*Click click clack*

Writing references and saves sideblog (like and reblog but do not follow)

[wind-tied]

postal stamps for different countries across morweav

[thegoldenseries]

How I Make Fantasy Geography

There are few things more irritating than reading a book where it feels like the author has no idea where anything is. You don't know which city is east from where, the river you thought flowed south actually flows west, and everything's a mess. Worse, maybe you're writing along and suddenly realize you don't know if the sun is in your adventurer's eyes, because you don't know which way they're walking. Fear not! This guide will make fantasy geography easy.

The best place to start is always with what you want. Think about the important locations of your story and the terrain around them. We'll make up a few just to go through the post with. Let's say Beachtown is a coastal city, Holy Ruins are in a forest, Mountainburg is in the mountains, and Fieldville is in the plains.

Start thinking about the worldbuilding details you have in mind for each. For example, say Beachtown is always warm and sunny. It will probably be close to your world's equator. If the Holy Ruins are very cold all the time, they will be further away from it. In most western fantasy, the north is associated with cold and the south with warmth, so inversing these or even flipping it to east and west could be a great way to add some extra fantasy flavor to your worldbuilding!

Ask yourself how your cities get the resources they need. Historically, cities were built near bodies of water to provide irrigation for crops and hydration for animals and people. You might consider following the same example for Fieldville and place it near a natural spring (which is why so many cities are named Springfield) and have it be supported by surrounding farms. Maybe Beachtown has a way to purify saltwater for drinking, and fish is a large part of the local diet. Mountainburg might be near a mountain spring, and food may rely on hearty livestock or trade caravans.

Consider pulling from real-life geography as well. The US Midwest is home to huge swathes of plains, so you might look into that as an example for Fieldville. Fantasy affords you some options for creativity, but there's nothing wrong with pulling from real life, too!

Finally, lay things out in basic positions. You don't have to be super detailed, we're not making a map here! But having a general direction of where things are located will help your writing and add to your worldbuilding.

[em-dash-press-deactivated202410]

Approaching Your World-Building Through Two Perspectives

Creating a new world for a story is intimidating! Sometimes it feels like as you're writing, you're tacking on world-building details that get buried in your draft.

I've also re-read my work and felt like the characters were vivid, but their world was blurry. There are a few ways to help your work when you come across these problems.

Perspective 1: Zoom In From Outer Space

Imagine looking at your world, country, city, or any other location from outer space. Create a new document or grab a fresh sheet of paper and start taking notes as details come to you, like:

Is your world mostly water, land, or a mix of both?

Do the inhabitants of your world survive on oxygen?

Is your protagonist more human or an otherwordly creature?

Where on that planet or in that country does your protagonist's story take place?

After getting these ideas down, you can zoom in a bit closer. Ask yourself questions like:

What's the geography like where your protagonist lives/experiences your plot?

How does society operate in that location? (Are there economic classes, politics influencing their lives, discrimination holding them back, etc.)

Who fits best in that society, who doesn't, and why?

What does your protagonist like about that location and what do they not like?

Zoom in further if you want to start your world's backstory. You should be able to answer things like:

What local or national history created that societal or political system?

Did any historical event take place that influenced your protagonist's current life? (Maybe their grandparents relocated after a regional drought devastated their farms and others nearby. There could have been a national tragedy or success.)

What is your protagonist's personal history with the area? (Are the fond of their hometown because it's where they were born? Did they move there as a kid and meet their antagonist?)

This method is best for people who love to plan their work. Enjoy learning about the world that influence's your protagonist's journey and remember that it's okay to start writing at any point!

Perspective 2: Start With Your Protagonist

You can also start world-building by focusing on your character. Address details of their personality like:

What is their normal routine?

How does their routine work with or against their local society?

Do they enjoy their current lifestyle?

What's most important to them?

What do they believe in, outside of themself and their abilties?

Then you can start asking the most important question—why.

Why does your character never eat meat?

Why doesn't their current life serve their interests?

Why do they have the relationships with friends and family members that they have?

Why do they have their specific set of values?

Why does their life start changing at the inciting incident of your story?

The "whys" will lead you down natural paths to expanding your new world. It's better suited to people who write without planning—just make sure you keep a record of your answers/world-building details along the way!

