This is a list of the most basic elements of worldbuilding. It is not complete, but I will try to update it regularly when ever I find a new element. If you want to add to this or criticise an aspect, just tell me. Notes can be found under the cut at the bottom of the page.
NATURE
Universe
Planet
Geography
Natural Laws
Sapient Species
Animal Species
Plant Species
Magic
CULTURE
Nation
Lenguage
Ethnicity
History
Religion
Politics
Law
Economy
Administration
Educational System
Healthcare
Society / Sociology
Science
Art
Living Environment
Costums
Items
Magic Usage
Transport
Communication
Warfare
Division of Time
Everday Life
Notes:
Geography refers only to the scientific part.
Magic means the natural laws of magic, while Magic Usage means the way it is applied by people (or other).
Ethnicity includes the average visual features of one ethnicity.
Art refers to visual art, literature, music and dramatic arts (and whatever other art your culture has come up with).
Living Environment refers to habitation as well as architecture.
Items refers to special tools or objects your culture uses.
Division of Time refers to the time periods (like weeks, hours or millenia) that your culture uses.
This is the tenth in a series of posts about important aspects of worldbuilding. You can find a compilation of all these posts under “Worldbuilding Basics” on my blog.
As cultures developand change, they inevitably create myths and legends along the way (whether these are old style myths, like a creation story, or something more along the line of modern urban legends, like Slenderman). Brainstorming these myths adds a depth to the culture you're designing, and no matter the stage of your culture's development, there are bound to be myths and stories associated with it. So basically, you are brainstorming stories within your story. Click the read-more, and we'll begin!
First of all, let's cover old style myths. These are myths created early on in a culture's development, usually to explain things they don't understand or have answers for (like death, the weather, seasons, creation, etc.). That's the basic idea, but here are some types of old style myth you may want to brainstorm:
Creation
Explanation of death/afterlife/life cycle
Origin of species
Justification for human (or whatever other prominent species) superiority (like how some people say humans are special and above animals because a deity they believe in made it that way)
Weather
Archetype myths (basically, myths about a certain type of person, and the ideal model of that individual. Archetypes could include things like a hero, a parent, a child, a warrior/soldier, a wise person, youth, lovers, intellectuals, highly religious people, magicians/wizards, kings/queens/other leaders, peasants, despots, undesirable people, etc.)
Abstract concepts (the Greeks, for instance, had a number of deities representing abstract concepts like love and chaos, and there were myths surrounding these)
Animals
Important Lessons (or whatever society deems "important," be that good or bad. Lessons perpetuated in society might not always be good)
And here are some things to think about when creating an old style myth:
Why was this myth created? What does it explain?
Are these myths taken literally, and are they part of a religion? Do they concern deities?
Do people respect and try to learn from their myths, or do they think they're stupid?
Do these myths carry messages that marginalize a certain group of people, or certain species? If so, why?
Have people made art or music about these myths?
How dated are the myths? Are there things that explain natural phenomena now, for instance?
Are they accepted in general society, or are they something the fringe came up with or still uses?
And now for urban legends/modern folklore, which is a bit different. These myths may not necessarily explain things, but they still say something about a culture and what it values. Modern folklore can also include memes (if you're talking about a society similar to today's society), or little stories/pictures that have become popular for no real reason, but everybody knows. Here are some things to think about when brainstorming modern folklore/urban legends:
Does the myth concern some sort of frightening creature (Slenderman, Greys, etc.)? If so, why? What does that say about society?
If it's a meme, whatisit and why did it become so popular? Was it because it was funny? Poignant? Shocking? Critical?
Do these myths play on or enforce stereotypes?
What do the people of the society consider these myths? Do they just call them pop culture? Memes? Popular phenomena? Most modern societies don't call these myths, unless they're fairly dated.
What kind of people like this sort of myth? Conspiracy theorists? Gullible people? People who can't resist cute things? People who like satire?
What was the purpose of this myth? Was it to illustrate the problem with something, and criticize it? Was it to perpetuate a particular idea? Does it enforce the status quo, or does it make people think?
Who created it? Did it come from the internet? Did the government/people in power create it, to calm the masses or enforce a particular idea? Does it come from a religion or particular group of people?
Who was the intended audience, and was there an intended effect on the audience? Is the intended audience the same as the people who actually like it?
