dunno if this is gonna be like. at all useful, and i’ve more than likely mentioned it before, but when i wrote my 1920s manuscript (which had been my first secondary world fantasy in years) i kinda became obsessed with learning the etymology of words i used to make sure they’d exist in the time period/world (if, for instance, your world doesn’t have a fantasy France, words like champagne or armoire probably shouldn’t be in the vocabulary you use) bc, if not, they can really detract and distract from the story. i’ve practiced the same behavior ever since, though it was, admittedly, easier with 1920s bc a lot of the vocab is still in use today and/or bc i had an actual specific decade i was using for inspiration.
so when you’re world-building, choose a year (or a decade) you don’t want your world to exist beyond. with my witchling WIP, the decade i’ve chosen is the 1760s, so i don’t use a word that was invented past that decade. this is a good site to bookmark for this exact purpose, and this is a good site to find slang that was used in whichever year/decade you’ve chosen! anachronisms are bound to happen, and sometimes can’t be avoided, but reducing them is the best thing you can do for your world :)
what is, in your opinion, the best way to world build? how can you avoid writing a bland, archetypal universe or copying an already existing one? sorry if I’m not being clear, haha, and thanks so much!
Hey there, thanks so much for your ask! I honestly love talking about the world-building process, so I’m really glad you sent this; let’s dive right in!
Best Way to World-Build?
In my opinion, there isn’t a best way to world-build. The “best” process depends on what is needed and what you’ll actually need to know for your writing. What follows isn’t necessarily what I would call the best way, but it’s a good way to cover your bases and opens up a lot of options for going in-depth with details. (It’ll be a bit of a long list, but definitely worth it in the long run.)
For each country you’re going to include or mention in your story, think about:
Name
Capital and major cities, and locations
Border shape
3 most common landforms
Historical sites or places that mean a great deal to the people living there
General economic scheme (ex. capitalist, Communist, Socialist, etc)
Most important laws
Major differences from the character’s homeland
Military setup (different branches, enlistment age, etc)
Climate
Relations with surrounding countries
Societal norms (gender roles, public & professional behavior, etc)
Stance on LGBT+ rights, and treatment of LGBT+ people
Most and least respected professions
Common religions
Stereotypes about this country (any and all)
Common pastimes and hobbies
Popularity of sports, movies, and other forms of entertainment
Genres of music (and possibly stereotypes of people who listen to them)
Language(s) spoken
Beauty standards and the commercialization of them
Commercialization that feeds off of the peoples’ insecurities
For each city you’re going to include or mention in your story, think about:
The “aesthetic” (think of it the way NYC’s aesthetic is taxis, skyscrapers, and nightlife)
Public opinion of street performers
Any recreational centers and common activities
Popularity of a town counsel or the idea of opening to the public for improvement ideas
How well-known the city is by everyone around it, or how much of a tourist attraction it might be
State of educational buildings
Percentage of unemployment versus those who are actively searching for jobs, and how this affects the city’s reputation
3+ popular businesses, maybe food or clothing stores
The way business is generally conducted
Opportunities for nightlife (etc. bars, night clubs, etc)
Usual daytime attire, usual nighttime attire
Any sort of tradition (ex. sharing dreams in the morning, praying before meals, etc)
Stance on more advanced technology
Treatment of different age groups
Again, cliches and stereotypes that might exist of people who live there
Most common architectural style (ex. modern, Victorian, etc)
Commonly seen colors
Any inflation that might exist, local economic troubles
People’s opinion on the government as a whole (then in-depth, if you want)
As you can see, these two lists are very open-ended. I can’t go too far in-depth with world-building ideas and explaining, because it’s all up to you to create this world. Every single item on this list here can be expanded into tons of different things, but if your goal is just to cover your bases and explore needed details then I think this would be a good place to start.
Making Your World Distinct
This can be pretty tough, honestly. There’s (almost) always a world themed around something out there that’s probably more well-known, famous even. Let’s start with everyone’s favorite wizarding world, that of the Harry Potter books. Your world can be as interesting and different as it gets but because it includes wizards, someone out there is always going to relate it to Harry Potter. So how can we avoid this?
There’s one proven way to this this, especially if you don’t want to change your world. Accentuate any and all differences that would set your story apart from a more well-known world. Maybe our wizards’ spells depend on a material transaction, or they won’t work. Maybe there’s some sort of wizarding god who must be pleased to cast a successful spell. Not so much like HP anymore, huh?
Just remember, there’s a huge difference between world-building through details and world-building through exposition. Both are acceptable, but both have their own appropriate time to be utilized. Take a break from telling the reader flat-out how this thing works, and instead reveal it through the world’s details. Not only does this help treat your readers like the competent individuals they are, it also immerses them so much in the world that there isn’t much of a chance to compare your world to others.
Tl;dr—World-building isn’t really something that can be explained for you by someone else. There are certainly questions that exist to help you, but following a guide that works for someone else might not work for you. Explore the details! (And let the reader explore them, too!)
There have been many famous, infamous, and secretive groups within fiction. If you’re trying to create clubs, factions, gangs, sects, guilds, brotherhoods, or any sort of organized group within your story but need a little boost getting the depth and nuances fleshed out, then I’m here to help.
Where did they begin?
Start with an idea. A person or a group of people came up with an idea, a philosophy, a passion. Who were they?
They began recruiting, rallying others (a few other people, or large groups) around their idea. How difficult was this? How receptive were those who heard? How open about their new idea were they?
They formed an official organization. What mission statement did they write? How was a leader or group of leaders selected? How much disagreement was there in the earlier states? How did they find and/or claim a headquarters? What rules did they start out with, if any?
How did they adapt to growth over time? Was the growth fast or slow, if it happened at all? How did rules or structure need to be adjusted as the numbers grew?
If the primary goal or mission was met, how did they adjust and redefine their purpose?
How do they function, once established?
How has their origin shaped who they are as an organization today?
How do they interact with the world at large?
Are they a secret society?
Are they at odds with the law?
Do they run their town/village/country, whether directly or indirectly?
Who can join? What does joining require? Is there a “probationary” period? How are new recruits treated?
Is there any training or education that proceeds (or precedes) initiation?
How are they funded?
Through illegal means
Through the government
Through private donations
Through the church
Through the (legal) work of their members
Do they have an official or unofficial religious affiliation?
Do they have an emblem or a sigil, some symbol of their loyalty. How is that mark treated? How commonly recognized is that symbol?
How free to live one’s own life is a member once they’ve joined? How much of a day-to-day impact does the membership have?