Play Around With Your World Building Routine

Creating your first in-depth world is a challenge, but it will come much more easily with practice. Try both perspectives in your writing to see what works for you!

[esoteric-goblin]

on worldbuilding, and what people think is going on

there is one facet of fantasy worldbuilding that is, to me, the most interesting and essential but i don't see it come up in worldbuilding guides or writing prompts or anything, and that is the question of:

what do the inhabitants of your world believe about how the world works, and how are they wrong? a lot of fantasy media will set up their cosmology, gods, magic systems, planar systems, concepts of the afterlife, &c., and proceed as though the inhabitants of the world know and understand them.

from someone whose entire academic career is focused on studying human culture in various regions and time periods, with a focus on belief systems (religion, occultism, mythology, folklore): that sort of worldbuilding is unrealistic and missing out on so much fun.

people are always seeking new understanding about how the world works, and they are mostly wrong. how many models of the solar system were proposed before we reached our current one? look at the long, turbulent history of medicine and our various bizarre models for understanding the human body and how to fix it. so many religions and occult/magical traditions arise from people disagreeing with or adapting various models of the world based on new ideas, methods, technologies. many of them are wrong, but all of them are interesting and reflect a lot about the culture, beliefs, values, and fears of the people creating/practising them.

there is so much more to the story of what people believe about the world than just what is true.

to be clear: i think it's fine and important for the author to have a coherent explanation for where magic comes from or who the gods are, so they can maintain consistency in their story. but they should also be asking what people in the world (especially different people, in different regions/nations and different times) think is happening when they do magic, or say a prayer, or practise medicine, or grieve their dead. it is a rich vein for conflict between individuals and nations alike when two models of the world disagree. it is fascinating how different magic systems might develop according to different underlying beliefs.

personally, i think it is the most fun to spawn many diverse models of the world, but give none of them the 'right' answer.

(bonus points if you also have a thriving academic system in the world with its own theory, research, and discourse between factions! as an academic, it is very fun to imagine fictional academic debate over the topics i'm worldbuilding. sometimes i will be working out details for some underlying mechanic of the world and start imagining the papers being written by scholars researching it)

[borzoibabe]

you know what trope pisses me off the most? when the protag is pointing a gun at somebody and they’re like “you won’t do it. you’re too good” and the person holding the gun is like oh shit i am and they slowly lower the gun while the other person laughs. WHAT THE FUCK. if i were there, and somebody told me “you won’t do it” i would immediately shoot them dead without hesitating. who are you to tell me what i wont do. musty bitch

[k-lionheart-deactivated20171126]

[sam-winchester-cries-during-sex]

[kyraneko]

Keep in mind that there is almost always a third option, most especially when the person talking is vague about what, precisely, it is that you “won’t do.”

If it’s noodles, pour them on your sister instead of on her computer, or if the noodles are quite hot, pour them on her pillow or in a great spattering arc around her room.

If you have a supervillain at gunpoint and *they* say you’re “too good” and “won’t do it,” shoot them in the leg/foot or the shoulder. The former allows them to think they’re right while you lower the gun only to be confronted with sudden understanding and regret when you blow their metatarsals to kingdom come, while the latter is instant and avoids giving them even a moment’s satisfaction or any time to charge you while you’re lowering the gun to shoot them in the leg.

Door Number Three usually exists and is often your friend. Endeavor to cultivate awareness thereof.

[mixingmetaphorsoup]

Ethical dillemas are rarely reducible down to a clear binary.

[cy-cyborg]

What able bodied authors think I, an amputee and a wheelchair user, would want in a scifi setting:

Tech that can regenerate my old meat legs.

Robot legs that work just like meat legs and are functionally just meat legs but robot

Literally anything that would mean I don't have to use a wheelchair.

If I do need to use a wheelchair, make it fly or able to "walk me" upstairs

What I actually want:

Prosthetic covers that can change colour because I'm too indecisive to pick one colour/pattern for the next 5+ years.

A leg that I can turn off (seriously, my above knee prosthetic has no off switch... just... why?)

A leg that won't have to get refitted every time I gain or loose weight.

A wheelchair that I can teleport to me and legs I can teleport away when I'm too tired to keep walking. And vice versa.

In that same vein, legs I can teleport on instead of having to fiddle around with the sockets for half an hour.

