Conlanging can be overwhelming for even the most experienced conlangers—especially in the beginning stages of a new project when swirling swarms of ideas create a flurry of possibilities. I break the process down into daily prompts for a yearlong experience. One year, one conlang. Join me in making this a Conlang Year!
Goal: Research other consonant articulations Note: You can evolve any articulations you’re interested in through sound changes. Tip: Use secondary and other articulation options sparingly (if at all) in the proto-inventory. Work focus: Learn/Brainstorm/Try Today’s prompt is more about exploring options than anything else. The goal is to research other articulatory patterns in consonants, including…
Goal: Decide if you want a voicing distinction Note: Focus on the stops and fricatives as you make this decision. Tip: If you only want select voicing distinctions within a row of sounds, give them to the alveolars. Work focus: Organize/Plan/Structure On the IPA consonant chart, sounds are distinguished by their voicing quality. Voiced consonants…
Goal: Choose “series” of consonants to incorporate Note: The series you’re choosing from are the columns and rows of the IPA consonant chart. Tip: Familiarize yourself with all the sounds first, and remember that these consonants are a starting point. Work focus: Organize/Plan/Structure Today is the first step of working on the language itself—on the…
Goal: Summarize your speakers and their world Note: This is the start of the official documentation of your language! Tip: Introduce the basics, focusing on what you find most important. Work focus: Solidify/Write/Share You have brainstormed, created, listed, and designed features of your speakers and the world surrounding them. Today’s focus is taking all those…
Goal: Describe (or design) native fauna Note: Focus on the wildlife that is native in your speakers’ immediate environment. Tip: As with the flora, you can “prioritize” fauna by focusing on the ones your speakers interact with most. Work focus: Create/Make/List Now that you have selected the types of vegetation that fill your conworld setting,…
Day 8, January 8 Goal: Describe (or design) native fauna Note: Focus on the wildlife that is native in your speakers’ immediate environment. Tip: As with the flora, you can “prioritize” fauna by focusing on the ones your speakers interact with most. Work focus: Create/Make/List Day 9, January 9 Goal: Summarize your speakers and their…
Goal: Describe (or design) native flora Note: Focus on the vegetation that natively grows in your speakers’ conworld. Tip: You can “prioritize” flora by considering what plant life your speakers interact with most. Work focus: Create/Make/List You’ve described basic features of your conworld, including its terrain, climate, and common weather patterns. Now you will shift…
Goal: Describe your conworld’s climate and weather patterns Note: Climate refers to predominant conditions while weather includes specific phenomena associated with the climate. Tip: Remember to consider any common seasonal shifts in weather patterns. Work focus: Create/Make/List The basic setting you chose for your conworld will help you identify the climate of the area, and…
Goal: Describe (or design) your conworld terrain Note: Identify the terrain features that are in your speakers’ immediate environment. Tip: A roughly sketched-out map can go a long way in helping you identify these features. Work focus: Create/Make/List You selected a conworld for your speakers a couple days ago, but now you need to fill…
Goal: Describe (or design) your speakers Note: Focus on your speakers’ physical bodies—what they look like, how they move about, etc. Tip: Having a clear image in your mind (or having an actual picture) will help you moving forward. Work focus: Create/Make/List Yesterday you identified who your speakers will be. Today the goal is to…