Can they still work their old job?
Have their old friends?
Stay with their families? Or perhaps the families join as a unit?
Keep their home? Perhaps they still live in it, but it becomes property of the guild?
How ubiquitous is the mission statement? Is it quoted frequently?
What is the consequence for leaving the group? Or for disloyalty?
Yeah, sure, seeing new things is helpful as a fantasy writer. But. Don’t make the mistake of assuming that exposure to new things is the same as traveling. You know what else exposes you to new things? The internet. Documentaries. Books. Freaking Youtube. So when you’re bored of cats and cooking tutorials, go on an adventure!
TRUTH. What you need is imagination, and you don’t need to go anywhere to use it.
The best thing about the internet is that it means its not just the fortunate sons that get to learn, and explore and imagine and write. We get to see stories from all over the place, from all sorts of people, who bring All Kinds of New Ideas.
In my opinion, traveling serves one of two purposes–as a world building exercise or fodder for lazy writing.
As world building: Traveling allows you to learn a new place for the first time. Mundane things that pass you by in normal life now come off as new and exciting! Is the fauna a brighter green? The ambient pedestrian noise higher in pitch? louder? Quieter?
It can really help you learn how to build a scene so that the reader feels like they’re experiencing a new place!
That being said, I totally agree with @caitymschmidt about getting the same resources online. I, for one, tend to spend a lotmore time learning description from stock photos than I do traveling the world.
As lazy writing: Real places aren’t your fantasy backdrop. It’s fine to take inspiration from other countries and cultures, but describing real places and saying they take place on alien planets is not only lazy but verging on problematic depending on how it’s executed.
——
In other news, I read the article and Jill Criswell, the author, acknowledges that urging people to travel now is problematic and privileged. I don’t agree with her viewpoint personally (there are TONS of new experiences people can fold into their writing WITHOUT “saving every penny” to travel), but understand that her motivation for incorporating travel into her writing comes from a good place.
From what I read, I didn’t get the sense that she was gatekeeping so much as confusing her desire to use her work to encourage people to travel with legitimate writing advice.
Actually wait.
My good will pretty much ends at the title which, reportedly, she chose herself. I was going to argue that Criswell was just naive, but I changed my mind. So, yeah, this is gatekeeping at worst, clickbait without care of the harm this sort of mentality can cause at best.
[ID: a ‘quote’ tweet by Angie Thomas @angiecthomas “Nah. Things like this make underprivileged kids think that writing isn’t for them.” with an attached 'quoted’ tweet by SchoolLibraryJournal @sljournal “Want To Be a Fantasy Writer? You Need To Travel, a Guest Post by Jill Criswell” with a link to their article. End ID.]
I’m pretty ambivalent about halflings and gnomes. I don’t hate them, I just don’t care. And they feel redundant in a setting that isn’t incredibly generic. Like, sure, if you’re doing a setting where anything goes, then, why not. Why not have two short pc races that are so similar they might as well be two cultures of the same species.
But if I’m making my own, specific, setting, I don’t see the need to have either halflings or gnomes, let alone both, because, at least flavor-wise, they amount to “3’ tall humans/elves/dwarves.”
(not to mention how often gnomes feel uncomfortably like antisemitic stereotypes.)
But I understand that there should, generally, be at least one small race that is well suited to being a rogue.
So, in my horror fic-inspired D&D setting, Zichduszek, I created the niflings. The major PC races in Zichduszek were made from humans who were corrupted by otherworldly powers. Dwarves were made into the perfect mine slaves by dragons, elves are the result of the fae messing with humans through changelings and seduction and kidnapping to the fae realms, orcs were created by infernals to be their blood hounds for souls. So, niflings are the result of humans being corrupted by The Shadow, most notably, through children getting lost in areas corrupted by it. They’re broadly halflings, but with grey skin and a connection to darkness. After reaching adulthood, niflings only age in light, and can theoretically live forever if they stay out of it. They can see in any form of darkness and are magically adept at hiding in it.
So working on Urtrament, I had no intention or interest in including halflings or gnomes. Initially, I didn’t really want anything even similar to them, and created Raggamoffyns to fill the “short and sneaky” mechanical niche, after a twitter thread joking about how muppets reproduce.
But as I’ve been working on my story, I realized I wanted an npc to be in that sort of halfling/gnome mold. And not a Raggamoffyn, since I’d already put two raggamoffyn npcs in and a third would have made it seem like the city was just bursting with raggamoffyns.
(actually, thinking about it, Marsti probably does have a comparatively high raggamoffyn populace, since they’re spooky and it’s the closest town to the necromancy college, making it fairly tolerant of spooky people, but still. It didn’t feel like a place for another raggamoffyn character)
So I started thinking about what Urtrament’s short arse race was, looking at pages for gnomes and halflings on tvtropes and Wikipedia to sort of get some understanding of their history in fantasy lit and games, and started figuring out what I wanted with some other influences.
Initially, the only real ideas I had were “I like the cannibal halflings from Book of Vile Darkness, and the dinosaur-riding nomad halflings from Eberron.” One thing I was thinking about was making trolls my setting’s short arse race, drawing a little on Glorantha and troll myths, but I didn’t want to cause confusion, since this is still D&D, and I’d sort of already established trolls as being typical D&D trolls (yes, the Things Proq is Not Allowed to Do post is canon for my setting).
I like hyenas, and so seeing either an Hourly Hyenas tweet or some other mention of them made me start thinking about making the short arse race hyena-like. But again, that could cause confusion with gnolls, and rewriting gnolls to be a pc-viable short arse race would also cause confusion.
So, instead, I made Gnomolls, taking these ideas together and making something unique. They’re obligate carnivores, so they have touches of the BOVD jerron, and they have some hyena-like traits, as well as some goat traits. They’re more specifically fae-connected.
And while I was writing up the physical description in my setting doc, it felt familiar, but I couldn’t really place it, other than “they’re maybe a little satyr-like.”
Lying in bed last night, it occurred to me what they sounded so similar to.
There’s a piece of tiefling art for Pathfinder, a tiefling who is obviously from halfling or gnome lineage, but with cloven hooves and short horns, and I think a tail.
I can’t for the life of me find this picture, but it’s a thing and Gnomolls are basically that guy, at least physically. They’re not tieflings, that’s teufils, but, I do recognize that they could be mistaken for them.