Prosthetic feet that don't require me to wear shoes. F*ck shoes.

Actually accessible architecture, which means when I do want to use my wheelchair, it's not an issue.

Prosthetic legs with dragon-claw feet instead of boring human feet or just digigrade prosthetics that are just as functional as normal human-shaped ones.

A manual wheelchair with the option to lift my seat up like those scissor-lift things so I'm not eye-level with everyone's butt on public transport/so I can reach the top shelf by myself.

A prosthetic foot that lights up when it hits the ground like those children's shoes.

A few additions I remember seeing in the comments on my old account:

holographic prosthetic covers

transformers-style mobility aids that can fold into the shapes of different aids (e.g. a wheelchair that can fold into a cane)

prosthetic covers with pockets/hidden compartments (kind of surprised this isn't a thing already).

find my leg (like find my iphone, but for your legs when you haven't worn them in a while lol)

TLDR: Stop assuming every disabled person would want to be as close to "normal" as possible in your works. Some absolutely would and having options for them if fine, but I rarely see any examples of media showing those of us who don't. start letting amputees in your scifi works have fun with our prosthetics, fix the problems real amputees are already talking about instead of what you think are the issues and make your settings as a whole accessible!

[worldanvil]

More details on the blog.

[the-never-ending-project]

Hi we were bored so here is...

How different cultures react to seeing the human idea of nuclear families that heavily emphasize lineage even still:

Dracofolk: "what the fuck is a family?"

Elvenfolk: "it's so... hmm... uh, small? Why?"

Batfolk: "who's gonna take care of the kid when those two argue?? Or if they're busy??? Who teaches them????? How does anyone survive that???????"

Northern lycanthropes: "oh that's cool, but how do you care so much about ancestors without having any ancestors around"

Southern lycanthropes: "why is it like that how does anyone afford that what the fuck"

Antfolk: "...why are adults living with their own blood relatives"

Ant wyverns: "you guys know your blood relatives???"

Merfolk: "oh, so like us then"

[ipsogender]

Alternative language for biology of sex without using "hermaphrodite"

So, you're worldbuilding a scifi alien species or a fantasy race that can reproduce as both male and female. Or you're a biologist or science educator. And you want what you're writing/making to be inclusive to intersex people.

The term hermaphrodite in biology refers to species that can reproduce as both male or female. The problem is it's also a slur when used against intersex people (it's also incorrect - we're not hermaphrodites). I recently polled other intersex folks informally and a plurality were fine with the h-word being used with the correct meaning in appropriate contexts. But the qualitative feedback I got was, all things equal, most people who wrote to me said they'd just be happier seeing the term less.

So here is a glossary of words you can use to talk about the biology of sex without invoking the h-word:

Gonochoric species where individuals (typically) reproduce only as either male or female. This means the species produces two types of gametes that have different sizes, and conventionally the larger is female. Gono- for generation/reproduction and -choric for separated/distinct. Note that "non-gonochoric" includes both hermaphroditic species and those that can reproduce asexually (e.g. parthenogenesis).

Gonosyne: species where individuals (typically) can reproduce as both male or female. Gono- for generation/reproduction and syne for together/combined. This is a term I have coined to be an alternative to hermaphrodite.

Types of gonosyny: it's common to categorize different forms of gonosyny based on temporality and how many gonads an individual has.

Grouping by Temporality:

Cosex: species where individuals can reproduce as both male and female simultaneously. Alternative terms: cosexual, simultaneous hermaphrodism. For example: land snails/slugs typically mate by linking up both pairs of genitals.

Dichosex: gonosynic species where individuals reproduce as male and female at different times in their lives. Protandrous species start as male then switch to female; protogynous start female then switch to male. Some species cycle between the two (serial/bidirectional hermaphrodism/disexuality). Alternative terms: dichosexual, dichogamous, sequential hermaphrodism. I coined this one after feedback that "dichogamous" was not intuitive to non-botanists, keeping dicho- (in two parts/paired) for simplicity. Example animal: clownfish (the Finding Nemo fish).

Grouping by Gonads:

Digonic: species that can reproduce as both male and female because they have separate male and female gonads. Digony can be cosex or dichosex. In botany the term monoecious is used for flowering plants. For example: barnacles have their ovaries in the base of their body, and testes in the back of their head.

