A comprehensive guide to world-building
130+ questions to contemplate to help you create a rich world for your next work of fiction
Quite often, when I tell people that I enjoy writing sci-fi and speculative fiction, one of the first things they say to me is “That must be so much fun! It must be easier, too, because you get to make everything up.” That’s when I take a deep, calming breath, and remind myself that they just don’t understand because they’re not a writer or storyteller (or maybe they just don’t know yet), and that’s ok.
The truth is, writing science fiction, fantasy, speculative fiction, or any other story that takes place in a fictional world that is quite different from our own can be quite a challenging process because it takes place in a new world. Constructing an imaginary world is more than just letting your mind go wild on a blank page, so to speak. It’s the foundation of where your story takes place, and whether it is one of these genres, or even something in the “real world” that we know - it can affect everything from the way your characters speak to each other to the way they live, eat, sleep, and breathe; the way they interact with each other; their value systems and societal structures; the problems they face, and so much more. Although the extent of it will differ based on your genre and the story itself, it’s a skill that is essential for any storyteller. Think about it - the story of someone who grew up in the UAE in the 90s is going to be very different from that of someone who grew up in Alaska in the 1800s, or in the UK in 2020. Essentially, it’s just a way of helping us build a structure, or a universe, in which your characters and plot can exist and make sense - to support their story. It is what gives a story, and the things featured within it, its context.
World-building can be both exhausting and overwhelming, as well as incredibly fun. It’s sort of a Goldilocks and the bears situation, where too much and too little of it will probably result in problems, and finding your “just right” balance will really depend on one’s personal tastes. If you don’t do enough of it, you could wind up with some serious plot holes that don’t make sense, or a world that feels shallow and not immersive enough. If you do too much of it, you could wind up spending so much time on building the world that you distract yourself from actually writing the story - or make it overtly complex, with so much fact- and lore-dumping that will make it feel like an exposition-fest that ruins the story’s flow, and overwhelms and confuses the reader while overtaking the parts that will actually make them care about what’s going on with the characters within it.
While I don’t proclaim to be an expert at it by any means - it’s always going to be a work-in-progress to an extent, and I find such joy in constantly learning, and the idea that I can always grow in some way - during the years since I started writing my first novel, I started writing down the things I’d take into consideration. Some of them turned out to be questions that I answered before writing certain parts of my books, and never needed. Some of them were questions that came up as I wrote, when I was stuck on a chapter where something didn’t quite make sense, and I realized it was because I needed to come back to some level of world-building.
I’ve realized that there is no set formula of how much world-building each story needs, and like most things in writing, there isn’t a singular “right” way to do it - you just have to find what works for you. I don’t think I will ever have all of the answers to all of the questions about any world I’m creating - nor do I want to, or need to. But it’s helpful to have a list of these questions available. I don’t try to answer all of them - not get too deep into the nitty-gritty - but it is helpful to run my eye over them and answer those that will be relevant for the story I’m trying to tell, and how it will inform the context of the characters that the story is about. Then comes character development questions - but that’s another topic for another day! I hope these help you too.
The Bigger Picture
Is your world based in the real world (i.e. the world we live in), or a fictional one?
If it’s a fictional one, is it an entirely different world, or a parallel dimension or alternate version of our reality? It might even be a combination of both…
What is the bigger picture like - what’s its solar system like?
Are the inhabitants of this planet aware of the existence of life on other planets (and if so, to what extent), or not?
Is it a world that stays in place, or is a roving one (whether a “Wandering Earth” or a moving city, for instance)?
What is its history - when was it established/how long has it been there? Is it an old place or a new place?
How many suns or moons are there? What else is in its orbit - and does this affect the way the world operates (for instance, impact on climate and geography)?
Would a map be helpful? If so, then what would that look like?
If the world is fictional, is there something in the real world that is similar?
Climate & Geography
What is the general climate and geography like?
What are the seasonal structure like? Are there four seasons, more, or less?