Things Which Salvage Throne Holder Proq Khaasza Is No Longer Allowed to Do
Foreward:
The Golden Throne, in the interest of minimizing inter-throne conflict, proposes this list of acts which will be considered declarations of war when performed by Salvage Throne Holder Proq Khaasza. It is not intended to single out the esteemed holder of The Salvage Throne and High Lord-Hero of All Goblins, but rather is directed to them in recognition of their peculiar abilities and frame of mind. It should be understood that such acts would likewise be considered acts of war if performed by any Throne holder if they were able to perform them to the level of skill and ability of Artificer Supreme Proq Khaasza.
While the Diplomatic Community of Urtrament Throne Holders is not able to exercise authority over Salvage Throne Holder Proq Khaasza, they being as sovereign as any other Throne holder, the following items will be considered to be acts of war, and responded to accordingly, by the undersigned Throne holders.
The original of this document shall be held by The Golden Throne, while Sympathetic Copies will be provided to all Throne Holders. Additions to this list may be proposed by any Throne Holder, after which they will be discussed and voted on by the Diplomatic Community of Throne Holders, in meetings arranged by The Vellum Throne.
Signature of this document indicates agreement to its terms but does not bind a signatory to act in any particular way.
(this document has been signed by all known Throne holders save for Proq Khaasza and Sunken Throne Holder Kol'Khiaq)
Things Which The Diplomatic Community of Urtrament Will Henceforth Consider Acts of War by Salvage Throne Holder Proq Khaasza
Usage of ink composed of deep shadow and black sand in letters sent to other Throne holdersanyone.
Handing out Black Bags and Desecration Tape to any goblins
Teleporting around the world over the course of one night and leaving any powerful magic items in the shoes of goblins while they sleep
Any research into the alchemical composition of the body which produces the Goblin Condition with the goal of creating a Goblinization Elixir
Creation of Carrying at diplomatic functions any form of Greater Bag of Tricks made through the use of high level conjuration magic, especially those which conjure proxies of Primal Beasts (we can’t stop them from making these things, but by all the gods, we can bar them from carrying them to official functions)
Providing said Greater Bags of Tricks to attendants who are then brought to said functions as Salvage Throne staff.
Handing out said Greater Bags of Tricks to anyone who will then be within a mile of a diplomatic function.
Creating false bottoms composed of sugar and containing Alchemists Fire in the bed pans of other Throne holders through any means, whether magical or infiltration of serving staff.
Providing “medicine” which is actually Tanglefoot compound in pastille capsules to other Throne holders
Replacing the silverware, glassware, or dishes at any diplomatic function dinner with Thunderstones which have been Stone Shaped into the appropriate form.
Setting Thunderstones into the backs of chairs at said functions and then provoking other Throne holders such that they suddenly stand and knock their chair over.
Doing anything on this list to God Throne holder Ny-Aarnd, “even though nobody likes The God Throne.” (While true, he tends to make it everybody’s problem)
Making gifts of clothingtapestriescoffersgoldANYTHINGwhich are actually polymorphed skeletonszombieswolvesDaemon DragonsANYDANGEROUSCREATUREwith a non-permanent duration. (Lets not take the chance of letting them get around this with permanent durations)
The next time a rust monster is introduced to someone’s Coffer through any means at all, but especially through polymorphing the monster into coins and paying someone through coffer mark will be considered a declaration of war on the whole world, and in particular will be answered by the most highly trained and capable wardens available to The Golden Throne as we consider it to be both counterfeiting and debasement of the currency.
Placing Contingent Evil Weather effects with the trigger “hears the name Proq Khaasza spoken” on vermin which are then released into the palaces of other Throne holders.
Ditto for the trigger “hears (any Throne holder’s) name.”
Such Contingent Evil Weather effects are likewise not to be placed on serving staff of the palace.
These condemnations also go for any birds which are then released into the area surrounding a palace any settlement.
These condemnations also apply to the following triggers: the death of the creature bearing the spell, the birth of an heir to the Throne holder, hearing profanity or obscenities, when the creature bearing the spell leaves the palace, when the creature bearing the spell is targeted by Dispel Magic.
Offering to help a Throne holder who is suffering a headache, heartburn, indigestion, muscle spasms, or any other physical ailment and then doing so by teleporting the offending body part out of their body.
The same goes for mental ailments and brains.
Heartburn is likewise not to be “treated” through making an incision on the person and casting Chill Metal on their blood, even if “technically, it should work due to the iron content of blood.”
Note to all Throne Holders– At this point, anyone who accepts medical assistance from Salvage Throne Holder Proq Khaasza gets what they deserve. It should be well-known by now that while they may be able to treat any kind of ailment or wound, they are not doing so in good faith, no matter what they say.
Ending any oath with the words “or may the Heavens fall,” especially when the oath is magically bound.
Ending any oath with the words “or may Daemons take us all,” especially when the oath is magically bound.
Ending any oath with the words “or may we all be violated by Spiked Tentacles of Forced Intrusion,” especially when the oath is magically bound, whether that’s a real spell or not.
Make any magically bound oath through verbal agreement. Magically bound oaths made by Salvage Throne Holder Proq Khaasza must be made in written form such that they will be null and void if they introduce any non-agreed upon additions, and will not become binding until both parties have signed–And Proq must sign first.
All clothing, equipment, jewelry, and other possessions carried or brought by Salvage Throne Holder Proq Khaasza are subject to Identification prior to their entrance to diplomatic events, meetings, or functions. Failure to comply will be considered an act of war.
Note to all Throne Holders– All condemnations to which Salvage Throne Holder Proq Khaasza is subject by this list must likewise explicitly be applied to Manacled Throne Holder Rald Ghonaeg. As Proq has pointed out, while they are, perhaps, uniquely likely to conceive of these actions, Rald is as capable of performing them, due to his usage of Efreeti-Wish magic to claim and maintain his throne.
Note to all Throne Holders– While they are more likely to fight than collaborate, Proq Khaasza and Rald Ghonaeg are not to interact. Any outcome will become everyone’s problem in short order.
Creating an army of skeletons and providing them cursed equipment, to then be placed in the path of Templar raiding forces such that this cursed equipment will be quickly looted by said Templars.
Note to all Throne Holders– Condemnation 31 does not apply within the territory of the Salvage Throne. Anyone who attempts to invade a sovereign territory unprepared for how the sovereign will respond–no matter how cruel, unorthodox, or otherwise “creatively malicious,”–brings such actions upon themselves, and it is not within the power of the Diplomatic Community to control how individuals defend their territories.