Syngonic: species that can reproduce as both male and female, because their gonads can produce both male and female gametes. Alternative terms: syncoecious, monoclinous, ambisexual. (Note ambisexual has other meanings.) Syngony can be cosex or dichosex. In dichosexual species the gonad changes which gametes it produces when the individual changes sex. For example: land slugs have a single gonad (ovotestis).

Together this makes four categories. Examples come from: Sex change in plants and animals: a unified perspective.

Syngonic cosexual. Simultaneous gonosyny within the same flower/gonad. Examples: Black-jack daisy, Lady of the Night cactus; mangrove killifish, stubby-root nematode.

Syngonic dichosexual. Non-simultaneous gonosyny within the same flower/gonad. Examples: Bromelia chrysantha, grape ivy; California sheephead fish, common limpet.

Digonic cosexual. Simultaneous gonosyny from different flowers/gonads. Examples: bitter melon, jaraguá grass; barnacles, flatworms.

Digonic dichosexual. Non-simultaneous gonosyny from different flowers/gonads. Examples: papaya, catsfoot; staghorn coral, earthworm.

Hope this is helpful! I have two little notes I want to add on: Note on "non-gonochoric": it's possible this could also include isogamous speries? There's some ambiguity in use. Isogamy refers to sexual reproduction where you don't have two different sized gametes - instead it's two identically sized gametes that are getting combined. This is the standard amongst unicellular eukaryotes and very common in fungi.

Note on ambisexual: this is the term that Ursula K LeGuin used for the dichosexual aliens in the Left Hand of Darkness. The term in biology these days refers to undifferentiated (immature) tissue that has yet to develop into a given sex - e.g. a human embryo has ambisexual gonads until sexual differentiation later on in development. The term ambisexual has a ton of other meanings in other contexts such as a sexual orientation. For this reason I'd personally avoid it.

[grokebaby]

The worldbuilding urge to create an original gender / sex system

[wind-tied]

Sealy beasts

Saxles are a seal like sophont on Morweav that live primarily along the ocean. They eat a diet of fishes, and anything they can get their hands on. They evolved from small dog sized mammals that hunted in rivers, and eventually moved to the ocean. They spend their days basking in the sun, playing, and fishing.

In current times they are primarily isolated to smaller ranges than what they originally had. Most are highly aggressive towards other sophonts (except Oram saxus, who cohabit with Tieraltsh). “Pod fishing” is a popular way of fishing ; sea vines, thorn leaves, and pods from the Louro tree are crafted into long ropes. They float in the sea, the thorns catching hook to any fish who finds a pod tasty. Saxles don’t have a strong care for clothing, but do have many symbolic tattoos.

[probablygoodrpgideas]

Citybuilding

Here's how I build large cities:

First the people of the city need a place to live. Then I need to figure out if they are segregated (e.g. by class).

Then whether there's a seperate market district or if stuff is sold in the housing districts.

Then, if it borders a body of water (which it probably does, why else would it be a big city) there should be a harbor and maybe a fishing district.

For settings with advanced modes of transportation like airships or trains there needs to be a central station

Lastly, it probably has some kind of industry which could be a mining district, an industrial zone, a district of craftsmen, the aforementioned fishing district or something else. Depending on city size i'd go for 1-3 of these industrial districts.

Then I add some unique districts to make the city stand out a bit more. Depending on city size I add between 1-4 of those, and here are some examples: Theatre/opera district, religious district, tourism district, sports district, barracks, campus, government district

[creativehabbit]

[callitgoodwriting-deactivated20]

Worldbuilding Categories | Part 1

I'd like to preface this with two things:

worldbuilding is complex; none of this is exhaustive, but rather a starting point

unless you're doing this for RPG purposes or you're George R.R. Martin, you don't need to have a comprehensive bible on every aspect of every little thing. start with what is important to you and the story you're telling.

Languages

Most common by geographic location, demographic, religion, etc. Dead languages. Pidgin + creole languages. Different dialects, pronunciation, and communication issues within a language. Class and economic influence. Generational differences, slang, and evolving connotations of words. Education and preservation of languages. Monolingual, bilingual, polyglot prevalence.

Folklore

[Folklore encompasses legends, tales, proverbs, and myths.]

