However, you can also use clothing to differentiate between classes and religious beliefs, as well as profession. For me, I love the idea of creating new races, religions, places, cultures, and people. ... be working with some parallel version of Earth as we know it. You can lend permanence to a setting by making the buildings ancient but still functional. Culture is a vital part to realistic worldbuilding. Is there tectonic activity? One of the best parts of science fiction and fantasy is the worldbuilding. Where are we? A: Is it an “alternate Earth”? Three exercises in worldbuilding and extrapolation. Is magic a specialist, elite skill or is it used easily by commoners? I have a background in archaeology, and as well sayanthropology as well, since the two disciplines share certain principles. What do you do if you don’t know where to start creating that illusion? Step 5: Determine the Culture of Your World. July 13, 2016 Posted by Alyssa Fiction & I, Writing Tips. If you want to create a culture that worships evil, research notorious cults. If your characters arrive at a farm seeking aid, will they be taken in, or chased off as threats? Subscribe to claim your Character Questionnaire, with almost 200 questions covering: politics, love, past and future & much more. wondrous worldbuilding — Questions for developing the biology of a new... 1.5M ratings 277k ratings See, that’s what the app is perfect for. You can choose to either address this issue, or let it slide to the background. I’m in the midst of a HUGE world building experiment and this is good food for thought. The Ultimate World Building Questionnaire. A guide to writing sex about sex in your world, from biology to culture. What is the relationship between the different species? The first person to discover a creature is either a scientist or an explorer; the second is invariably a cook. Culture is how biology responds and makes its living conditions better. Starting a World. What benefits do you gain from being a member of a guild? Are different groups of people educated separately? What took place during their reigns? Nice post. Looking to support my writing? The Dark Side), societal structure (slaves and free), and politics (the trade wars) play huge roles. Bear in mind that in an old world with few people, the settled areas will be only the choicest, since there is little competition. Which resources are abundant? Developing an imaginary setting with coherent qualities such as a history, geography, and ecology is a key task for many science fiction or fantasy writers. /r/worldbuilding - If you are into worldbuilding and you do not know about this place yet, this would be the first link you should click. Your fictional settings will have news - but what kind? Food, Culture, and Worldbuilding: 50 Questions For Creatives (The Way With Worlds Series) - Kindle edition by Savage, Steven, McCormick, Jessica. Posts; Ask me anything; Submit a post; Archive; What is the pop culture of your world? Having a setting explicitly devoid of both deities and worshipers makes a statement. But I also understand how frustrating it can be. Architecture tends to track will with the advance of civilization. It’s an Earth-like world, but any or every aspect of culture or … For example, a society living in the frozen north may (much like Inuit culture) have multiple ways of referring to snow, or cold. The cost of certain items (weapons, armor, imported goods) will rise dramatically. For artists, writers, gamemasters, musicians, programmers, philosophers and scientists alike! I read whatever I can find … Fantasy Worldbuilding Questions — The World. and use them as you see fit. Who goes to them? Are there older generations that think these new trends are ridiculous? FREE Ultimate Character Questionnaire PDF. Are there questions that must be asked or avoided (how’s the family, how’s the business, never talk politics or religion, etc.)? $2.99. You can have your characters eat seaweed and rice wrapped fish, but the moment you call it sushi you set your story in Japan. Anonymity goes up with population, as does access to various goods and services. As related to the question of rulership, you need to address how the bottom rung of society lives. I love sitting down and asking questions about the cultures I’ve studied, places I’ve been, and stories I’ve heard. Shape? It produces the beings you're writing about. – This week on Amalgam Worlds: Society, Culture, and History. However you decide to craft your world, there are a number of worldbuilding questions you can answer (if applicable to your story) in order to help you along: Decide where to start . If your world is more Earth-like, take a cuisine appropriate to your climate and adapt it to your world. Access to fresh water, arable land, mineral resources, and fishing waters are influential in whether an area can support a large number of people. As the god of your world, you need to know everything about it—its physical characteristics, the rules, who lives there, the culture, etc. What's its topography like? Fantasy Worldbuilding Questions: The World By Patricia C. Wrede. In a previous article — called Worldbuilding on the Crossroads — I wrote about a technique writers can use to quickly create cultures for their worlds. What was the cause of the most recent war? The upset to society can provide friction between those who have to obey the new laws and the ones who now have to enforce them. It’s an Earth-like world, but any or every aspect of culture or location … Are there questions that must be asked or avoided (how’s the family, how’s the business, never talk politics or religion, etc.)