World-Building

Sarah Monette over at Storytellers Unplugged states the Five Things I Know About World-Building:

1. The more fun you have, the more fun your audience will have.
2. Never world-build through infodump.
3. You can work it all out in advance or make it up as you go along. The end result will look the same.
4. Never tell your audience everything you know.
5. You have to let some details be throwaways.