Origin of lore (religion, morality, societal need/panic, historical sightings or explanations of (super)natural events...) Focus of lore (agricultural, seasonal, health/wellness, lessons...) Common themes (deities, supernatural, cryptids...) Expression of lore (oral tradition, art, dance, rituals...)

Literature/Storytelling

Oral vs. written. Types of recording + distribution. Common and popular genres, themes, lessons... Importance in society and certain demographics.

Art

Folk art, "high" vs "low" art, fine art, popular art, classic art. Common mediums. Popular themes. How it's valued, displayed, traded/sold. Influence of socioeconomics, religion, region, history, demographics... Societal view of artists, mediums, and importance of art.

Drama

Stage plays, narrative dance, operas/musicals, radio, television, film, literary/poetic performance... Geographic and socioeconomic access. "Art" criteria can be applied here as well.

Music

Instruments. Purposes (religious, traditional, entertainment...). Lyricism and composition. Performance, recording, + distribution. Genres, themes, popularity. Perception of different variations. Prevalence and importance. Interaction with political movements and modernity. Accessibility of composition and consumption.

Celebrity

Who is valued above others (royalty, politicians, public figures, artists, performers, writers, certain families...) How gossip and information about celebrities are shared + consumed. Trends and crazes. Reality vs. generated press.

Fashion

Available fabric, dyes, labor, + technology. Expectations of modesty. Class and occupational influence. Social importance of style + quality (+ possibly brand or designer). Gendered considerations (both of wear and creation of fashion). Implications of certain colors, materials, symbolism...

Food

Access. Restaurants, street vendors, chefs... Recipe distribution. Popularity or disapproval of cuisine from different groups. Agricultural considerations. Preparation, processing, health and safety regulation, trade/sale... Diet culture. Delicacies and comfort foods. Hunting + gathering. Who's in charge of each stage of food from acquisition to plate.

Water + Sanitation

Cost and accessibility of clean water. Sewage. Running water. Bathing. Hot water. Rural vs. city. What happens to gray and black water. Toilets.

Religions

Historical significance. Modern view + prevalence. Branches + denominations. Conflict between groups. Church vs. state in government. Religion-based assumption of rights/ownership (colonization, crusades...).

Religion (individual)

Monotheistic, pantheistic, polytheistic, no deities... Prophets, messengers, spiritual beings (like angels or demons)... Closed or open religion. Written or documented material. Historical and cultural significance. Traditions, holidays, and other sacred practices. Buildings, sites, objects, and other sacred physical things. Afterlife belief. Magic. The "soul" and values/morals.

Holidays, Traditions, + Celebrations

Cultural and religious influence. Government recognition. Birthdays, equinoxes, lunar/solar calendars, anniversaries, births, marriages... Parties, parades, gifts, gatherings, ceremonies. Food, dress, location. Associated symbolism.

Marriage, Family, + Parenting

Age, gender, socioeconomic, religious, race/ethnicity considerations for partnerships. Marriage definition, importance, + practices. Birth vs. adopted children. Surrogacy. Community and extended family involvement with childrearing. Morality and ideas of "sanctity" around partnership/marriage. Legality and legacy of family. Strict vs. gentle parenting. Views of parental involvement vs. nannies, wet nurses, + other childcare. Single parenthood. Polyamory and multiple "direct" parents. Divorce, remarrying, + step-parenting. Family pride, loyalty, name importance...

Non-Religious Beliefs

Anything that (even if originally rooted in religion) has become mainstream, commonplace, universal, or widespread. Etiquette and manners. Superstitions. Understanding of science and the natural world. Ethics.

Government

The type of government and its popularity among the masses. Voting + the people's voice. Political parties + important families. Politicians. Corruption. Inherited vs. elected vs. appointed positions. Divisions (local, designated counties/states, federal...). Branches of government. Executive power. Inherited power.

Law (Enforcement + Judiciary Systems)

Who defines and implements the law. Geographic divisions of law and enforcement. Systems of law enforcement and judiciary procedure (e.g. police vs FBI, local court vs. Supreme Court). Investigations, trials, sentencing, punishment or rehabilitation efforts. Forensics and law enforcement ethics. Community-based efforts. Non-government positions (lawyers, advocates, informants, clerks...). Procedures, protocols, and protection of individual rights. Emergency response and law enforcement patrol.