Does it hurt or slander any particular person or group? If so, why? If it does, is there any action being taken against it, or is it seen as a good thing?
What's the general opinion about this myth/meme? Do people think it has no purpose, and just popped out of the woodwork (i.e. Nyan Cat)? Do people find meaning in it, or miss the meaning (if it had any intended meaning)?
How long did it last, when it was popular? Is it something that sticks in your mind, or did it have fleeting popularity, like when something goes viral on the internet?
If you believe this myth, do people take you seriously? Are there negative consequences for believing/liking this sort of thing?
Making myths, memes, and legends can be a lot of fun. I know I've had fun with them in the past. Hopefully these are some starting points you can use. Good luck!
This is the ninth in a series of posts about important aspects of worldbuilding. You can find a compilation of all these posts under “Worldbuilding Basics” on my blog.
Animals and plants aren't usually the major part of the story, unless they pertain to your plot, but they are still an interesting and important aspect of worldbuilding! It's especially fun to create entirely new species of your own, and if you're making an entire new universe or world up, you might end up doing that. Hopefully these will be some helpful tips. Click the read-more, and we'll begin!
If your world's animal and plant population are Earth-based, here are some things to think about:
Think about the climate/terrain where your story takes place, and look up what sort of animals and plants actually live in areas like that on the Earth. For instance, you would probably have something more like an arctic hare in a snowy area, not a jackrabbit. They're related, but they've evolved quite differently because of the areas they live in.
Urban areas can have wildlife, too! This also depends on terrain, but generally - animals that are hardy and adaptable (like pigeons, raccoons, etc) can live in urban areas.
If the urban area imitates their natural habitat, animals you might not expect might live in urban areas. For instance, falcons have taken to nesting in skyscrapers because the urban landscape imitates a canyon.
Wherever you set your story, it should usually have some form of vegetation. Even extreme climate areas have vegetation! Tundras and high places on mountains usually have very scrubby, short plants. Deserts have cacti, and other succulent plants that can keep water for long periods of time.
As with the animals, research what kind of plants would live in an area similar to your story setting, and keep it accurate. It's really unlikely to find things like tropical plants in cold areas, unless they are in a pot inside someone's house.
And if you're going so far as to create your own species of plant and animal, as well as the ecosystem, here are some things to think about:
First of all, interactions. An ecosystem (a system of animals, plants, and its non-living surroundings) cannot function without interaction between organisms. The most prominent part of this is the food web. Things eat other things. So figure out which things eat which other things, in your world.
When it comes to food webs, there are three different types of organisms: Producers, Consumers, and Decomposers. Plants are producers, because they make their own food via photosynthesis. Animals, whether they are herbivore or carnivore, are Consumers, because they don't make their own food. Decomposers are either things like fungi (which are neither animals or plants), or certain animals like insects, that eat decaying matter (as opposed to Consumers, which eat recently dead/alive matter). The most important thing to remember is that you should have some of each in your food web.
Also, there tend to be a crap-ton more of Producers than Consumers or Decomposers. The reason for this is that Producers need to supply energy to the entire rest of the food web, and as you go up the food web, more complex organisms need more energy. So basically, make sure there are a lot of plants.
If you are making entirely new plants and animals, make sure they make sense with the climate. Organisms have adaptations that let them live in their environments, and these are important to include. For instance, a jackrabbit has very large ears that let it dispel heat, since it lives in a desert climate. And then an arctic hair has a very thick white coat, which not only provides insulation, it provides camouflage in the snow. So once you know the habitat your species of animal lives in, think of how it adapts itself to live there. Something that loses heat easily, like a reptile or a mammal with a thin coat, is not likely to live in a cold area, for instance.
It's also important to think of how your animals get food, and what that food is. Animals can be herbivores, carnivores, or omnivores. Humans are omnivores, because we eat both animals and plants. When it comes to your animal, though, you need to be more specific. For instance, hummingbirds are herbivores, but it's not because they eat leaves! It's because they drink nectar from plants. Or you could have a lizard that you'd classify as a carnivore, but not because it necessarily eats meat - it could also eat insects.
How are the animals and plants related to each other? Are there different groups of animals, like mammals, reptiles, etc.? Usually there are different groups of plants, too. Do some phylogeny research so you can get a feel for how animal and plant diversity is organized.