How does time flow there - is there an annual calendar, or months or weeks, or hours, like in our world?
If there is a varying number of suns and moons, how does this affect the climate and geography, such as the heat and sun (and how things grow), or the way the oceans and tides flow, for instance?
How much of the world is rugged and natural, and how much of it is developed?
Was it easy to build upon, and was the land already fertile or habitable, or did it require some kind of development, like terraforming (and if so, how much)?
Is the air safe to breathe there? If it’s not, what causes it to be toxic?
What does the climate mean for resources - is there drinkable water? What type of edible items grow there? How does it affect agriculture, food production, and people’s attitudes around and ability to provide themselves with sustenance?
Is it a desert land? Coastal? Mountainous? Ocean-based? A mix of all? Is there a lot of vegetation? How does the weather impact it, or vice versa?
How are borders or boundaries constructed - are there countries, kingdoms, cities, nations, fiefdoms, etc? How are these divided and decided?
What is the hierarchy within the divided areas - which are bigger, which are smaller, which are more important or less so, and why? Do they interact with each other, and if so, how?
Are there any parts of this world that even the people living in it don’t know about, or is it all explored and known?
Was the climate or geography always like this, or have there been any major events (natural disasters, for instance, or nuclear war) that affected the environment within the entire world or parts of it?
Flora & Fauna
What kind of plants and animals, or other living beings exist there?
Did these exist there when the world was formed, or were they brought there? (And if so, then how, why, when, and by whom?)
What are the most important plants and animals in this world and why? Is it a power reason, a predator reason, a value-as-food reason, for instance?
How do the flora and fauna interact with each other in this world - is it brutal and savage, or do they exist in harmony?
What are the inhabitants of this world’s attitudes towards the flora and fauna - do they see it as mainly a resource to be used, or do they treat it with the utmost respect, or both?
What is the economic value of the flora and fauna in this world? Does this change depending on where the inhabitants are from? Are they valued differently in other cities, or on other planets, for instance?
How does the flora and fauna in this world adapt - is it evolutionary over time, or were there developments in science or nature that fostered it, for instance?
History, Society, Governance, and Technology
What are the most important events in this world’s history that all of its inhabitants would be aware of? Were there wars? Political coups? A pandemic?
Who are the most important figures within this world’s history and why? What are the characters’ feelings on them?
How is history recorded in this world? In writing, or in verbal form, for instance? Who is recording the history - is it an authority that can be relied on, or not?
Do the inhabitants of this world care about the past or not much? If so then why?
How has this world’s history shaped its politics, past and present?
Is this world’s history fluid and ever-changing - does it change rapidly and easily - or is it slow and unchanging, staying more or less the same for a long time?
What was the most stable period of history in this world’s time?
What about the most conflict-ridden period in this world’s time?
Who has the most respect in the society your story takes place within (or the societies around it, if it involves more than one)? Why?
What about the least?
What about value - who has the most, and the least? Is value parallel to respect in this world or society, or not - and if so, then why and how?
What is the power structure or hierarchy here? Who holds the most power, and why? How is power given or earned, divided, spread?
What is the general consensus on those with power - do they lead primarily through respect, adoration, or fear? Is society happy with them? Is your character happy with them or not - and is that in agreement with the norm or not?
What sort of political structure does this world follow? How is power granted?
Is power and politics in this world tied to religion, or not? Why, and how so?
What are the belief systems within this world - is there one main faith that people follow, or multiple? How are these divided, followed, and received? How were these faiths or belief systems established, and how have they evolved?
What is the best thing about living in this society? And the worst?
Who enjoys life with the most ease in this society? And who faces the most hardships? Why, on both counts?
What are the greatest challenges faced by most people in this world? Why?
How easy or difficult is social mobility in this world?
How is this society, city, or planet perceived compared to other societies, cities, or planets in this world?
What are the most upheld social norms here, and why?
