Ask the Bard, December 2025: How to Immediately Transform Repetitive NPCs (or Secondary Characters) Television Sky co-founder and resident worldbuilding expert Haly, the Moonlight Bard cuts the static to transform your boring secondary characters.

Ask the Bard, December 2025: How to Immediately Transform Repetitive NPCs (or Secondary Characters)
open.substack.com/pub/televisi...

#worldbuilding #worldanvil #askthebard #televisionsky

Ask the Bard #32: Fixing Spacetime and Determining Technology Slightly delayed, but still here to help! This week, Haly dishes advice on how to untangle a twisted timeline and the best way to settle on a level of technology or magic in your world.

Did y'all see yesterday's #AskTheBard post? Of course not, because I didn't get around to finishing it until today! So here it is, fresh out of my fingertips, just for you.

#WorldbuildingWednesday #WorldAnvil #Worldbuilding #RPGCommunity #WritingCommunity

Worldbuilding Wednesday #29: When Custom > Law It's #WorldbuildingWednesday and Haly is tackling a tricky question about customs outweighing laws! Also, the weekly Quick Six writing/worldbuilding prompts focus on fantastic cultures!

It's a doozy this week, talking about culture and law, then moving right on to a Quick Six about cultures and counter-cultures!

#WorldAnvil #WorldbuildingWednesday #AskTheBard #RPGCommunity #WritingCommunity #Worldbuilding

Worldbuilding Wednesday #28: Religious Dogma & Foreshadowing Disaster Worldbuilding advice for crafting home-brew religions, writing advice on foreshadowing, & six writing prompts to help you sharpen your skills & think deeper about your setting, characters, & lore.

#WorldbuildingWednesday now combines Ask the Bard and the weekly Quick Six! That’s right, answers to worldbuilding questions and six new writing prompts, every Wednesday, straight to your inbox!

#WorldAnvil #WritingPrompts #Worldbuilding #QuickSix #AskTheBard #WritingCommunity #RPGCommunity

Ask the Bard #27: Real People & Places in Fiction Haly's answering your questions about basing fiction on real people, places, and things. Also, the entertaining answer to "Hey, Haly! How's it going?" in this week's worldbuilding advice column!

This week’s #AskTheBard advice column explores the good & bad of using real history in fiction. Some people like to take the “simple” & “stress-free” art of writing fiction & complicate (more) it with exhaustive research. 😜🤣✨

#WorldAnvil #Worldbuilding #WritingCommunity #RPGCommunity

Weekly Digest: Transportation Haly examines transportation and travel by mundane, magical, and futuristic means; a double dose of Ask the Bard worldbuilding advice, and an interview with Chris Lontok, aka kitoypoy!

This week was a lot of fun! I covered #Transportation & #Travel in #Worldbuilding, had a double dose of #AskTheBard advice & shared an interview with the amazing & cool @kitoypoy.bsky.social Missed something? Catch up in this week's #SundayDigest!

#WorldAnvil #RPGCommunity #WritingCommunity

Ask the Bard #26.5: Fantasizing Real Cultures and Transportation Issues In a continuation of this week's worldbuilding advice column, Haly addresses cultural sensitivity and respect, as well as whether a world can have too much transportation.

For #ThrowbackThursday, I'm revisiting yesterday! 🤣It's pt. 2 of this week's #AskTheBard. I tackle fantasizing real-world cultures and whether a world can have too much transportation. Subscribe for direct delivery!

#WorldAnvil #Worldbuilding #WritingCommunity #RPGCommunity #Substack

Ask the Bard #26: First Person POV, Plotting a Revolution, and a First Ever TBC! This week's worldbuilding advice column answers questions about first person narratives and how to plot a successful revolution; the first of a two-part Ask the Bard.

It's #WorldbuildingWednesday and tonight's edition of #AskTheBard is the first of a two-parter! Y'all brought the excellent questions, and I've got excellent answers lined up. Tonight: First Person Perspective and Plotting a Revolution.

#WorldAnvil #Worldbuilding #WritingCommunity #RPGCommunity

Ask the Bard #24: Vibe = Mood + Tone Haly helps a member of the community nail down the vibe of a story through mood and tone, and spotlights the worldbuilding and writing craft that go into each.

#WorldAnvil #WorldBuilding #askthebard #writingcommunity #RPGCommunity

It's #WorldbuildingWednesday! Hit me up with your questions and get helpful answers to keep YOUR project on track!!! #AskTheBard #Worldbyluilding #WorldAnvil #RPGCommunity #WritingCommunity

Ask the Bard #22: Character Archetypes are Tropes, Too! Haly shares answers about character archetypes, and how those are tropes, too!