If the animal or plant in question is similar to an already existing one, do research about that existing one! That will help you make the animal or plant seem more realistic.
This is just a start, because there is a lot to consider when you're brainstorming animals and plants, but if you're just needing the basics, hopefully this post will help you start out!
This is the eighth in a series of posts about important aspects of worldbuilding. You can find a compilation of all these posts under “Worldbuilding Basics” on my blog.
This is something you may not include in the story itself, but it's still good to know. It'll require you to do some extra deep worldbuilding, but it's definitely worth it. A universe can certainly exist without knowledge of its origin (there isn't too much knowledge about the origin of our own universe, aside from the Big Bang! But we don't know as much about that as we would like to), but since you're an author, and not a cosmologist trying to find out the origin of an existing universe, you'll be able to dig deep enough to find the origin of your story's universe, and how it evolved. Click the read-more, and we'll begin!
Every universe has some sort of origin, whether it exploded from nothing, or something like a god created it. You have quite a bit of leeway with how your universe is created, but as with everything, it should make sense within the context of the story. Here are some things to consider when thinking about a universe's origin:
What is the origin of the universe in the first place? Was it spontaneous? Was it created by someone, or something? If so, who or what?
If your universe was created by gods, how were the gods created? Did they have a creation? Or do they just perpetually exist? What is the gods' role in your story world at the time of your characters' existence?
Can the people in your story explain the origin of the universe? Do they have myths about it that differ from the actual truth?
Will there be an end to your universe? For instance, if there was a Big Bang, will there be a Big Crunch? If there is something like a Big Crunch, would that spawn another, new universe's Big Bang?
How many universes are there in the first place? How big are they?
If there's a multiverse, what is its structure, and what are the universes shaped like? Are they shaped like bubbles? Membranes? Something else entirely? Are they connected by wormholes, or do they float freely from one another? Do they crash into each other (if they do crash into each other, in astrophysics theories, this often spawns new universe membranes/bubbles). How old are they? Are some older than others?
The multiverse might be unnecessary in your story, depending on the plot, but it's still fascinating to think about. My story in particular involves inter-universe travel, so it was necessary that I design the multiverse as well, so I would know what I was doing when I wrote it. Sticking to just one universe, or even one planet, is definitely fine though.
Now you've got a universe, one that has just sprung into existence. What does the universe do now? It expands and evolves. The evolution of a universe pertains to many things. In the Big Bang model, matter and energy exploded from a single point, and as the universe's vacuum expanded, so did the matter and energy. The matter congregated into groups, forming clouds, then stars, and then planets.
As the matter becomes denser and forms planet, more complex molecules are also forming. These particles evolved and combined, giving rise to the most basic forms of life on Earth. If you are doing something that is based on Earth physics, it's important to remember that there cannot be life without water. All life uses water. If you have another kind of life form that uses a different chemical, great! Just remember that it might not function well on Earth.
From the evolution of a universe comes the evolution of life, once it comes to exist. The most basic forms of life were probably proto-cells, tiny beads of liquid enclosed inside a membrane. Cells are the building blocks of life, so once these cells got more complex and gained organelles (basically organs inside a cell, but cell-sized), they started to form organisms with more than one cell. Unicellular life is still the most prevalent form of life on Earth, but it is what gave rise to multicellular life such as plants, animals, and fungi.
Basically, evolution means that organisms are becoming more complex (either that or changing). In terms of species, evolution happens when a species (not an individual organism) gains beneficial traits over time. For instance, a sparrow species could evolve to have more specialized beaks over time, because the sparrows with more specialized beaks originally would have survived more than the others, since those beaks were more efficient. For us on Earth, evolution eventually gave rise to a species that became aware of itself, the human. Because of this sentience, we were able to create societies and use tools. If you have a sentient species in your story (which I assume you do), they are probably one of the most evolutionarily advanced species on your planet. If you have more than one sentient species, conflicts could arise between them over who is the most "advanced" species, and that could add some conflict to your plot.
Sentient species also might take evolution to a morally questionable level, and implement something called "social Darwinism," which is generally frowned upon these days. Social Darwinism is the idea that some races (or species, if you have more than one sentient species) are more advanced, and therefore superior. For instance, if you have a pure human species, they might look down upon humanoid species with more animalistic or plantlike features, even though those species might be just as advanced as they are (albeit possibly in different ways). Social Darwinism is a very problematic thing when it comes to everyday society, so it can definitely stir up some conflict in your story as well.
