have incredibly powerful magic, and both make it feel realistic by having the characters only use it when absolutely necessary. My favorite example of this comes from Harry Potter, when Hermione is trying to do homework and she uses a simple levitation spell to move the books she needs around. The magic in the wizarding world is incredibly powerful and dangerous, but Hermione only uses it to do her homework. I love this and I wish it was done more. In Avatar, bending is so powerful that it can kill a person in an instant. But the characters don't just walk down the street and kill every single person they see. They only use it when absolutely necessary. This makes the characters feel more realistic and more interesting.<br><br>* **The most powerful beings in the world are the least known:** I love it when the most powerful being in a world is completely unknown to the general public. My favorite example of this comes from the show Game of Thrones. In Westeros, there exist beings known as wights. These are the most powerful beings in the world, capable of destroying entire cities with a single touch. But no one knows this. The characters know that the wights are powerful and should be avoided, but they don't know just how dangerous they really are. I love this because it adds a layer of realism to the world. In the world of Harry Potter, there is a being known as the soul-sucking dementors. These are incredibly powerful beings that can destroy a person's soul and leave them a mere shadow of their former self. But no one knows this. The characters know that they are bad and should be avoided, but they don't know just how dangerous they really are. This adds a layer of realism to the world.<br><br>* **No one knows how to make things:** I love it when no one knows how to make the most basic things in a world. My favorite example of this comes from the show Star Wars. In the Star Wars universe, there exist lightsabers. These are incredibly powerful weapons that are used by almost every character in the show. But no one knows how to make them. The characters know how to use them, but they don't know how to make them. They just go to the store and buy one. I love this because it adds a layer of realism to the world. In the world of Harry Potter, there are wands. These are incredibly powerful tools used by every wizard. But no one knows how to make them. The characters know how to use them, but they don't know how to make them. They just go to Ollivanders and buy one. This adds a layer of realism to the world.<br><br>* **No one cares about history:** I love it when no one in a world cares about their history. My favorite example of this comes from the show Star Wars. In the Star Wars universe, there have been countless wars and battles. The characters know that this is important, but they don't really care. They don't think about the history of the world and how it got to this point. They just live their lives and try to survive. I love this because it makes the world feel more grounded in reality. In the world of Harry Potter, the characters don't really think about the history of the wizarding world either. They know that there have been countless wars and battles, but they don't really care. They just live their lives and try to survive. This makes the world feel more grounded in reality.