World Building Overview

World Building Overview

I’ll get more into world building later, but a quick rundown of some of what you should think about may be wise.

Arts and Entertainment
Calendar and Time Keeping
Crime and the Legal System
Daily Life
Diet
Fashion and Dress
Eating customs
Education
Foreign Relations
Gestures
Government
Greeting and Meeting
Language
Magic and Magicians (if any)
Magic vs. Technology (if any)
Manners
Medicine
People and Customs
Physical and Historical Features of the Settings
Climate and Geography
Natural Resources
General History
Politics
Population
Religion and Philosophy
Rules of Magic (if any)

A few words may suffice, such as “Politics—As corrupt as it gets. The justice you get depends on the size of your wallet.”

At other times, you may wish to get elaborate. For my world-building, I’m not above drawing not only a map of the area, but also a map of the town and sometimes even maps of houses, depending on the need. Having a clear frame of reference can only help you convey that vision to the readers.

Occasionally, humor may also play a part. Let’s say the locals have an odd custom of an elaborate handshake the characters can’t follow well. Their attempts could prove humorous. On the other hand, perhaps you could make a joke out of how the local government’s taxes and graft seems remarkably like the IRS.

Take a few moments to flesh out the world in your own mind so you can consistently flesh it out for the reader with ease.