Evolution can also apply to technology. Since evolution is change over time, you might also want to document how technology developed throughout the society. I'll be going over that in more detail in a later post, but basically - you should figure out how they got from where they began, to where they are now. Stone tools to computers, I suppose. If they have gotten that far.
Here are some other things you can consider the evolution of:
Ideas
Trends/fads
Fashion/style
Agriculture/food
Traditions/religion
Holidays
Weaponry/military
Hopefully this is a good start, when it comes to the origin of your universe, and its evolution. Best of luck!
This is the seventh in a series of posts about important aspects of worldbuilding. You can find a compilation of all these posts under “Worldbuilding Basics” on my blog.
I'm diverging from my original list today, so you guys are going to get a post about magic! This mostly pertains to fantasy writers, but if you can find some way to weave magic into a science fiction novel (by justifying the magic with science, or some other way), go for it! So I'm basically going to go over some things to think about when you put magic into a story, so you can keep it believable (or at least, make it make sense). Click the read-more, and we'll begin!
One of the things that bothers me when I read a story that executes its magic badly is when things like enormous spells happen and require no effort (or garner no consequences). Your character probably shouldn't be shooting enormous dragons out of her wand just because she can. Since magic is a type of power, at the very least, it should require effort to execute it correctly. If your character is casting a big spell, it should take a whole buttload of concentration, or exert some sort of physical effect on your character. In Harry Potter, for instance, you need to be very focused if you're casting an intense spell. And I think, in the Inheritance series (haven't read it in ages), magic takes a physical toll on you and the organisms around you.
The effect of magic on your character probably depends on how the magic is integrated into the world in the first place. In Harry Potter, it seems like magic is just something that exists, and those with certain traits (probably something genetic that makes you a wizard?) can have a certain degree of control over it. And when they practice, they can get better at tapping into that resource. The same goes with bending, in the Avatar universe. The ability to bend appears to be genetic, and even those who first discovered they could bend had to learn from creatures who were experts in it. Even if magic doesn't have a defined source, it should still take concentration and skill to use it.
Another way to have magic in your story is to give it a defined source. Magic could come from somewhere within the planet, for instance. It could be a resource that humans (or whatever sentient species you're writing about) taps, and it could be finite or infinite. It could be something spiritual, an energy you can only access when you're more in tune with the universe (bending is like this; the Avatar's bending is a lot more powerful when the Avatar is in tune with their spiritual side).
Also, if your character has a better ability than most when it comes to magic, give them a reason for it (and don't make them absurdly powerful either, unless you can explain it well. It also makes it more believable if the absurdly powerful person suffers some sort of toll when they use excessive amounts of magic). With someone like the Avatar, their bending/magic ability is there because they are the spirit incarnate of the planet itself. And within that storyworld, it makes sense. In the Lost Years of Merlin, Merlin has strong genetics for magic ability and will become extremely powerful, but it takes him an immense amount of time to hone those skills. Within that storyworld, magic takes a lot of energy out of you, which makes it more believable. Merlin's not just throwing huge amounts of magic at things with no consequences.
Aside from all this, here are some things to think about when you're brainstorming a magic system:
First of all, what is your magic? Is it an energy force? Is it the action of spirits? Is it just magic, plain and simply? Figure out what magic is within the context of your own story.
Are there different types of magic? For instance, with bending, there are different elements of bending. These elements also have derivatives, and can be combined. If there are types of magic, what do these types do, and what are their differences?
How do people execute magic? Do they say words? Perform rituals? Use motions? Store magic and then release it? Manipulate it with their minds?
Is magic a substance, or is it just something that exists? If it's a substance, is it limited? Do people fight over it? Is it involved in the economy? How much is there?
Where does the magic come from? Is it sourced from the planet, or space? Is it from spirits or gods? Does it simply exist within the physical laws of your story world?
Are there laws about the usage of magic? If so, what are they?
How is magic viewed in your storyworld? Is it something frowned upon? Is it kept secret? Is it illegal? Is it commonplace? Is it frowned upon/pitiable if you can't use magic?
