Worldbuilding Consulting

Make Your World Feel Real!

Worldbuilding Consultation with Anthropologist and Author Michael Kilman

Most fictional worlds have great maps and detailed magic systems. What they’re missing is the thing that makes audiences actually believe in them: the deep cultural logic that makes people, places, and societies feel lived-in and real.

That’s where anthropology comes in. If you want to understand why, I wrote about it here: Why Your Narrative Design Team Needs an Anthropologist

With a Master’s in Applied Anthropology, 11 years teaching anthropology at the college level, a decade of fieldwork with 25 Native American tribes, and seven published books including the bestselling Build Better Worlds: An Introduction to Anthropology for Game Designers, Fiction Writers, and Filmmakers, I bring a rare combination of academic depth and working creative experience to every consultation.

I’ve consulted for Samsung UK on cultural strategy, worked with indie game designers, novelists, and filmmakers, and spent years teaching writers how to build cultures that don’t fall apart when readers look closely. For more about my consulting work you can view my full portfolio.

For larger projects that benefit from a second anthropological perspective, I occasionally collaborate with Kyra Wellstrom, M.Sc. in Forensic Anthropology. Ask about availability.

What we can work on together:

  • Cultural systems: how societies actually function, and how to make yours believable
  • Identity, diversity, and representation done with care and accuracy
  • Religion, mythology, and meaning-making in your world
  • Power structures, economies, and political systems
  • How cultures change
  • How environment and biology shape culture
  • Avoiding common worldbuilding mistakes that break immersion

Podcasts featuring my work:
Build Better Worlds: Anthropology for Game Design, Film, and Writing on This Anthro Life Podcast

Build Better Worlds: Anthropology For Writers With Michael Kilman on The Creative Penn Podcast

Sessions: 90-minute consultation: $150
Ongoing project support: Contact for rates

Unsure if this is right for you? Book a free 10 minute consultation call and we’ll figure it out together.
Schedule a Free 15 Minute Consultation

Following your free call, full 90-minute consultations are scheduled with a minimum of one week’s notice so I can review your materials in advance.

For Questions, Inquiries for Worldbuilding Consulting Please Contact Us

← Back

Thank you for your response. ✨

About the Consultants:

Michael Kilman M.S. Applied Anthropology

Michael Kilman is an anthropologist, author, and instructional designer based in Denver. His graduate research focused on the Romero Theater Troupe, a community organization that seeks to address stereotypes in media and gives a space for individuals to share their stories and represent themselves. After teaching anthropology for 11 years and working with representatives from 25 native American Tribes over the course of ten years, Michael published four science fiction novels in a series called The Chronicles of the Great Migration. His co-written book, Build Better Worlds: An Introduction to Anthropology, for Game Designers, Fiction Writers, and Filmmakers, uses the social science of anthropology to help people with fictional worldbuilding. Most recently he published the dark fantasy horror novel, Shades and Shapes in the Dark. As a documentary filmmaker Michael has produced several documentaries including the short form pieces titled Native American History in Colorado and The Language Hunters. His long form documentaries include Unbound: The Story of the Romero Theater Troupe and The Crossroads at Stonewall. Michael Gave a Ted Talk in September 2021 titled, Anthropology, Our Imagination, and How to Understand Difference. In 2020 he was elected President of the High Plains Society for Applied Anthropology and served as president until 2022. He currently works on the YouTube social science explainer series, Anthropology in 10 or Less.

Occasional Consultant Kyra Wellstrom M.Sc. in Forensic Anthropology

Kyra Wellstrom earned a Bachelor’s Degree in anthropology from Metropolitan State University of Denver and a Masters Degree in forensic anthropology from the University of Edinburgh. The Applied Anthropologist published her paper Forensic Anthropology and Facial Reconstruction as Applied Anthropology in Vol.35.No.1 She has taught at Front Range Community College and other schools since 2014, where she has composed courses in biological anthropology and human evolution, forensic anthropology, and medical anthropology. She currently teaches archaeology, cultural anthropology, forensic anthropology, and biological anthropology, always with a focus on biocultural interaction and holism. Kyra has a passion for teaching and enjoys helping students engage with material by encouraging their creativity. She designs her courses with a focus on game play, multimedia interaction, and world building.