That said, the creation of the spell Proq’s Time Delay Bowel Disruption Curse disgusts all signatories of this document, and its use is considered to be disproportionate retribution, no matter the acts of the invading force.
Distribution of wands of Proq’s Bowel Disruption Curse to oppressed populaces will only result in the slaughter of said populaces you allegedly care about, Salvage Throne Holder Proq Khaasza, I mean, really now.
In light of the fact that a sufficiently powerful casting of Proq’s Bowel Disruption Curse can produce the effect “Fatal Intestinal Maelstrom,” usage of the spell on any Throne holder, or soldier or guard thereof will be considered an act of war, and an investigation will be undertaken into how the caster acquired the spell or device which produced the effect.
It is the opinion of The Golden Throne that torture, especially that which causes bodily harm of any form, is an ineffective method of interrogation, and a despicable means of punishment. However, simply showing a captive tools or other implements of torture as a means of encouraging cooperation with an interrogation or persuasion is regarded as fairly innocuous. That said, when the “implement” is, to quote from reports, “an amorous half-dragon troll of immense stature, even for his race, with an elephantine erection,” who has allegedly been given “enough aphrodisiacs to kickstart a world-repopulating orgy,” it is the opinion of The Golden Throne and most other Thrones that this is over the line.
Whether said ogre is an immaterial illusion, or not.
Usage of mental compulsion magic to convince a subject that their blood has been replaced with “evil testicle-hating centipedes,” who will “chew their way to” said organs and “painfully destroy them,” is considered to be a method of psychological torture which will cause physical harm. It’s usage on other Throne holders or their official representatives will therefore be considered an act of war on par with other forms of torture used on such personages.
Actually transmuting a subject’s blood to “evil testicle-hating centipedes” through high-level polymorphification magic is not to be taken as a loophole in the above condemnation.
Even if the subject “deserves it.”
Transmuting the sex slaves of a Throne holder such that their orifices become “maws full of evil rapist emasculating fangs” is prohibited. Even if said slaves enthusiastically consented to the transmutation. Especially if they enthusiastically consented.
Note to All Throne Holders– Through majority vote, Condemnations 38 through 41 are invalid in the case of usage against individuals whose sex slaves are found or considered to be of particularly vulnerable demographics.
Note to All Throne Holders– Both the vote to consider sex slavery to be a despicable act of violation of sapient autonomy and the vote to declare it a practice with no official sanction by sovereign powers have been declared a draw. Individual Throne holders will hold their own opinions of this practice, and any actions undertaken by one Throne holder against another in regards to the practice are between the Throne holders in question. It is not the business of the Diplomatic Community to arbitrate such disagreements. That said, Condemnation 41 is still meant to be considered a broadly held opinion of the Diplomatic Community.
Usage of oneiromancy to attack Throne holders in ways condemned by this document will be regarded as if the actions occurred outside of dreams.
Note to All Throne Holders– All accusations that Salvage Throne Holder Proq Khaasza used oneiromancy to assault a Throne holder in their dreams will be investigated to the fullest magical ability of The Vellum Throne. Salvage Throne Holder Proq Khaasza is not culpable for your own nightmares, no matter how justified.
Note to All Throne Holders– It is not the business of the Diplomatic Community to arbitrate Salvage Throne Holder Proq Khaasza “stealing your wives.”
Or girlfriends.
Or concubines.
Or daughters.
Note to All Throne Holders– If you do not want Proq Khaasza, High Lord Artificer and Protector of All Goblinkind and AEther’s Gift to Femmes seducing the people you consider “your property,” perhaps you should treat them better, and begin by not considering them property.
Salvage Throne Holder Proq Khaasza is not to alter the master of this document through manipulation of their Sympathetic Copy, and the only reason their methods for doing such have not been investigated is for concern that any investigation would result in broader knowledge of how to subvert the magic which undergirds many binding contracts and agreements in Urtrament.
However, Statement 50 will remain by majority vote of the Diplomatic Community.
All future votes by the Diplomatic Community will involve affidavits verified through the most powerful divination magic available to The Vellum and Golden Thrones to prevent further manipulations through mental compulsion magic by Salvage Throne Holder Proq Khaasza.
The fact that it cannot be fully and definitively verified which members of the Diplomatic Community were mentally compelled prior to the vote held for Statement 52 is not to be taken by Salvage Throne Holder Proq Khaasza as an endorsement of their actions with regards to Statements 50 through 52.
Usage of Necromantic Magic to control the bodies of dissidents executed by other Throne Holders to perform any musical number, but in particular ones involving the songs “Always Look On the Bright Side of Life,” “I’ve Got a Lovely Bunch of Coconuts,” “Fuck You,” or “I’ve No More Fucks to Give,” will not be considered an Act of War, but please, do not do it again, Salvage Throne Holder Proq Khaasza. It was verydisturbing.
We likewise apply Statement 55 to the following performance styles: Monologues, Soliloquies, Choruses, “Roasts,” “Flytings,” “Diss Tracks,” Vociferous Praise of the Executioner or Throne Holder, whether genuine or sarcastic, “curses from beyond the grave,” Stand Up Routines.
If it is found that Salvage Throne Holder Proq Khaasza had anything to do with the rash of scolding apparitions which most Throne Holders experienced over the AEthertime Week of 3048 GL, the Diplomatic Community will convene to discuss what the consequences of this should be. Salvage Throne Holder Proq Khaasza should therefore consider this to be a condemnation of future instances of such apparitions, if they were in fact involved.
God Throne Holder Ny-Aarnd wishes to make it known that cursing him with “stereotypical villain motif music from a half copper street play, produced by a persistent Ghost Sound effect whenever (he) did anything” was not appreciated, nor funny, and he will consider future “juvenile curses” to be personal insults, and respond as he sees fit–quote, “ask the people who have insulted me before, I will rent you a shovel and map to their graves.”
The majority of the Diplomatic Community has voted to make it known “No, it actually was hilarious, and, compared to their typical exploits, Proq is encouraged to do it again.”
Note to All Throne Holders– The Golden Throne neither condones nor condemns such “Juvenile Curses,” save to say you are all, allegedly, adults, and encourage you to act like it.
