Episode 179: That's Me in the Spotlight, Worldbuilding My Religion, ft. VAISHNAVI PATEL

About this episode

The episode discusses the incorporation of real-world religions into fantasy worlds, featuring guest Vaishnavi Patel.

Faith is an element of society that intersects with a lot of other structures of power and privilege -- So what do we need to think about when incorporating real-world religions into our fantasy worlds and stories? Guest Vaishnavi Patel joins us to discuss Using cultures of faith respectfully but not fearfully! From gender roles to the afterlife, from guiding moral compasses to provoking conflict, religion has the potential to affect many different components of your characters' lives, whether they are themselves particularly devout or not. Does it put restrictions on their bodily autonomy, the jobs they can hold, or their social class? What role do religious rituals play in daily life -- or in holidays and special events? We also discuss how these considerations can influence character arcs, like crises of faith, redemption arcs, and social reformation. [Transcript for Episode 179] Our Guest: Vaishnavi Patel is the New York Times and internationally bestselling author of Kaikeyi, Goddess of the River, and Ten Incarnations of Rebellion. Her work has been featured in the New York Times, Washington Post, Bustle, Paste, Ms. Magazine, and Buzzfeed. She is a lawyer specializing in…

People in this episode

Guest: Vaishnavi Patel

Topics covered

• worldbuilding
• religion
• faith
• character development
• cultural representation
• gender roles
• social class

Keywords

• worldbuilding
• religion
• fantasy
• character arcs
• cultural faith
• gender roles
• afterlife
• moral compass
• social reformation

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: New York Times, Washington Post, Bustle, Paste, Ms. Magazine, Buzzfeed

Books & works: Kaikeyi, Goddess of the River, Ten Incarnations of Rebellion

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