The fantasy and sci-fi genres may – more than any other genre – allow you to explore people, themes, and issues in larger-than-life scenarios. While world building is an important part of any story, it is especially important to the fantasy and science fiction story. A fantastic world is part of these genre’s appeal. These […]
The world you write can be enriched through the existence of multiple religions. Especially in fantasy, religions allow you to emphasize and explore beliefs and questions about existence. Religion can also be a unifying or divisive element in your writing. It can be a tool to illuminate a character’s deeply personal life. It can […]
I assume you know the different types of government that have appeared thoughout history. You’ve probably even chosen one for several of your peoples. The decision seems easy on the surface but the effects of this choice are often overlooked. The life of someone living in a theocracy is vastly different from someone living […]
To an extent, you can design your physical world based on the people that inhabit it. Or you can create cultures based on the features of your world. Land and people interact. So when you design one, keep the other in mind. I mentioned the role of geography earlier in this series. Since […]
By culture I am referring to the distinct ways that a group lives their lives instead of the group’s symbols and creative aspects. Know the differences between the cultures in your world allows for both diversity and potential conflict. Knowing the specifics of a particular character’s cuture does the same – as well as […]
