It’s week two of Preptober, and time to start writing. How exciting is that?
This week our focus is world-building. I’ve compiled a list of questions to help you figure out your world and how people live in it.
But what if your story is set in the real world? You probably still want to fill this out. Things like food, clothing and culture vary wildly depending on where you’re from. And it never hurts to get things down on paper.
Besides, thinking of these details will help you step into the world of your story. It’ll get you thinking of those intimate details.
What is the weather like?
This is pretty straightforward, but no less important. There’s a reason one of the first things I do in the morning is check the weather.
Does it rain a lot? Is it sunny? Is this a place where the weather impacts travel and crops? Does any of this have anything to do with your story?
What do people wear?
Clothing tells us so much about a person. What do people usually wear in your world? Cloaks, jeans, sweaters? Are mink coats the style, or Foster Grants?
What do people eat?
This might largely be impacted by the first question, and where your story is taking place. An ocean-side city is going to eat a lot of fish. A more rural land is going to have a lot of farm food, like chicken and corn.
What’s the popular entertainment?
This is always a fun thing to consider. What are people doing to entertain themselves? Are plays popular entertainment? Do people gather at the local tavern to hear music? Or is this a more modern story where people prefer to stay home and stream a movie? No judgment.
Is there a magical structure? What are the rules?
Here’s where things get fun. What kind of magic exists in your world, if any? What rules does the magic have? What are its limitations? Because of course, magic isn’t fun when it doesn’t have limitations.
What is their technology like?
Even if you’re writing a fantasy novel, there’s still technology. It’s just that it’s going to look wildly different depending on when in time your story takes place. Do they have smartphones or water wheel power generators? Or, if you’re writing steampunk, maybe a fantastic combination of both?
What political structure do they have?
Politics might be frustrating, but it’s something that impacts us all. Whether it’s going to impact your story or not, you should know what political structure is. Even if it’s just a local sheriff and a disinterested mayor.
What cool element exists in this world that isn’t in ours, and how does that impact everyone?
Yes, this applies to every story, even if it’s set in the real world. This doesn’t have to be magical. It doesn’t have to be fantastic pieces of technology. Though of course, that’s fine if it is.
This can be an old mill, a fantastic coffee shop, or a stretch of road that has the habit of moving around on certain nights of the year.
So that’s it for this time. Don’t forget, you can download my Preptober Planner from my Ko-Fi shop and play along all month.
See you next week for week three.
Paper Beats World 