Do people use magic in dueling/fighting? Is it a main part of their weapon systems, or is it just something that enhances them? Have there been wars conducted entirely with magic?
How is the magic distributed among the people? Can an average person use it, or is it limited to the elites? If it's unfairly distributed, how is that accomplished? Do the elites restrain the magic and keep it from the common people?
Is magic integrated into religion? If so, how? Are there religions centered around magic? Do people get magic from their gods, or spirits?
What does the magic look like? Is it an invisible force that has different manifestations depending on the sort of spell? Is it a tangible sort of energy that has different colors?
How is magic involved with the day-to-day activities of a society? Is it highly integrated, and necessary? Or is it just something that enhances everyday life? Does it negatively impact the society?
Magic is a lot of fun to write about, and when written well, it can really make a story memorable. Hopefully this will help you out a bit, when you're writing about magic. Good luck!
In this post, I made a list of important things to develop when you’re worldbuilding. I’ll be doing a post for each of those bullet points, so this is the sixth. You can find a compilation of all these posts under “Worldbuilding Basics” on my blog.
I could go on about religion and spirituality for ages. Really, I could. I find it one of the most fascinating parts of human society, and it's ridiculously interesting to me to study how and why religions formed. So when I'm doing it for my own story, it's even more fun. You have a lot of degrees of freedom when you create religions (or spiritualities) for your storyworld, and religion can often be a major factor in your plot (or a subplot). Click the read-more, and we'll begin!
Spirituality is as follows: a private, personal path to either enlightenment, ultimate reality, or inner peace. It can involve things like prayer, private contemplation, incorporation of various aspects of religion, and meditation. The goal is to have a more rich and fulfilling inner life.
Religion is as follows: A set of beliefs, practices, and routines practiced by either a solitary person or a group of people to relate humanity to spirituality. Religion is not necessarily private, but spirituality is. Religion also tends to be more organized in a lot of cases, and often preaches about moral values. Religions can have sacred ceremonies or texts.
Hopefully, those are loose definitions that clarify the difference a little bit. You can have both spirituality and religion in your life (or story)! For instance, if you follow Pagan practices, the practices and the traditions of Paganism could be your religion, and the inner fulfillment you get from performing those practices is your spirituality. I'll explain how you can weave either religion, spirituality, or both into your story.
If you're writing something where there is a lot of introspection but you don't necessarily want to write about religion, spirituality can still work for that. Spirituality doesn't necessarily have to do with a higher power, either. It can be your character slowly discovering who they are, or what they think is right. Focusing on that can help a lot when it comes to making dynamic characters. You could also have it happen in reverse - a character loses their sense of self, their faith in humanity (or society), or their moral compass.
Religion, on the other hand, has more far-reaching aspects than just affecting one character (although a character affected by a change in spirituality can certainly affect other characters). Here are some things to consider when involving religion in your storyworld:
How many religions are there? Just one, or many? How are they distributed?
How does the public view religion? Is it popular? Is it a bad thing not to have a religion? Or vice versa? Do people think you're delusional if you believe? Do they think you're without morals if you don't? Do they have different opinions depending on the type of religion?
What are the ceremonies like in the religion you're designing? Do they even have any?
Is the structure of the religion rigid, or more free-flow?
Does your religion have a sacred text or other sacred artifact?
How does your religion treat outsiders? Do they welcome converts with open arms? Do they discriminate against certain types? Do they try to accommodate different people? Or do they turn up their nose at people who are different?
How diverse is your religion? Does it have a wide variety of people, or only a specific group?
How do the religions interact in your storyworld, if there are more than one? Do they get along? Do they have an uneasy coexistence? Have there been any religious wars?
How many gods does your religion focus on, if any? Do they worship something other than gods (this can be a concept, an object, a leader, anything)?
If your religion worships any number of gods, do these gods actually exist? You can go a lot of ways with this one. The gods could not exist, period. There could also be figures worshipped as gods (such as old leaders) who aren't actually gods. You could have a leader worshipped as a god as well, and they could be worshipped out of fear or love, or both.
Does your religion focus on moral values? If so, what moral values does it preach? Do the people of your storyworld agree with these moral values? Are these values actually moral?
How heavily is religion involved with politics and the government? It's important, if you have a country, to know whether it's secular or religious. When religion factors into a rule, it can make a country a lot different than it normally would be.