What is the system of government and law - how is law decided, practiced, and enforced? What about crime and punishment?
What is the biggest threat to the current governance in this world?
Who are the keenest supporters of the current governance? And the opposite?
What causes the highest amount of conflict and competition in this world? What about harmony - what creates harmony and ease in this world?
What are some of the cultural customs, traditions, and rituals that take place in this world or the societies within it? Are these celebrated or frowned upon? How did these come to be, and why are they received in the way they are?
Have this world’s cultural customs, traditions, and rituals always been like this, or have they changed through time - and if so, then how, why, and when?
Do differing cultural customs, traditions, and rituals in this world cause problems among different groups within its internal societies? If so then how, and why?
Do differing cultural customs, traditions, and rituals in this world cause problems among different groups within its external societies? If so then how, and why?
Why do most people participate in these cultural customs, traditions, and rituals - is it out of habit, out of fear and governance, or out of choice, for instance?
What are some of the worst crimes in this world?
How are these crimes punished?
How strictly is crime observed or surveilled here?
Are there prisons? What are they like?
What is the level of technology that exists in this society? Is it widespread? Advanced? Minimal? Archaic? Does it differ based on social status?
What is people’s relationship with technology in general? Is it celebrated? Revered? Feared?
Who has access to technology in this world?
Is there magic in this world? If so, then what are the rules of the magic system? How is magic perceived? If magic and technology both exist in this world, then what is their relationship to each other? Who is a proponent of each, or both?
Economy, Clothing, Food and Drink
What is considered normal everyday clothing in this world or society?
How is the clothing/the way people dress related to or affected by the climate?
What is the main industry in this world - any key resources being traded?
What is the education system like in this world? Does it differ for different levels of society? What is the chief purpose of the education system? Does it effectively prepare them for the various forms of work in this world, and if so then how?
What are some of the most common jobs in this world?
What are the most highly-desired jobs in this world?
What are the least-desired jobs in this world?
How do people dress for these jobs? Do they dress differently for the different jobs, and if so then how? Is it practical/need-based, or decided for other reasons?
Outside of jobs, do other factors - e.g. gender, race, social class, political standing, for instance - affect how people dress?
What types of fabrics and materials are used in their clothing - how are they sourced and made?
How do people dress for different occasions in this world - work vs. day-to-day, as well as special occasions, like events, or cultural rituals?
What are the most commonly-eaten foods?
What are the most highly-valued, and least-valued foods?
Where is food typically eaten, and how? Is it individual, or communal, for instance? Shared meals or solo dining? Eaten with hands, or cutlery?
What is most people’s relationship to food in this world - is it scarce, and to be treasured? Is there an abundance of it? Does this change for different social classes, or genders, or races, or physical regions, and if so then how and why?
How is food prepared - is it cooked in kitchens, or on open fires for instance?
Is there anything considered forbidden for consumption - anything taboo (certain types of plants, or species, or rare items, that should not be eaten) - and if so then why? Is it taboo for everyone, or only for some parts of this society?
How many meals do people tend to eat per day? Do they tend to converse while they eat, or not? What form does food tend to come in - whole, solid form, or in packaging or after processing of some sort?
What role do beverages play - are they simply there for hydration, or for fun and enjoyment, or for healing purposes or even ritual/spiritual reasons, for instance?
How is food and drink valued or priced in this world? How is it accessed?
Who is considered the wealthiest in this society? And the poorest?
How is wealth achieved and how easy is it to change one’s financial status?
How is work compensated in this world - how are different jobs paid or rewarded, and whose labor is valued the most and why? Is this the same in any surrounding societies or cities that this place interacts with, or does it differ, and how?
What form the basis of currency in this world? What are the forms of trade?
Entertainment, Lifestyle, Health, Transport, Communication
How do people keep themselves entertained? What do they do for fun?
What are the main holidays or special occasions in this world?
What’s the main way people communicate with each other? Any others?
How do people connect with and relate to each other?
