: Re: Should I include an appendix for inessential, yet related worldbuilding to my story? I'm of the opinion that a story should stand on its own; any worldbuilding that is necessary for the plot

@Pierce369

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To add a bullet point to Liquid's excellent list:

Creating an appendix permanently locks your worldbuilding
As long as your worldbuilding only exists in your mind and your notes, you are free to change and adjust it however much you need to. As soon as you publish it it becomes locked in stone, and altering it will come with costs in reader confusion and disengagement.

If you plan to write further in the world that you've built, caution should be taken to leave yourself flexibility in the worldbuilding to expand into new stories.

One way you can dodge this problem is by creating "in world" appendices. There is some expectation that an appendix written by the author accurately depicts the world. But an appendix written by Bob the Sorcerer can be full of lies, misstatements, and inaccuracies. It gives you room to maneuver, while also being more interesting for readers.

Also consider that if you are trying to build an internet presence, worldbuilding is an excellent thing to put on your website in order to attract attention to it and hold interest. And a website is more dynamic than a book, so if you need to adjust a few details than you can.

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