I wrote this passage about the idea of taking a “banesaint” back around 2009, for the Scars of Mirrodin world guide. I don’t think the idea never made it onto Magic cards, and the world now known as New Phyrexia certainly has bigger fish to fry these days than the maintenance of certain Auriok cultural practices. But I’ve been thinking about the idea a lot lately:
–Scars of Mirrodin world guide excerpt
I like how the idea feels both infuriatingly unjust (like, “why should it be THEIR responsibility?!”) and also, in a way, painfully noble. I think I would tweak some things about the idea before applying it directly to the real world (like maybe you should start by selecting a banesaint from whose acts you have somehow benefited, for example). But I keep thinking about it in relation to the real world, and I think it’s an intriguing little nugget of worldbuilding, so here. YOU think about it now.
I’M GLAD YOU FINALLY FOUND A HOME, PARROT GRIFFIN CONCEPT!
So when I was at Archon St. Louis last year, I talked about how sometimes, cool ideas in the world guide don’t always end up making it to cards. The world guide is a resource for concepting, a toolbox of possibilities to help give flavor to the eventual mechanics of the set. Sadly, not every one of the awesome tools in the box gets used every time.
In particular, the Ixalan world guide had this sweet, super-colorful, parrot-inspired griffin concept in one of its creature sections:
…and then no Ixalan cards showed off this pretty beast. There just wasn’t a use for it. But then along came a flyer in Rivals of Ixalan that was just an excellent spot for the idea. Magic art director Dawn Murin tapped artist and sculptor Sam Rowan to take it the rest of the way, and he did so in style:
Resplendent Griffin by Sam Rowan
And the card came together, finally making use of that really fun creature concept.
When we’re building the world guide, we never know all the creative problems that will eventually need to be solved. We fill the guide with all our best ideas, hoping that they’ll help fill the creative gaps that arise in the eventual card set. Sometimes it takes a while for a problem of exactly the right shape to pop up, to make use of the sweet solution that you already have waiting in your hand. But when it works out, it’s SO SATISFYING AUGHGHH
Camptosaurus is the most populous species in all of Talenta. While not as diverse or large as the sauropods, they make a successful living by cleaning up after them. Behind the usual gamut of high-browsers which keep the trees from taking over the plains are bison-like herds of camptosaurus browsing on the mid-level vegetation left in their wake. The long, pillar-like legs of the sauropods make bending down an exhausting challenge, so they leave quite a bit for them. Herds can be up to 15,000 members strong and current estimates place the total number alive between 20 and 30 million. While very large and robust compared to cows and deer, they rely on these numbers against the myriad carnivores of Talenta. Allosaurs and Torvosaurus normally prefer sauropods but will double-back to hunt the smaller camptosaurs if need be. Near forests Ceratosaurus will not hesitate to deliver unseen strikes. But the most regular hunters are Marshosaurus and halflings. Smaller than the ginormous sauropods but still large enough to put up a fight, camptosaurus are the primary food-source for most nomadic halflings. Since time immemorial their life-cycles have been intertwined. When the wet season comes, halflings enter a period where hunting is taboo (unless in self-defense), to allow their prey’s numbers to rise once more. Their striped hides are adapted in almost anything made of leather, from tents to saddles to scrolls. Their nature as a facultative biped has also worked its way into their traditions. When going on two legs the camptosaurus is free-game, and when on four legs (normally done to eat or drink) it is considered worse. Its meat will be forever tainted because it was killed in the coward’s position. Hunting camptosaurus is the main method of food acquisition among halflings, also leading to dietary changes. Almost all of their flesh is red meat. Because of this, halflings have an incredibly high tolerance to red meat and usually do not see the health risks associated with it. Camptosaurus is not a domesticated animal, however. Though entwined in their life and death, halflings have never taken them from their herds to breed them. To their minds, it would be an undeserving fate. Hunted wild the beasts can prove their merit in combat. Halfling animal-worship places much importance on the dignity of their bestial neighbors.
Physically similar to camptosaurus, Uteodon is marked by few, noticeable quirks that make it unique. Somewhat larger than their cousins, they possess darker, duller hides and live lonesome lives. Uteodon do not live in herds. Instead they inhabit the forest edges, making equal use of the trees and mid-growing ferns. Halflings consider them to be the camptosaurus’ evil cousin because of their other major difference: their temperament. Uteodon rely on their size and bulk to dissuade predators, but sometimes they need a little extra help understanding. They will bowl over predators in blind charges regardless of whether or not they were looking at the herbivore. Only those too nimble to escape or too large to truly knock over are spared. Which includes the Talenta riders. When hunters see a Uteodon among a herd of camptosaurus, they consider it a bad hunting day. They know it will fight the hunters if they try to hunt anything near it. Smaller camptosaurus herds actively encourage the presence of a single Uteodon in their ranks to defend the rest. Offering a bull first-dibs on any food and water is likely to make it happen. Still, they are rowdy and cantankerous; it’s just as possible they’ll be driven from a herd for accidentally killing a calf. Uteodon-Camptosaurus hybrids are uncommon. They tend to be larger, with dark bodies and dark stripes, and inherit their Uteodon parent’s temperament, but with a better social instinct.
Well, that was a bit of a pause between this and the last Talenta fauna. Anyways, if it wasn’t obvious, Camptosaurus is at the top and Uteodon is at the bottom. Both references come from Scott Hartman. The poses are kind of lazy, but in my defense I haven’t drawn in like a week due to real life complications. With these done we have all of Talenta’s ornithopods (and heterodontosaurs). Where shall we be going next? Perhaps this image contains a hint ^-^
In lieu of any progress to show on the Acronym Pending story, have a stupid little world-building thing.
As reminder: the TDG world is set after an aversion of the apocalypse (called the Antiocalypse) caused the world of reality and belief to class together. Gods, monsters, fairies, all that jazz, without the Urban Fantasy magical veil keeping everything hidden. The released stories, the prologues describing how this all happened, are hereorhereif you prefer Wattpad.
During the decade or so after the Antiocalypse, shit got kinda scary. There were stories about all sorts of things prowling the world, inciting a panic that outshone the Satanic Panic because… well… it was real. Real demons and shit. The governments and militaries could no longer be relied on to assuage these fears. They couldn’t do shit to the monsters out there, a story for another time. And so, in 1972, people welcomed King Arthur with welcome arms.
In Somerset, England, there was a dragon. It was a small one, but still it was gobbling up livestock and poisoning creeks and whatnot. After several failed attempts by police to kill it, an unlikely savior came around. A blonde, handsome man with a full suit of ornate armor carrying a whole ass real sword came into town on a horse and said he would kill it. And he did! After this, he let the people know that he was King Arthur Pendragon. He was mortally wounded and taken to the Island of Avalon to heal and wait for the day he would take back the throne of England. Why was he showing up now? Well, after so long he had to be taught the history and parlance of the modern era by Morgan Le Fay. Arthur swept around southern England before coming to the capital. With a following of tens of thousands of English people, the monarchy begrudgingly took their leave and instated King Arthur to the throne. Even before he sat on it there were skeptics everywhere, especially among the aristocracy and Parliament. But the people of England wouldn’t have him relegated to a meaningless role in the nation. Arthur would not be a mascot. Even across the pond he was beloved by the masses; a sign of old heroes coming to save the day once more.
