In this episode I sat down with Russell Van Brocklen, a New York–based, state-funded dyslexia researcher with strong opinions about writing, world-building, and why so many Hollywood films collapse under the weight of their own unfinished scripts.Russell works with highly intelligent dyslexic students who are often written off early. His methods are bluntly effective. In one year, students struggling with basic literacy were producing graduate-level analytical writing. Russell wanted to explore these two points: 1. Worldbuilding for readability — how to keep complexity while still keeping the reader with you. 2. The “logic stress-test” — a practical way to catch plot holes and broken rules before the audience does. Central to his thinking is the idea of universal themes. Not vague ones, but precise, distilled ideas uncovered by relentlessly asking “why” until the real story shows itself. It’s tiring work, and that’s the point.We talked through character-driven world-building, using Star Wars as a reference point, and why a world should emerge from a protagonist’s needs rather than decorative lore. We also dug into antagonists, not as moustache-twirling villains, but as conceptual opposition to the hero’s goal. Get that wrong and the story leaks logic everywhere.Russell also uses AI extensively. Not to write for him, but to do the heavy lifting he’d rather not. Definitions, logic checks, thematic narrowing, idea pressure-testing. He treats AI like a lab assistant, not an author. His view is simple: if you can’t improve on what AI gives you, that’s not an AI problem. Oops.We wrapped up talking about craft, accessibility, and why structure isn’t the enemy of creativity. Russell’s perspective is shaped by his own experience with dyslexia and late fluency, and it shows. This is a practical, sometimes uncomfortable conversation about writing with intent, and why most stories fail long before page one.If you care about world-building, theme, or simply finishing what you start, this one is worth your time, even if I do say so myself.Episode page: https://richardsonsrubicon.com/breaking-scripts-building-worlds/Discussion: https://richardsonsrubicon.com/community/season-5-speculative-fiction-where-worlds-meet/is-ai-a-cheat-code-for-better-worldbuilding/

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