How many people subscribe to this religion? Is it popular, or is it a very small religion? Are there sects within the religion? Is there infighting?
How much control does the religion try to have over people's lives? What sort of things does it try to govern or control?
How does your religion treat atheists or those who believe in other religions than itself?
How did the religion form, and why? In history, most religions have developed to explain things that humans could not explain with science at the time. Religion also gives them answers to questions we have not discovered solid answers to, yet. Your religion could have evolved for this reason, or it could have had other origins. It's all up to you!
Did your religion take aspects from other, previous religions? If so, which ones? Why? How does it view those previous religions? (For instance, Christianity and other Abrahamic religions took a lot of aspects from pagan religions, but don't necessarily view pagan religions as right or valid)
Do people study your religion? Is it something you can take classes in? Are there monks, nuns, or other groups of people devoting their lives completely to that religion? If so, what are they like, and what are their traditions?
If there's more than one sentient species in your story, do they have religions too?
Are there extreme sects in your religion? What do they do that makes them extreme? Do they try to take violent action, or are they just very vocal? Do they do both? Do they try to affect laws and legislation?
How does the religion in your story affect your main characters personally? Do they try to stay out of it? Is it a main focus in their lives? Is it something prominent in that storyworld that is impossible to ignore, even if they don't like it? If it's involved with the government, does it discriminate against them? Has it helped them in the past (i.e. charity efforts of a religion)?
How important is religion to your plot? Is it just in the background, or is it something that affects your plot quite a bit?
That is definitely a longer list than I usually do, phew. But religion is complicated, and very interesting. Hopefully those bullet points will give you a starting point, when you're brainstorming your world's religion. Good luck!
In this post, I made a list of important things to develop when you’re worldbuilding. I’ll be doing a post for each of those bullet points, so this is the fifth. You can find a compilation of all these posts under “Worldbuilding Basics” on my blog.
I'll admit right now that talking about the economy isn't my favorite. And I'm sure that for other people, they each have a least favorite part of worldbuilding. Regardless, the economy in your storyworld is still important to talk about, since it can have a direct effect on your plot. The economic situation your character is in can give more conflict to your story, and the economy is yet another aspect of a storyworld that makes it seem more real. So even though it seems dull, you can actually have a lot of fun with it. Click the read-more, and we'll begin!
So first of all, what the hell does "economy" mean?
The "economy" is basically the flow of money, resources, goods, and services within a group of people (i.e. a country), and the interactions of people that govern this flow. This is a pretty vague definition, but since there are many different types of economies, this is what it all boils down to.
Here are some different types of economies:
Market economy (little regulation and free flow, an example would be capitalism)
Planned economy (high regulation and government control, an example would be socialism)
Mixed economy (an economy with aspects of both planned and market economies)
Barter economy (an economy where goods and services are exchanged for other goods and services. Usually lacks a currency)
The economy you create for your storyworld will depend on its context. The type of economy depends on the amount of resources, labor, population, ability to distribute, and occasionally government/politics. For instance, if your story is set in a small, remote village, it is likely to have a barter economy, since the people can just trade among themselves. Of course, having a different economy than that would be an interesting spin to take with a remote village, but it would have to have enough explanation to make it work. As long as the economy makes sense (as with many other aspects of worldbuilding), you should be okay.
Here are some things to consider when brainstorming about the economy:
How equally is the wealth distributed, and by whom? (In a socialist government, I think the distribution of wealth is a lot more controlled by a capitalist government. In the United States, it seems that corporations control most of the wealth and that it's not trickling down to the other classes. Many different factors can control distribution of wealth.)
What are the resources like around the area? If your people do not have something locally available, how do they get it? Do they use a substitute, or trade for it?
What does this storyworld (or country) have the most of, when it comes to resources? Do they offer it to others, or trade it with others? And on the flip side, what is most in demand in this storyworld/country? And can the economy meet that demand?
What's the most important part of the economy, the part that keeps it afloat? Trading? Manufacturing? Labor?
Does this storyworld have currency? And if so, what is it like?
Is this economy affected by inflation (the rise in price of goods/services) or deflation (the decrease in price of goods/services)? What other issues does this economy have? (No economy is ever perfect, there are always improvements to be made.)
What do people (or your characters specifically) think about the economy? Does it have a big effect on them? Do they try to stay out of it? Do they think it's corrupt?
