Every week, we host scheduled community programmes on our Discord server. This can range from a focused discussion on a specific topic, to a spotlight on a specific community member’s world, or other activities. Come join the discussion!
Our recurring community programs are:
- Enthusiast Topic are focused, in-depth discussions on a specific topic. Every Tuesday/Wednesday.
- World Spotlight is your chance to shine! We feature one member’s world and let them host a discussion about their world. Every weekend.
- Worldbuilding Sprint: An opportunity for participants to work on a specific aspect of their world! You work on your own world, but the event provides you motivation, community, and a space to discuss ideas or get advice.
Click the links above or scroll below to find out more!
Enthusiast Topics
What is an Enthusiast Topic?
Enthusiast Topics are focused, in-depth discussions on a specific topic. They’re a great way to share knowledge on a subject, or even ask questions and find out about a topic you don’t know much about! Participants are encouraged to build on each other’s knowledge and passion by sharing information, resources and methodologies related to worldbuilding.
What are the topics?
We rotate through topics on every Enthusiast Topic event! At the beginning of the month, we’ll announce the month’s upcoming topics in the #announcements channel.
There are a lot of different types of topics. Here are some examples:
- Worldbuilding craft. Example: Allegory through worldbuilding: Using our world to explore a worldview or ideology
- In-world topics. Examples: Horses: what are they actually capable of, and the logistics of using them for transport and military maneuvers in a pre-industrial world; War: How does one impact technology and economy in a world realistically?
- Worldbuilding presentation. Example: Presenting your world: how to spark engaging conversation and provoke thought with your world
- Worldbuilding in specific media. Examples: Worldbuilding and Game Design: Methods on expressing your world through game mechanics; Worldbuilding for a Story: How to lay the foundations for plot and characters, and when to actually knuckle under and start writing
You can check out the full list of currently suggested topics.
Have a topic idea? All of our topics are suggested by the community. Find out more or suggest a topic!
When do they happen?
Tuesday at midnight UTC until the end of Wednesday. The discussion lasts 48 hours, but is usually most active in the first couple hours.
Tuesday Enthusiast Topics
| Timezone | Offset | Start time | End time |
|---|---|---|---|
| American Pacific | UTC-7 | Mon 17:00 | Wed 16:59 |
| American Eastern | UTC-5 | Mon 19:00 | Wed 18:59 |
| British Standard | UTC+0 | Tue 00:00 | Wed 23:59 |
| Central European | UTC+1 | Tue 01:00 | Thu 00:59 |
| SEA, Australia Western, China | UTC+8 | Tue 08:00 | Thu 07:59 |
| Australia Eastern | UTC+10 | Tue 10:00 | Thu 09:59 |
During daylight savings time (“summer time”), add 1 hour to the start/end time.
How do I participate?
Just jump into the #community-programs channel, read some of the recent discussion to catch up, and join in whenever you’d like! You can also check out the original topic in the channel pins.
Most of the time, everyone is chiming in equally. Sometimes one or several members will have more knowledge in the subject and might animate the discussion. No matter what, it’s always a group discussion: everyone can feel free to chime in! It’s not an AMA.
How can I suggest topics? What kind of topics should I suggest?
All of our topics are suggested by the community, so we need your suggestions! Click the button below to suggest a topic.
A good topic suggestion is one that’s specific, but still broad enough to be interesting to a wide variety of worldbuilders. A good topic focuses on the worldbuilding process and knowledge about a subject.
Enthusiast topics are not prompts: it should not ask people to talk about their own world, but rather talk about the topic in general.
And remember that your suggestion doesn’t commit you to anything! You’re not giving a speech or hosting an AMA, you’re just suggesting a topic for everybody to discuss together.
Still not sure? Check out the examples and the full list of currently suggested topics.
Can I get notifications when Enthusiast Topics are happening?
Yes! You can type .et join in any text channel on Discord. You will know it worked if KazTron PMs you.
To stop getting notifications, type .et leave. KazTron will PM you to confirm this too.
I have other questions or problems.
Come ask us in #meta! A mod will respond as soon as one of us is available.
World Spotlight
What is a Spotlight?