Despite being gone for over 1000 years, Arthur had a pretty good hang of modern English government and the global situation. Such highlights include the President of the United States meeting with King Arthur, King Arthur brokering a deal to dismantle all nuclear weapons (because of the general public association with the Tsar Bomba and the Antiocalypse tragedy), King Arthur officially supporting the Chinese Communist Government, and the EU making a round table, the largest ever, for their meetings. King Arthur’s most outspoken policy was that, to save England from the goblins and dragons lurking in the darkness, they needed to return to the old ways. Essentially he appealed to the fetishization of the past and how it used to be “in his time”. A big part of this was, apparently, English supremacy. Historians were quick to point out that Arthur was supposed to have been king before England existed, but that didn’t stop anyone. People loved it. And so that remained the bulk of his policy making and governance. Until 1978, when he was shot outside of his Royal home.
This came as a pretty big shock, as few believed that the mighty Arthur Pendragon would go down to a mere gun wielded by a random nobody. Well, an autopsy showed he was not king Arthur. Dental records matched him to some rando from Liverpool. His sword and armor were real, but he was a reporter who disappeared off the face of the Earth two years ago and seemingly decided to fake being King Arthur for power and fame. There was a bit of a tumult as the old monarchy resumed on its merry way. Namely, would the real King Arthur come back? How would we know if he was real? What would happen if he was? Thankfully, there weren’t any conspiracy theories about him being the real King Arthur, because one of the foremost conclusions about him was that the real deal would never die from a common mortal weapon. The real King Arthur would perish in a climactic battle with an adversary. Parliament set up the Arthurian Verification Protocol in case any more Arthurs showed up. And they did. Between 1980 and 2000 there were six false king Arthurs. One of which actually made it all the way to the final stage of the Protocol, until his family in Edinburgh snitched on him. After that, impersonating King Arthur was made a crime punishable by death. After that, only two sincere imposters came out, one of which was extradited to the United States and the latter given the lethal injection. When looking back on it, the most genuine of the fake Arthurs was the first. He had the benefit of there not being a precedent of impersonations, but he also did actually slay a dragon. He got a majority of his Arthurian legend right and had real armor and whatnot. Most of his follow-ups never went as hard as he did. For now England, and Wales, who’ve mostly been left out of the whole incident, have to wonder why the real Arthur hasn’t come back from Avalon.
what if vampires are like mosquitoes and only the ladies drink blood
Pretty sure that would mean the fellas drink tree sap or something. Imagine running from a vampire thru the woods and passing her husband who’s biting a tree real hard
Maple syrup vampire husband
Encounter: Maple syrup vampire husband drinking sap in the woods, also trying to lure you to his literally bloodthirsty wife.
The wife has the classic Villain Of The Night aesthetic, all black, flowing cape, everything, and her husband is wearing red flannel, overalls, a beard, and is welding a log-splitting axe
This person gets it! Classic vampire lady and her lumberjack husband!
I came up with vampire bat vampires who prefer cattle blood and are mostly cattle ranchers, with the very wealthiest being cattle barons, because Twilight hate was all the rage and it’s funny to imagine Edward Cullen wearing grubby work clothes all the time and not having time to stalk Bella because he has to shovel manure after school instead.
This is an elaboration of this post.gilivhan does a pretty good job of explaining things, but I noticed an error in generation two (regarding the law of independent assortment), so, as a biology major, I thought I could help with this.
I’m warning you, do not venture forth lightly. This is a verylong post.
More often than not I’ll crack into a sprawling fantasy series and, while I appreciate the luscious descriptions of furniture, landscapes, and clothing, all I’m focused on is that I don’t actually know how this world works. I only know what it looks like.
Including some functionality to your universe can add to immersion and give your reader a strong foundation on which to build their mental model of your universe.
You certainly don’t need to use all of these questions! In fact, I recommend against that, as all of these certainly won’t make it into your final draft. I personally find that starting my worldbuilding off with 5 to 10 functional questions helps pave the way for glittery and elaborate aesthetic development later on.
How is the healthcare funded in your world?
How does healthcare functionally differ between the wealthy and the poor? (i.e. can only the wealthy go to hospitals? do poor families often have to rely on back-alley procedures?)
Where are health centers (i.e. hospitals, small clinics, etc.) organized in your cities?
Does it differ in smaller towns?
How does this affect people’s ability to get healthcare?
Is healthcare magical, and if it is, how does that affect the healthcare system?
If healing is instantaneous, how does that affect people’s views on injury, illness, and chronic ailments?
If you have both magical and physical healthcare, which one is deemed superior and how does that affect society?
What illnesses are common in your world?
How does this affect daily life?
What do the people in your world think illnesses are?
Is it a miasma theory?
Humor theory?
Demons?
Do they know about biological viruses and bacteria?
How does this affect healthcare?
How do people get water?
Is the water sanitary and if not, how do they sanitize it?
How does agriculture work?
Is it large corporations or individual farms?
What sort of agricultural technology exists in your world and how does it affect food production?
Are farmers wealthy or poor?
What sort of natural resources does your world/country(ies) have and how are they obtained?
How does this affect the average wealth of the country?
How does this wealth affect the culture?
What livestock or beasts of burden are most valued? Least valued? Why?
What is considered a luxury good vs. a regular good?
What forms of transportation does your world have?
What classes use what forms of transportation?
How far has the average citizen traveled, given your transportation limitations?
Which cities are the most accessible and which are the least? Why?
How do popular transportation methods change how cities/towns are laid out?
Does your world have public transportation? What is it?
Is there a coming-of-age aspect to travel?
Describe your world’s postal system or whatever equivalent there is.
Who pays for it?
How reliable is it?
Are there emergency methods for transporting information?
How does your world keep time (i.e. watches, sundials, water clock, etc.)?
Does your world have a currency system, barter system, or something else?
If you have multiple countries, do different currencies have different values across said countries?
How does this affect travel?
Do you have banks in your world and if so, how are they run?
Who owns the banks? Government? Wealthy? How does this affect the economy and/or class system?
