What makes your world your own?

Is it the people who love you? The career that grounds you? The trees that grow in your backyard or the weeds that sprout alongside them? Is it your morning jog through the neighborhood or your trips to the local grocery store? Maybe it’s the apps you use or the car you drive. Maybe it’s all of these things and more.

What have you come to expect of yourself and your day-to-day life? And why?

What affects you? Do you have a choice in the matter?

As you consider these questions, recognize what you’re really doing–you’re worldbuilding. You create your life with your thoughts and actions every single day, whether or not you realize it. You are in a constant state of change, made possible by your past experiences and far-reaching dreams. You don’t have to be an engineer to build something. All you have to do is wake up in the morning and breathe.

You raise this house.

So, how does this translate into our fictional worlds, the ones we’re building for our novels and screenplays and ballets? How do you build something from nothing? Where do you start, and when does the image in your mind’s eye become fan art on someone’s Instagram page?

Who knows, right?!

I’ve spent years with my head in the interwebs, trying to decipher the best, most foolproof worldbuilding process. Beginning to end. No plot holes. Preferably in checklist form. And here’s what I learned: There is no perfect system. Not even one. Because every world is different. Your greatest downfall will be fear of the unknown. Your greatest triumph won’t be finishing but starting.

And after all these years of research and trial and error and, finally, victory, I can definitely help with that. Below is a checklist of questions that might prove useful in building your fictional world. While I won’t be able to answer any of them for you, they’ll give you a platform from which to launch. Happy worldbuilding!

 

Aquinnah Bree’s Worldbuilding Checklist

• What is the creation/evolution story of your universe?
• What language(s) do your characters speak? Do they speak? And if not, how do they communicate with each other?
• How do science and mathematics affect the technology of your world?
• What currency is accepted here?
• What is the history of your world? Has it been recorded by your characters?
• What sorts of vehicles are used in this world? Is there a preferred method of transportation? If so, why?
• What is the hierarchy like here? Who is in charge and why? Are military forces required to enforce this hierarchy?
• How do your characters dress? What do they wear to parties? Funerals? For a night out?
• What is the geography of your world?
• What is the topography? How about the weather?
• What is the architecture like?
• What is one word or statement that describes your fictional culture?
• How are your elderly characters viewed by the rest of society? How about your child characters?
• What is taboo here? Why? And what becomes of those characters who dare to go against the grain?
• What are the religious beliefs here, if any? How do those beliefs influence the actions of your characters?
• What becomes of your deceased?
• What are your marriage laws? Are there marriage laws?
• What sorts of jobs/careers are available in your world? How does your society view the working class? How easy/challenging is it to make a living here? If it’s challenging, what is being done to help those who are struggling, if anything?
• What style(s) of government exist in your world?
• What are the art forms here?
• Where does your food come from?
• How do your characters dispose of garbage? Do they dispose of it?
• How do your characters view the environment? How does their worldview affect their treatment of Mother Nature? Do they know about her?!
• Who are the criminals of your society? How are they punished, if at all?
• What are your international trade laws, if any?
• What weapons are available here? Are they available to everyone or select personnel only?
• What is your education system like? Do children attend school? Are they homeschooled? Unschooled? What about higher education and/or apprenticeships? Do your characters even value education?
• What sorts of hobbies do your characters pursue?
• What are the most expensive items in your world, and how many people possess such luxuries?
• What holidays are celebrated here?
• What sports are played?
• Do your characters have pets? If so, what sorts of creatures do they keep?
• What is the age of majority here?
• What medicines and medical procedures are available here? Are they enough to keep up with the health of your characters? Are vaccinations available? Who is allowed to practice medicine? What is the average lifespan of your characters?
• What are the core values of your world?

Copyright 2019, Aquinnah Bree–All Rights Reserved

Photo by Jay on Unsplash