The World Spotlight is a way of showcasing the best worlds the community has to offer and allow members to engage with those worlds’ creators! Once a week, one of our members is given the floor for up to 36 hours to present their world to the community and engage in a Q&A. It’s a great way to get feedback, critique, and thoughtful questions for your world!
Anyone can join to ask questions or chat with the creator, and all members are invited to apply if they want to host a Spotlight!
At the start of each month, we post the Spotlight Host schedule in #announcements.
When do Spotlights happen?
Currently, Spotlights happen over the weekend, between 10:00 UTC Friday and 12:00 UTC Monday (see also the timezone conversion table below). The Spotlight lasts up to 36 hours continuously. The start time is chosen by the Host within that weekend timespan.
| Timezone | Offset | Start time | End time |
|---|---|---|---|
| American Pacific | UTC-7 | Fri 03:00 | Mon 04:59 |
| American Eastern | UTC-5 | Fri 05:00 | Mon 06:59 |
| British Standard | UTC+0 | Fri 10:00 | Mon 11:59 |
| Central European | UTC+1 | Fri 11:00 | Sun 12:59 |
| SEA, Australia Western, China | UTC+8 | Fri 18:00 | Sun 19:59 |
| Australia Eastern | UTC+10 | Fri 20:00 | Sun 21:59 |
During daylight savings time (“summer time”), add 1 hour to the start/end time.
How are Spotlight Hosts chosen?
At the start of each month, we post the Spotlight Host schedule in #announcements.
The hosts are chosen by random lottery. By filling in an application, you are signing up for that lottery. Towards the end of each month, we will contact potential Spotlight Hosts for the next month, to confirm whether they are still interested and available in a given time slot. Once we have filled up all the slots and gotten confirmation from the hosts, we post the schedule in #announcements.
How do I participate? Can I talk in #community-programs? Can I ask questions to the Host?
Absolutely! Spotlights are meant to be interactive Q&As with other server members! Just make sure that you keep the focus on the Host’s world—don’t try to overtake the conversation or bring your own conversation into the channel. Check the rules in #welcome-rules-etc for our general and spotlight-specific rules.
I want a chance to showcase my world. How can I do a Spotlight?
Everyone is invited to apply! Click the button below for the application form.
You can apply anytime, but note that to be selected as a Spotlight Host in any given month:
- You must have been active on the Discord /r/worldbuilding server in the past 1 month. This means being meaningfully engaged in at least one conversation.
- You must not have been Spotlight Host in the past 3 months. This includes no-shows, if you do not let us know in advance.
- You must not have a moderative record (warnings or bans) in the past 3 months.
If you don’t meet these criteria at any point, don’t worry! If you’ve applied, we’ll keep your spotlight application but you won’t be considered until you meet these criteria. We’ll take care of this on our end, but you can feel free to ask a mod if you’re not sure.
I want to Spotlight. Do I have to be there right at the start, or for 36 hours straight? Can I break up my 36 hours?
Definitely not—you get to choose when during the weekend you want to host your Spotlight! You shouldn’t neglect work or sleep.
You can start whenever you want during your Spotlight weekend. From the beginning of your spotlight, you have up to 36 hours to present your world. You can’t break this time up into smaller chunks.
You can use as much or as little of the 36 hours as you want—just let the audience know in #community-programs if you’re leaving for a few hours or starting up again.
How can I start or stop my spotlight, or let people know if I’m leaving for a while?
Our KazTron bot allows you to start and stop your spotlight:
.spotlight startwill start your spotlight and start the 36-hour timer..spotlight stopwill end your spotlight early.
If you’re just leaving for a while, you can let the audience know in #community-programs. You can choose to mention (ping) @Spotlight Audience, but do so sparingly: you should not be using that mention more than 2–4 times in one Spotlight.
How long is left in the current Spotlight?
KazTron will post automated reminders about how long the current Spotlight has left. In addition, the Host and all members of the audience can use the command .spotlight time to find out how much time is left on the clock.
Can I get notifications when Spotlights are happening?
Yes! You can type .spotlight join in any text channel on Discord. You will know it worked if KazTron PMs you.
To stop getting notifications, type .spotlight leave. KazTron will PM you to confirm this too.
I have other questions or problems.
Come ask us in #meta! A mod will respond as soon as one of us is available.