Crime

Religious + cultural influence/view on criminality of acts or substances. Prevalence of crime and prejudiced/preconceived ideas of certain crimes/criminals. Legality of certain substances or services (such as marijuana or sex work). How it affects perception or traffic of certain areas/times of day. Disparities in who is victimized, suspected, and prosecuted.

As always, take what is helpful and leave the rest.

Again, this is far from exhaustive and more of an attempt to kickstart your brainstorming. There are always caveats and asterisks and whatever else because every world, universe, galaxy, etc is incredibly varied.

Take what ya need and happy writing!

[Call it Good] Writing

[ahb-writes]

Fantasy Worldbuilding Questions (Trade, Commerce, and Industry)

Trade, Commerce, and Industry Worldbuilding Questions:

What is the primary currency in this world? Does each region have its own?

What is the standard (such as the gold standard) by which currency is valued?

Who has more relative trading power and why? Which commodities are valued the most?

Who is paid the most because their labor is valued highest? Who is paid the least? Or is labor compensated equally (and do pay grades vary by region)?

Where are the biggest centers of trade and industry? Why are they in these locations?

Where are the main trading routes and what are landmarks or places of interest along their way?

When was this world most or least prosperous, and why?

When business is conducted, what are the customs, signs of trust (like signatures on Earth), formalities?

Why is a specific trade more common than others (what context underpins it)?

Why are certain trades growing or waning in popularity?

❯ ❯ ❯ Read other writing masterposts in this series: Worldbuilding Questions for Deeper Settings

[orangeorages]

one of my favorite ways to make fantasy worlds more real is FASHION.

>can people decipher someone's class status based off their clothing? maybe describe someone of a lower class wearing cheaper fabrics or someone of a higher class wearing more accessories.

>can you tell whether someone's native to the area based on clothing? maybe your protagonist recognizes that someone's a foreigner based on them wearing a different style of clothing(different sewing styles, less or more stylized, different colors, different fabrics, etc). Or! Your protagonist is a foreigner and has difficulty trying to look native(they accidently look touristy, or end up just looking goofy in general).

>is there ceremonial clothing?

>do kids dress differently?(less or more formal, different colors to make them easier to recognize in a crowd, simpler outfits that are easier to get into, more or less simple.)

>is there fake cultural clothing? (a tourist trap wears extravagant versions of actual cultural clothing.)

>could, if your protagonist is a foreigner, accidently wear culture clothing wrong and offend someone? Or, it was purposeful disrespecting?

>can you tell what region of an area someone from based on their clothing?

>are there clothing trends?(embroidery, certain accessories, certain fabrics, certain colors, etc becomes more popular) and are those trends different for each age group?(kids have trends that are more based on colors and styles than accessories and fabrics because of comfort and playfulness)

>could you tell someone's job based off their clothing?

[redd956]

Worldbuilding questions to get the creative juices flowing 17

Theme: Fashion + Beauty Standards

Does fashion differ across genders, identities, and gender styles? (masculine vs. feminine clothing) How does gender norms affect fashion?

How does a culture’s color theory affect fashion? What are the cultural beauty standards? (Pale skin, small feet, horn colors for demons, fur patterns, tattoos)

How does culture integrate itself into fashion/how does fashion build around cultural norms? (tattoos cultural, how is clothing built to show them off; women must cover their legs, how does that work; etc.)

Are their fashion influencers, companies, and designers influencing fashion? Does fashion differ over generations? 

How are newer beauty standards coming in? Are the beauty standards changing? What ones are on their way out?

Are the present beauty standards dangerous? If so, does anyone care about that danger? Is the government involved in beauty standards?

Is there a difference in fashion and beauty standards amongst class? Are lower income classes able to appear as fashionable? How does the society’s economic situation affect beauty standards and fashion? (Think of the change of woman’s body types in beauty standards over the eras)

Is immigration altering the standards? Is neighboring societies altering the standards?

How does species play a role? (Horns, different skin tones, tails, etc.)

Ethnicity? Traditions? Magic? Technology? All these will incorporate themselves in fashion and beauty standards in one way. Whether its how make up is made, what is acceptable, and how far someone could go.

Does discrimination play a role? Against race, species, gender? Anything?

I personally love giving each nation in my stories strict fashion standards, and noticeable beauty standards, only for the next place to be completely different.