31 Days of World Building: Wordsnstuff August Writing Challenge
ā The monthly challenges are back by popular demand! I hope you all enjoy this one. This is the second installment of my three part series, dedicated to writing longer stories. Next monthās challenge will be dedicated to plot development. I look forward to seeing all of your guysā responses here using the hashtag #wordsnstuffworldbuildingĀ and over on Instagram, where you can tag me @ writingandsuch.
This challenge begins on August 1st, but I thought I would give you guys some time to plan stuff out, because you may need to switch some days around to accommodate your schedule. Youāre free to do one dayās challenge on another day if your schedule doesnāt allow enough time to complete that dayās challenge. Best of luck to you!
Days 1-10: History & Geography
How does climate and weather change in the part(s) of the world your story occurs in?
Describe the landscape/layout of the major location(s) in your story. (Major buildings, natural formations, prominent mountains, where charactersā homes are situated, etc.
How have the species/groups/races in your story formed the relationships they have throughout history?
What major wars/conflicts/disasters have taken place in the timeline of history in your story? How do they affect your world and the beings in present times?
What recent history affects your story the most? What were the eventsā initial effects and how do they compare and contrast to the long lasting damages/benefits?
Create two timelines; One that covers major events that have occurred since the beginning of your world as your character knows it, then one that covers recent events and time periods (about 500 years should do it).
To what extent does religion exist in your world and how has it evolved over time?
What does nature look like in your world? What plant species exist in your world? Which ones are rare and valuable and which ones are weeds? How do the beings in your world interact with nature?
What animals are present in your world? What areas of the world do specific species inhabit? Does poaching occur? If so, to what extent is it a major issue? What species are commonly domesticated, if any?
How have different species/beings/races been oppressed throughout the history of your world? How does this affect current relationships amongst different groups? Which conflicts have been solved/forgiven and which ones havenāt?
Days 11-20: Society & Culture
What races/species/groups coexist in your world? Describe them and their individual characteristics.
How many languages exist in your world? How do the resemble languages in the real world, if at all?
What major powers play large roles in your world? (i.e. churches, governments, monarchs, caste systems, corporations, etc.)
What does religion look like in your world? Do individuals of faith occupy the majority or the minority?
What are the major and minor opinions held by individuals in your world, concerning politics, morality, society, other groups, etc.
How do the names of beings/groups/individuals translate? How did they originate and how do names differ throughout the world? Are they more sacred and valued in some places than others?
What role does education play in your world? To what extent is it valued or required in society? How are uneducated individuals viewed/discriminated against, if at all?
What is fashion like in your world, if it exists? What do beings wear in your world, if anything? Is clothing an indicator of wealth or class?
To what extent is hygiene a priority to beings of your world? How do beings in different areas keep themselves clean and healthy?
What is the average life span of different species in your world? What aspects of science/evolution/design affect this? How are beings on opposite age extremes treated in society? How are the young and the old treated and how does their treatment differ from those who are not of those ages?
Days 21-30: Systems & Politics
How does your world function economically in your story? What is the currency system and what items/services are of most value in your world?
What political aspects of your story/world mirror real life and how might you convey these similarities through symbolism and abstract depictions of real life events?
How much of a role does politics play in your story/conflict and how does the political climate of your world affect your main character(s), specifically?
What major resources are plentiful and scarce in your world and how does this affect your character(s) as they try to solve the conflict?
What are the specific limits in various areas of science and magic within your world? If you donāt have a magic system, describe the realm of possibility when it comes to scientific capabilities, i.e, maybe in your world, time travel is possible but teleportation has not yet been invented.
What is ethical and non-ethical in your world and how much of a role does ethics play in law-enforcement/society in general?
Are the beings in your world concerned with issues like freedom of speech, equality, opportunity, fairness, and minorities? Do those issues even exist in your setting?
Who are the major world leaders and how do they govern the areas they have control over?
What technology/magic dominates your world? Is it exclusively used by a certain group/species/class? What are its limitations?
If magic does exist in your world, where did it originate? How was it originally meant to function/be used and how is it used in the present? How is magic viewed by different groups/species/classes?
Bonus Day 31 Challenge: The Things You May Forget
What food is common in your world?
How developed is medicine in your world? Is it anything like what we have on Earth?
How easy is it to get from one place to another?
**If anyone has any other aspects not mentioned in the list above that they feel is important to world-building, please leave those in the comments below for other writers to peruse!
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