What are your favorite inspirations for character development? I love using Zodiac traits.

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Ask the Bard #21: Building Culture & New Year Wishes 2025 is starting with a Worldbuilding Wednesday and we're discussing strategies for creating cultures that feel deeply authentic and connected to the world.

#worldbuildingwednesday #askthebard #WorldAnvil #worldbuilding #writingcommunity #RPGCommunity

WorldEmber Day 18: Ask the Bard #19 This week, questions about when (or if) it's OK to lie to your audience and the design of world-building project websites.

#askthebard #worldbuildingwednesday #WorldAnvil #worldember #writingcommunity #RPGCommunity

The Mind of a Worldbuilder Habits, creativity and choices with Haly Dearinger

A few weeks ago, I sat down with my friend, Nat, and gave an interview about #Worldbuilding!! That's right, it's an extra-special #WorldbuildingWednesday with an extra-speciql #AskTheBard!! (37:00 audio.)

open.substack.com/pub/plottedo...

World-building Wednesday is here! The penultimate WW of the year! Send me your questions, let me help you over your hurdles!

#WorldAnvil #worldbuilding #AskTheBard #WorldbuildingWednesday #writingcommunity #RPGCommunity #WorldEmner

WorldEmber Day 11: Ask the Bard #18 Explore how humor's timing and perspective impact story believability. Learn when humor works best and how to tell the difference between funny and mean.

In tonight's q&a, I explore how humor's timing and perspective impact story believability! Learn when humor works best and how to tell the difference between funny and mean.

#worldbuildingwednesday #askthebard #WorldAnvil #worldember #writingcommunity #RPGCommunity

WorldEmber Day 4: Ask the Bard #17! Haly answers questions about effective crossovers, how to stay organized when the world is coming out of your ears, and honey nut bacon.

Y'all are making this column into something unique & I love you for that!! Thank you for all the questions this week. I might need to put together a form to collect submissions! 🥰🥳🤣

#WorldAnvil #worldember #askthebard #worldbuildingwednesday #RPGCommunity #writingcommunity #worldbuilding

Ask the Bard #16: Archetypes, Where to Start, and Wonderful Wishes Haly answers questions about which archetypes she finds most fun, where to begin when starting a new world, and her excellent birthday.

This week's column deals with character archetypes, where to begin world-building, and my excellent birthday!

#WorldAnvil #askthebard #worldbuildingwednesday #writingcommunity #RPGCommunity #worldbuilding

Ask the Bard #15: How Many POV are TOO Many & Shades of Perspective Haly answers questions about characters and perspectives! Can serial fiction have too many POV characters? Can character perspectives color the world for the reader?

This week's world-building advice column tackles multiple POV across a series, and using character perspective to color the world for your readers.

Subscribe free today!

#WorldAnvil #worldbuilding #RPGCommunity #writingcommunity #askthebard #worldbuildingwednesday

Yes, it is World-building Wednesday! Yes, I am here! Yes, my day at work is sucking hard!

Please, let me help you with your world-building worries and woes. Those will be problems I can solve!

#worldbuildingWednesday #AskTheBard #WorldAnvil #worldbuilding #RPGCommunity #WritingCommunity

Ask the Bard #12: I'm a Chicken-Shit & a Star Wars Geek Haly answers questions about why she's not more famous and how to weave plots together.

In which I answer questions about why I'm not more famous and how to weave plots together. This might be a good one to read all the way to the bottom.

#WorldAnvil #worldbuildingwednesday #askthebard #worldbuilding #RPGCommunity #writingcommunity

Ask the Bard #11: Slang, Ice Magic, and Secrets Explore how vernacular enriches world-building with tips on jargon, slang, idioms, and more. Plus, creative ideas for ice magic and a god of secrets!

Explore how vernacular enriches world-building. Plus, creative ideas for ice magic and a god of secrets in this week's edition of "Ask the Bard" my weekly world-building advice column!

#askthebard #WorldAnvil #worldbuildingwednesday #worldbuilding #writingcommunity #RPGCommunity

Rhapsody by Moonlight | 🌙 Haly, the Moonlight Bard ✒️ | Substack World-building is the vehicle your audience rides in as they navigate your story. Join me as I share world-building wisdom, serial fiction, and a lighthearted view of my successes and setbacks to assi...

Welcome, welcome, welcome to another fabulous #WorldbuildingWednesday!

Send me your questions and problems, and I'll do my best to help!!

And then, stay tuned for an all-new #AskTheBard advice column in tonight's newsletter!

moonlightbard.substack.com