Basic Tips for World Building
HelloOoOo everybody!
I already have a video discussing the things you shouldn't do while world-building, so today we're discussing the things you should do while world-building. It's a lot of stuff. I'm breaking down the basics you need to determine when creating your fictional world, so let’s get started.
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Number 1: Primary Location
The first category we're going to cover is the setting, which basically covers the most general information about your world. And speaking of your world, what the hell is it called? By “world,” I don't mean the specific setting of your novel. I mean the planet that houses that setting. Maybe it's another plane of existence. Maybe it's a world floating in the sky high above the clouds.
Number 2: Divisions
Next, you're going to figure out your planet's divisions, and by that I mean continents, countries, and kingdoms. Once you’ve got your world divided up like a pizza, it's time to give each slice a name. You don't have to name every country or every kingdom, but you should at least name the ones that are relevant to your story.
Number 3: Subdivisions
Next, we think about subdivisions: villages, cities, or towns. Again, if they're applicable to your story, name them.
Number 4: Setting
Choose your setting. Where does your novel take place? Depending on your story, this could cover an entire globe, or it could be relegated to a single village. For example, the world you created could be called Cyborgia, but your story takes place specifically in the Jennalea Kingdom. Pretty awesome names, if I do say so myself.
Number 5: Flora, Fauna, and Climate
We're getting into nature. The easiest thing to nail down is the weather. Is your setting sunny? Is it rainy? Figure it out. Similarly, you want to consider the seasons because not all places experience a traditional spring, summer, fall, and winter. I live in California, and we don't do snow days.
Number 6: The Surface World
The next step is to consider the Earth, and more specifically, what the surface of the Earth looks like. Maybe everything is mud or dirt. Maybe it's desert sand. Maybe there are paved or cobblestone roads. The last two things to consider are plant life and animal life. Do you have lush green forests filled with bunnies? Or hot pink jungles filled with poisonous snake-monsters? It’s your world; do you.
Number 7: Architecture
Moving on, we reach my least favorite part of world building, and that's architecture. You're gonna ask yourself three simple questions:
- Where do people live?
- What do the buildings look like?
- What are the structures made out of?
And make sure the architecture fits the climate and setting. A desert probably isn't going to feature large wooden homes, unless they have substantial trade agreements. Try to get as detailed with your answers as possible because the more thoroughly you world build, the easier writing will be.
Number 8: History
Now that we've moved on from the bitch that is architecture, we reach history. As in what's the history of your setting? This is where a lot of writers get sucked into the never-ending world-building abyss. So before you get started, be honest with yourself. How much of your world’s history do you actually need to know in order to tell the story? About seventy-five percent of the time, all you really need to focus on are the defining moments:
How was the kingdom born or created?
How did the current government or leader come into power?
Keep in mind history is messy. So the more neat and orderly you make your world's backstory, the less believable it's going to be.
Number 9: Politics
It's time to dissect your world’s politics and other government systems. Here are a few useful questions for this section:
What’s your setting system of government?
Is it a monarchy?
Is it a democracy?
Is it an oligarchy?
Who is the most powerful person or people in this world and why?
How are laws passed and enforced?
Is there a military?
Is there a judicial system?
Is there a monetary system?
Prisons, punishment, death penalty, public torture?
Figure it out.
Number 10: Society
Our next category is society, which is one of my favorite elements of world-building.
First, we're going to look at the class system. Is there an upper, middle, and lower class? Is everyone equal? Or is there a straight-up caste system?
Next, you want to look at racial groups? Are there particular ethnicities that are more common in the setting, or is it diverse? Why is this the case?
Next, we look at gender norms and expectations. It's very common for writers to include the same gender norms that we have in the real world, or try to mirror norms from past civilizations. These are reasonable possibilities, but sometimes it isn't believable. Why would a completely different world with none of our customs have the exact same norms that we do? Plus, a lot of writers don't thoroughly research gender norms throughout history, and go with really incorrect generalizations, and quite frankly, readers are sick of that shit.
Next, you want to look at prejudices and discrimination within your world. Like my last point, this is something a lot of writers try to base off history without doing proper homework, and they end up getting the facts all kinds of fucked up.
Next is sexual orientation. How is it viewed? Is sexuality a social identifier? Because it hasn't always been that way.
Next, we look at children. How they're raised, how they're treated, how they're expected to behave.
This segues into schooling and careers. You want to break down how education works in your world, if it exists at all, and what sort of jobs are available, respected, and coveted.
And be sure to cover any societal expectations or norms that your world might enforce, regardless of whether or not they fit into the aforementioned categories.
Number 11: Culture
This is what makes your world colorful and unique. The first and most obvious thing to nail down is whether or not your world has some type of belief system.
On a related note, you want to think about holidays, celebrations, and customs. This could tie directly into your world’s belief system, like, for example, Christmas. Or it could have nothing to do with them, like Presidents’ Day.
Next, you want to pin down my favorite topic, romance. How are relationships treated? What about dating, sex, or marriage? Is PDA frowned upon? Is sex liberal and free? Are there any romantic expectations at all?
Next, we cover the arts. Music, dancing, writing, theater, and art itself. Is this a thing in your world? If it is, what's it like? If not, why not?
After that, we look at sports and athletics, aka shit I suck at. What sort of sports exist? Do they involve broomsticks and flying balls? Or fighting to the death for sheer entertainment?
Speaking of entertainment, what's that like in your world? What do people do for fun?
You also can't forget about clothing, accessories, or body modifications. Are tattoos and piercings a thing? Do people color their hair? Do people wear underwear?
The last thing you want to cover is ethics. What are some moral codes that people typically follow? This could be related to your religious system, or it could have nothing to do with it. Maybe honor is just an extremely important concept in your world.
Number 12: Technology, Science, and Magic
I could make an entire video about this, but I'm not going to, ‘cause I've got shit to do. I combine these things because they often go hand-in-hand. For example, sometimes science is used to heal people. Sometimes it's technology. Sometimes it's magic. You need to figure out the extent of your world’s technological advancements, their knowledge of science, and their magic system, or if they have one at all. Nail down as many details as you can. The capabilities, the limitations, and who has access to advantages and who doesn’t, because these three things are gonna come into play a lot more than you're probably anticipating.
So that's all I've got for you today!
There are a bunch of other things you can potentially figure out about your world; these are just the basics. Additionally, world-building can be a major time suck. So be honest with yourself regarding what information is relevant to your story and what isn't. It's great if your world has a complex, innovative irrigation system, but your readers probably don't give a shit.
If you'd like help creating your own unique world, check out my nonfiction writing craft book, Shut Up and Write the Book, for a step-by-step guide to building your world without writer's block.
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Great breakdown of the essential elements of world-building!
I especially like the focus on making history, culture, and society feel believable.
For a little creative downtime, I also enjoy exploring random music inspiration
Spent way too long on Poki last weekend — started with one puzzle game and ended up trying like five different ones. Everything loads right in the browser which is nice when you just want something quick without installing anything. The variety is honestly what keeps me coming back.
Spent way too long on Poki last weekend — started with one puzzle game and ended up trying like five different ones. Everything loads right in the browser which is nice when you just want something quick without installing anything. The variety is honestly what keeps me coming back.