How does credit operate in your universe?
Does your world operate more on big corporations or small business? Something in between?
How are workers/labourers treated in your world?
Are there workers unions and if so, what are common views on unions?
Describe your tax system. If you don’t have a tax system, explain why and how your world is affected by that.
Can certain social classes not own property, certain livestock, certain businesses, etc.? Why?
How are business records kept? Are business records kept?
If your world has technology, does your world prioritize developing entertainment tech, communications tech, transportation tech or something else entirely?
What does this say about your world?
How does this affect your economy?
To the closest approximation, what type of government does your world have?
How are rulers/presidents/nobles put in place?
How much power does an individual ruler have?
Is there a veto process?
If you have multiple countries, do they have different types of rulers?
Describe any large-scale alliances (i.e. countries, factions, etc.) that are present in your world.
How did they come about and how are they maintained?
Are they strained or peaceful?
How does it affect the greater politics of your world?
Describe how wars are fought both internationally and nationally.
Do methods of war differ between countries/races?
What about philosophies about war?
If there is a military, what is its hierarchy structure?
How does the military recruit?
Is the military looked upon favourably in your society?
What weapons are used by each country/type of people during warfare, and how does that affect war strategies?
Describe the sentencing system of your world.
Is your accused innocent until proven guilty, or guilty until proven innocent?
How are lawbreakers punished?
If you have prisons, describe how they are organized and run, and who owns them.
Does differing ownership change how the prisons operate?
What are the major ways in which laws between countries vary?
Do laws between cities vary? If so, how and why?
How does citizenship work in your world? What rights and privileges do citizens have that others do not?
Can certain classes or races not become citizens?
Are there certain taboo subjects or opinions that artist/authors/musicians are not allowed to depict (i.e. portraying the official religion in a negative light, explicit sexual material, etc.)? What does this say about your society?
How do people get around these censorship laws?
What is the official hierarchy of duty in your world? (i.e. is family the most important, or patriotism? What about clan?)
How many languages are there in your world, and how many languages share a common origin?
How many people are multilingual?
Which language is the most common?
How is multilingualism viewed?
How are different languages viewed? (i.e. is one language ugly/barbaric while another is romantic and sensual?)
Feel free to add your own questions in reblogs or in comments!
When you’re creating a race of people for your new world, you need a culture to give those people and their way of life some context. The culture helps determine how the characters act, dress, eat, solve problems, among so many other things. You can (and sometimes, should) have multiple cultures in your world, depending on how large your focus area is. Cultures affect each other, but also serve in a narrative sense to draw contrast in-world and to draw parallels to the reader’s world.
So here are some thoughts, big and small, that are meant to help inspire you as you create amazing cultures. (And remember that you’re thinking about the following questions in the context of the general population, not your main character(s).) You can simply answer these questions in short-answer form, or you can write a short story to flesh out one or two or three questions at once. If you do that, submit them to me! I’d love to feature them on the blog.
How old do people believe their race is? How old are they really?
How prevalent are religions to the common person?
What is/are the origin stories of the main religion(s)?
What do most people think should be the highest priority:
How do culturally shared priorities shape interactions?
What is the common greeting? Does it vary by age, class, rank, or sect?
How is gender viewed by the majority? Why?
What are common myths/legends of your people and how heavily do they influence the modern day?
How trustful are people of outsiders?
How welcoming are people, in general, of strangers into their homes?
How well do people of various factions (class, race, religion, etc.) get along in society?
How far has technology advanced, and how has it been implemented into their daily lives?
If magic exists, what do they believe is its origin? Its source?
If there is division between magic/non-magic, how do the two treat each other and why? How long has it been that way?
What sort of relationship do they have with their ruler?
How content is the average person?
How do people make their living and how big a part of their life is their career (if applicable)?
Do they have “weekends” and if so, what sets them apart from “weekdays”?
How do they treat their close friends?
How do they treat their enemies?
How do they handle small conflict, between individuals or small groups?
How do they handle larger conflicts?
How are they prepared for any potential war? Do they have some sort of military or militia in place?
How many wars have they, as a society, fought over the course of their lives/history? How much of an impact does that have on their cultural identity? (i.e. WW2′s impact on patriotism in America, and how it’s yet to go away.)
What virtues do they value in individuals? What virtues do they saythey value? If those are different, why?
How do they dress? Does it vary greatly by gender, or not? Is their focus on clothing very practical, religious, sentimental, or simply driven by the latest arbitrary fashion? How do the above answers reflect on the culture on a deeper level?
How do they treat their elderly?
How do they treat their children?
At what age does a baby become a child, a child a young adult, a young adult an adult, an adult an elder?
How much regulation does the day-to-day life of the average citizen entail? Or, how involved is the government in micro affairs?
How are these people seen throughout their known world? How do other cultures view this culture?
Religions have many different aspects that should at least be given thought if not careful consideration. Use these to guide your creative process when developing new religions and deities.
Key Aspects
Deity/Pantheon: Your religion does not need to necessarily have a deity, and it can even have an entire pantheon. I would venture that while a trained priest might perhaps specialize in one deity, a religion can have many.
Dogma: What are the principles and teachings of your religion? What does the deity implore of their worshippers? What is and isn’t allowed? What are the ethics of the religion? Why must we follow these principles?
Symbols: As important as the religion’s dogma are its symbols. How is your religion recognized on flags, tabards, armor, weapons, artwork, and holy symbols? Does your religion have a holy color or color scheme that they could use for their priestly robes?
Temples: Where are the religion’s places of worship? They could be secluded and secret or in/near cities. What do they look like? Are they merely household shrines or grand cathedrals? Do they have any distinguishing features?
Religious Practices
Rites and Rituals: What sorts of special ceremonies do the clerics of your religion practice? Are there any special material components that have meaning for the religion, deity, and ceremony? How long do ceremonies take and what is supposed to come from them? Rituals always serve a purpose, even if that purpose is merely affirming your faith. Rituals are useful as story elements as well as for players to perform.
Affirming Faith: telling your god you’re there and in prayer. It can be as simple as a daily prayer or weekly ceremony or more in-depth like a monthly or yearly ritual.
Proving Devotion: proving your faith to your god, usually meant for those who might be in doubt or who have wavered.
Initiation: rituals for new members to the religion.
Induction: rituals for new clergy members or clergy moving up in hierarchy.
Satiation: your deity demands sacrifice of something valuable to you or to it.
Boon/Blessing: the ritual seeks something of your deity, perhaps a bountiful harvest or victory in battle.