? How long has the system of government been in place? World Building and the Brink of Novel Writing | Quirk, Episode 42: DON’T PANIC – Three Patch Podcast, The Masters Review | Weekend Reading for April 2, 2016, 5 Tips For World Building • Writing A Novel – Magic Marzipan, World-Building 101: Deciding The Reality Of Your Novel. Is magic admired / respected / feared / something else? Worldbuilding HOW I DO IT First, your environment. But I digress.) Want Insider Exclusives? Worldbuilding HOW I DO IT First, your environment. The other kind of writer is often described as a “pantser” who “flies by the seat of their pants.”Naturally, each approach has its advantages and pitfalls. What does a basic pauper’s meal look like? ... be working with some parallel version of Earth as we know it. Language shapes culture just as culture shapes language, and language is influenced heavily by geography and history. The creation of new worlds and new universes has long been a key element of speculative fiction, from the fantasy works of Tolkien and Howard, to the science-fiction universes of Burroughs and Asimov, to the tabletop realm of Gygax and Barker, and beyond. Consider the climates of your world, and where your story takes place. (And IMHO should be required reading for all North Americans. How’s the gravity compared to Earth? Exhaustive list of culture topics, but no questions. Worldbuilding questions: What is the political structure of your world? Power Shifts: Political, religious, or technological. ‎News and media shape culture and education, forge the future, and record the past. Do the majority of people approve of or disapprove of the government? Trauma: Wars, famines, plagues, and their aftermaths. For contemporary writers, worldbuilding might be a quick exercise, especially compared to some fantasy writers who develop their worldbuilding over several years. The SFWA website has a great list of questions for authors to develop, test, and enrich their world. The guest? Drag the ones you’d like to explore into the Answers space, or create a new question of your own design. This is a short PDF that includes my worldbuilding tips, a questionnaire to help you brainstorm, prompts to help you focus your brainstorming, and recommendations to avoid infodumping. Come up with another must-consider question? Pick whichever you feel fits your story better. Questions to get you thinking so you can better develop your countries and their cultures, whether they're fantastic fairytale kingdoms or futuristic space colonies. Worldbuilding is usually a skill associated with speculative fiction writers, however historical, memoir, or even contemporary romance authors must create a world for the character(s). Living in a rainy land with leaking roofs is an unmistakable sign of a primitive or destitute people. Who enjoys/benefits from/favors this change? It is a nice reminder that a lot of that stuff is really helpful to writers as well. Are the laws of nature and physics actually different in this world, or are they the same as in real life? Do an elite control religion / magic or is it accessible to all? For a background group this might be sufficient, but what if instead of a mere outline of a culture, you want to create an in-depth culture? I have a background in archaeology, and as well sayanthropology as well, since the two disciplines share certain principles. For countries, the larger the population, the more cities, the more bureaucracy to keep it all running. Is education available to all or only certain groups? Are they looked upon with scorn and fear, to be driven off when found. The only difference between a writer and a Game Master (Dungeon Master, if you’re old-school) when it comes to world-building are the game-rule restrictions. In-depth questionnaire used by anthropologists to study cultures. If you want fantastical races, the best route is to create your own. What is the total population (of the planet / the country / the city, etc.). I’ve found gamers to have a bit of a higher tolerance for imperfect worlds, but the experience is always better if the setting feels real. Writing Worksheets; Writing Worksheet – Geography (PDF) This 4-page worksheet will be most useful to science-fiction and fantasy writers, but even if you’re writing within the confines of “our” world, it’s worth giving geography some thought. A society in decline lets buildings and infrastructure fall into disrepair, while