Even if the economy is not a major part of your plot (and in most cases, it isn't), you should still know the general basis of how it runs. It's something that's usually in the background, but by putting it in the background, you make your story more believable. It doesn't have to have a huge presence, either. As long as it's there where you'd expect it to be, it'll be fine. And on the flip side, if your plot involves the economy as a major point, you should definitely flesh it out! If you're writing something like a mob/gang thriller or a high-stakes scandal within a corporation, the economy would definitely be relevant.
Whatever you're writing, I hope this helped! Hopefully writing about economies should make a little more sense now. Go forth and write!
In this post, I made a list of important things to develop when you’re worldbuilding. I’ll be doing a post for each of those bullet points, so this is the third. You can find a compilation of all these posts under “Worldbuilding Basics” on my blog.
One of my favorite things to do is create whole societies of people when I worldbuild. Every sentient species is going to be different, and even within the same species, society will differ in different parts of the world. There are many ways you can give your societies structure, and I hope to get you started in this post. Click the read-more, and we'll begin!
A group of people related to each other through persistent relations, or a large social grouping sharing the same geographical or virtual territory, subject to the same political authority and dominant cultural expectations.
A society is basically a "social organism," and like an actual organism, it has structures that carry out functions. In this post, we'll take a look at the "anatomy" of society, and how you can vary with this in your stories.
Here are some things to start you off, when you are thinking about the society you are creating:
How do the people relate to one another?
The connections and hierarchy among people in the society are important, and you can have quite a bit of variation with this. For instance, one of my storyworlds has a caste system, and this has quite a drastic effect on most of my characters, because of the way society treats each character and how they function within that society. Another angle to take this is a society like present day America - no defined castes, and people are hesitant to define "class," but class is definitely still there, and there is a divide even though people do not acknowledge it very often. Basically, when it comes to society, you should figure out what the hierarchy is like in the society (whether it be governmental or otherwise), and how interactions between different groups of people happen.
What is the economy like, if there is one?
I'm going to cover the economy more in depth in a later post, but most of the time, it's necessary to think about economy when you think about society and its structure. A society doesn't necessarily have to have an economy, but usually, especially in advanced societies, it is necessary. Economy can range from a very loose structure (such as a village whose members trade with each other to survive) or a very complex structure (the stock market, and other aspects of developed countries' economies). It's also important to determine how wealth is distributed among the people, and how much of a divide there is between rich and poor.
What is its culture like? Are there subcultures?
"Culture" is a term that encompasses all the things that societies create, like language, artifacts, the fine arts, traditions, etc. There can be more than one culture within a society, and you should pay attention to how these cultures interact, as well. Subcultures are basically cultures within cultures (i.e. certain sects of religion, or just certain specialized groups). Brainstorming about the culture of your society will make the story a lot richer and more believable, and if you include culture's little nuances, your story will be a lot more apt to jump off the page.
What is the government like, if there is any government?
I'll be doing a detailed post about this, too, but like the economy, you can't consider a society without its government. And also like the economy, the government can be either very loose, or very complex. It's really up to you to decide what government best fits your population of people. It's important to design how that government works, and how well it works. All governments have problems, and if your story's government doesn't at least have a few problems, it's going to seem unrealistic. Humans/sentient creatures are not perfect, so they will not have a perfect government. They might appear to have a perfect government, but those who try to appear perfect eventually end up being unable to do so. So if you have a government that tries to appear perfect, its problems should probably be exposed later.
What is the relationship between the people and their surroundings, or the land?
You can be anywhere on the spectrum, with this question. You can have a society that lives in harmony with the land and cherishes it, or you can have a society that values the land only for its resources and treats it terribly, causing problems. You can also have any variation thereupon, or anything in between? For instance, you could have a society that thinks it's in harmony with the land, and that its motives are good for the land, but the society may be doing something horribly wrong and not realize it.
What is the relationship between the people and whatever is outside their society?
I suppose that first, you would have to figure out what is outside of your society in the first place. Are there other countries, other societies? Are there formidable landscapes or dangerous wildlife? Empty space, even? Once you figure out what is outside of your society and its land, you should brainstorm how your society views that "outside," and how they interact with it.
Hopefully, these are enough questions to ruminate on to get you started. Now go off and create a society!