Magic: a ritual might be held to cast certain spells or perhaps to increase the power or scope of a spell. These can also be used in creation of magic items.
Healing: rituals for performing healing magic.
Funerals: ceremonies for the dead.
Marriage: ceremonies for binding individuals together spiritually
Holy Days: Often rituals can coincide with special days or times of the year. Holy days can be predicted and often signify important seasonal or historic events. Harvest, springtime, solstice, and equinox holy days are common, as are those commemorating the deaths of martyrs or important dates in the religion’s history.
Myths/Legends: Are there any stories or parables that your religion teaches? What stories of the gods do they tell? Do they have any specific myths relating to things like the creation of the world, the creation of elements, the invention of everyday things, or perhaps the invention of morality?
Prayers/Sayings: To help you roleplay priests of this religion, you can come up with some common greetings, farewells, and blessings that might be associated with the religion. “Pelor shines upon you” and whatnot.
People
Titles/Hierarchy: What are the ranks of the clergy and do they have any special titles? Are there any notable NPCs in the religion’s hierarchy? For instance, those that worship Mammon, the archdevil of greed are often called Covetors.
Clergy: Do the clergy perform any services for the rest of the population? Usually this involves healing or holding ceremonies, but they could have a broader scope in a theocracy or a narrower scope if secluded or unpopular. What do the clergy look like and wear? Do they favor certain classes other than clerics?
Worshippers: What sort of people are drawn to the religion? Are there certain races, classes, or kingdoms that worship them? What convinces them to follow the religion’s dogma? Is it out of fear, necessity, protection, comfort, or prosperity?
Relations: Does this religion have allies or enemies? These could either be allied or rival churches, deities, or religions. Furthermore, certain kingdoms or people could ally with or oppose the religion. Think of how each faction and religion in your world sees this religion.
Culture
Art: How does your religion express itself? Define your religion’s art, architecture, fashion, and songs and how they compare to other religions and cultures.
Relics: What sorts of holy relics belong to your religion? These can be body parts or objects belonging to important martyrs or high priests or heroes that champion the religion. These might be kept in temples or may have been lost to time. Perhaps some are magic items being used by chosen (or unscrupulous) adventurers.
Oh my gosh. I just found this website that walks you though creating a believable society. It breaks each facet down into individual questions and makes it so simple! It seems really helpful for worldbuilding!
Heads up that this is a very extensive questionnaire and might be daunting to a lot of writers (myself included). That being said, it is also an amazing questionnaire and I will definitely be using it (or at the very least, some of it).
There are so many ways to go about making a map for your story, that I’m almost intimidated to try and make a useful post. I’ve done a few things regarding maps in the past, but this will be a more comprehensive look at the physical act of getting the image of your world down on paper. Or, at least, fanning the spark of your idea and developing it further.
Method One: Freedraw
This is my preferred method. I sit down with a pencil (or a drawing tablet, more often) and sketch a wiggly line in a nonsensical shape. I usually end up with something like this:
A single country. peninsulas, islands, bays, the works. Inevitably, I see silly faces in my land masses and I always make a point to name them.
That’s not meant to be advice, just…a mething. Anyway…
What helps me design islands and–especially–adjacent continents is the theory of continental drift. You’d be amazed at the difference that makes in sketching out landmasses, thinking about them all fitting together in misshapen puzzle pieces.
Continue sketching, if you need to, and then you have a nice(ish) looking thing.
From there, you can do what suits you. I, personally, start adding land forms and cities somewhat randomly, following patterns that make sense and follow regional climates.
This method gives you a lot of power and control. You can be as random or as intentional as you want, but this method relies almost entirely on your brain and offers little help if you’re stuck. (It’s always a good place to start, get your creative juices flowing, even if you don’t end up using the maps you create.)
Also - HERE is a link to the Photoshop brush set I created while making these maps. Includes 23 brushes and it’s free to download and use. I hope you can find it useful! I hope to make more such things in the future. If you have feedback, please give it!
Method Two: Connect the dots
On a blank paper, draw an assortment of random dots. Using more gives you less empty space, using fewer gives you the opportunity to fill in that space however you want.
Then, connect them! You can be as adherent or liberal as you want.
Then, repeat the final steps of method one.
Method Three: Spilling the beans
Step One: Lay out a piece of paper (or a large sheet of paper, or a piece of poster board) on the ground or table.
Step Two: Gather your beans (or rice or dice sets or pasta…or, if you’re me, your toddlers’ sensory bin contents)
Step Three: Hold a handful of your beans over the paper (not too high, only a few inches or so, depending how large your paper is), and drop them, letting them scatter randomly on the page.
Step Four: Grab a pencil (or a pen, if you’re brave, or crayon if you’re me and that’s literally the only writing utensil you can find in your entire residence) and start sketching land around the beans. If you’ve added some variety to your beans, then you can let certain beans represent certain things.
Example:
Black beans = forest
pasta = mountains
other pasta = plains
pom poms= towns
Now I can add in rivers and roads and other particulars, but this is a great starting point.
And, like your writing, you might find that your map requires a few drafts before it’s perfect. That’s fine! You don’t have to produce a perfect map on your first try. Each time you do it, you’ll see things you like and things you want to change. It’s an art in and of itself.
Allow yourself to be imperfect!
Method Four: Map Generator
Sometimes, if you’re struggling to get started, you really just need someone to hand you something concrete. Generators can be great for sparking the imagination.
THISis a great generator that provides a lot of thoughts on map creation.
Here is a nice little map generator that gives you a lot of customization options. It doesn’t always work, in my experience, but when it does, it’s nice.
Other thoughts:
The style of your map will tell a lot about your story. Remember, your map will likely be the second thing your readers sees (the first being your cover), and how you choose to design it will give your reader a good indication of the type of book they’re getting into. If you’re writing a sci-fi novel, you probably won’t be using an antique-style map. Something a little more along these lines (the map for my current WIP):
Choose a style for your map that fits your narrative.
Oh my gosh. I just found this website that walks you though creating a believable society. It breaks each facet down into individual questions and makes it so simple! It seems really helpful for worldbuilding!
Heads up that this is a very extensive questionnaire and might be daunting to a lot of writers (myself included). That being said, it is also an amazing questionnaire and I will definitely be using it (or at the very least, some of it).
This is exactly the kind of thing I need because I’m not so much interested in worldbuilding, I just need a cool place for my characters to grow and interact in. Gonna try it another night when it’s not almost my bed time.