Is communication free, or is it under surveillance? Is there freedom of speech, or does censorship or restriction exist (and if so then how, and why)?
What is the language of this world - does it have its own vernacular, and if so, then why, and how did that come about? How does that change the way people interact with other, and the way they tend to think?
Do they write? Share visual stories? What is their chief form of storytelling? Is their information primarily fact-based, or do they enjoy storytelling for fun?
Do people have a way to communicate with those outside of their direct society? If so then how? If not then why?
Are there any famous sayings, idioms, proverbs in this world? What’s the background on these - how did they come about, why are they used, and what do they mean to people? What type of people use them?
Are there any banned words? Do people curse?
Are there any exalted words - when people thank their deities, or show distress, what are some of the words that they say, and how do these words tie into their culture and/or history and/or social structures?
How do people get around? What are their main transport systems? How did these come to be? Who has access to them?
Can these transport systems take them beyond their society? Where to, and how, and at what kind of cost? Who can afford to use them?
Do people travel? What reasons do they have for travel? Is travel safe or dangerous? What does travel typically look like for them - or does it differ based on one’s status in society?
What is the healthcare system in this world? How do people gain medical knowledge? Do they believe in science, or other forms of healing?
Where do people gain access to health and healing? Is it accessible to most people? Is it affordable for most people? How does it differ based on one’s status in society?
Who generally tends to be considered “healthy” in this world and who is considered unhealthy? What is this world’s definition of being healthy?
Relationships, race, gender, sexuality, architecture
What are the different races and genders in this world? What is the history around them? What are the common beliefs around them - and which of these are universally accepted as truth, and which are contested, and why?
Do different races and genders in this world have different levels of privilege and/or power if so, then how and why?
How do people build relationships in this world? Is it usually based on need, or on choice?
How are cross-group relationships perceived in this world? Are they well-received and welcome, encouraged and supported - or are they frowned-upon, judged, or forbidden?
What would make someone be ostracized from this society?
What are some of the most cliche and common stereotypes about the main groups or different types of people in this world or society?
How do people generally build their identity in this world? How does one’s ability to form their own identity differ from how they are perceived in this world?
Is one’s identity open for interpretation or change in this world, or do people generally stay the same (whether by choice or by force) as what they are assigned, either at birth or through societal standards or its infrastructure, governance, or other such standards?
What is the general approach to/mindset towards sexuality in this world?
What is the general approach to/mindset towards gender in this world?
What is the general approach to/mindset towards platonic friendships in this world?
What is the general approach to/mindset towards towards romantic relationships in this world?
Does marriage exist in this world? Why do people get married in it, and how?
What is a typical person’s/being’s relationship with their children in this world?
How are offspring or children perceived, and treated? Are they welcomed by society, encouraged, cherished, supported? Are they seen as labor? Is there an age where they are perceived as innocent, or an age where they are treated like adults? What does it mean for them to be treated like an adult? Do children live in the home with their families or not? How do they make friends?
What is trust like in this society? Do people generally trust their neighbors? Friends? Families? Children? Parents? Government?
What do typical homes look like in this world? Inside and outside.
What do workplaces look like in this world? Inside and outside.
How does the climate affect the architectural styles of this world?
What is the status of natural resources in this world, and how they affect homes, workspaces, and other architecture within this world?
What does it smell like - indoors and outdoors - in different places in this world?
What does it sound like - indoors and outdoors - in different places in this world?
Remember, you don’t have to answer all of these questions to build a solid world - and you also don’t need to know it all at once. Like our real world, some of these things will be constantly changing - as time goes by, we evolve, and so do the societies we live in, as does the world around them. As you work through your stories, and your characters speak to you, moving through the plot and their arcs, the world you’re building may have to shift around that too. But if you’re ever feeling lost, or stuck, this might be a good place to start - and if scanning through them sparks something in your brain to help your character’s stories truly shine, then that’s good enough.
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