a thriving one will create new and better, seeking to outdo the old standards. Who dislikes/suffers from/disapproves of this change? Whether it’s the language spoken by the inhabitants or the apocalyptic landscape, pick the aspect of the world you’re most excited about exploring and start there. A: Are there different human races, whether or not there are non-humans like elves or dwarves? If it isa moon, does it revolve around its own axis or is it tidally locked to the planet it’s orbiting? This is mostly a matter of practicality. What biomes does it contain? Leave a comment and share with others! That becomes a biological given. Are there any magical creatures? A: How does magic fit in? Basics. Worldbuilding Questions! Are the laws of nature and physics actually different in this world, or are they the same as in real life? Fine tuning the physical and cultural landscape of your setting? Are there publicly run communications systems? News, Media, and Worldbuilding: 50 Questions For Creatives. Afterlife: What happens when you die. Thank you! You m… I am pretty sure I have seen this list before in some form or another, but from the RPG Game Master advice point of view. Fantasy Worldbuilding Questions – A great list of questions to help you build a realistic fantasy world. Cultural Literacy for Religion: Everything the Well-Educated Person Should Know – An excellent overview of the world’s religions that will inform your quest to invent a realistic fictional one. People will buy what they don’t have nearby and sell what they have or make in abundance. Peasants will be better off in a democracy than an empire, but the clergy benefit most from a theocracy. The creation of new worlds and new universes has long been a key element of speculative fiction, from the fantasy works of Tolkien and Howard, to the science-fiction universes of Burroughs and Asimov, to the tabletop realm of Gygax and Barker, and beyond. $2.99. Meaning: Why we’re alive. Due to the nature of these questions, they are not intended to have brief answers, certainly not yes / no. Smaller settlements have a more intimate feel. I’m currently reading GUNS, GERMS, AND STEEL to learn more about why societies develop the way they do. How does magic fit in? This task is easier when the world already exists, but what if you’re creating one from scratch? This… Cities happen for reasons. Stack Exchange Network. Do people eat plain or heavily flavoured food? Be celibate? Was your world made by one or more gods? Religion; Societal Structure; Political Power and Government; In Star Wars, for instance, religion (The Jedi vs. Are we on Earth or another planet? Also, while we have tried to categorise the questions to make them easier to manage, this categorisation is neither perfect nor comprehensive, and in somecases is downright questionable. The creation of an immersive, believable world is the same concept for either one. Help me understand the required level and relevance of “worldbuilding context” in questions that can be answered with real-world science I want to ask in the context of the now-infamous gerrymandering question, which got removed because it did not do enough worldbuilding. Choose the desired Survey Type from the dropdown menu to see all the associated questions. Is there a class system? In an oppressive society, the rulers will see all the benefits from this. The political structure of a society ripples out across the land. Focus on the questions you find helpful to develop your plot, characters, and world. Generally you can gloss over laws, but there are opportunities to introduce conflict in unjust or ridiculous laws, or even just laws that have recently changed. There’s a lot of detail that needs to be managed, a lot of nuance and content that readers will probably never see. This helps. If it’s a gas giant, what’s the atmospheric pressure like in the inhabited … Worldbuilding is an aspect of storytelling that writers either love or hate. Is this generally an earth-like world? Lily J on April 29, 2014 at 3:03 pm This is just what I needed to read! I haven’t looked through this in too much detail, but it’s on the SFWA website, which is a high recommendation, and seems useful from what I did read. Also bear in mind that people will most commonly dress from materials that are readily available in their region. SteveWrites. Living in a harsh environment and shrugging it off by ingenious building is a sign of a more advanced people. World building gives the writer a clear understanding of what their world looks and feels … At the personal level: Card and dice games, gambling, and literature. A key part of creating interesting worlds is creating diverse cultures that vary in some way from our own norms. The guest? Is the working class well off and comfortable, oppressed, rebellious or broken spirited? Visit Stack Exchange. Also feel free to submit posts about your worlds, follow the format. What reasons? Are there professional guilds / institutes/ etc? 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