World building basics (Part 2 - Society and culture)

Last week, I went into the basics of building your fictional worlds. We’re continuing on with our second instalment where we’ll dive a bit deeper into the nitty gritty of world building. Without further ado…

What’s your world’s system of government?
Politics plays a large role when it comes to the everyday citizens' lives. Is your kingdom a democracy or a monarchy? What is the currency? How are laws made and governed and what punishments are in place for those that break it? Who is in power and how did they get there? These are all aspects worth considering when shaping your world as these laws and systems ultimately form the rules in which your character lives within.

Society
This aspect of world building can have the greatest impact on your characters and their development. What class system is in effect in your world? Where in that class do your characters fit? Consider the type of racial groups that might exist, their sexual identity as well as gender norms and expectations. Are all races equal or is there discrimination between groups? What are their customs? When considering the topic of prejudice and discrimination, take the time to research past societies and how they operated, particularly if your society is based on history.

Also take into account the education system, how widespread/accessible it is and at what age children might start learning. This goes hand in hand with how children are raised and what values are instilled in them as well as what occupations and careers might be available and/or coveted.

Get cultured!
Does your civilisation have a religion and, more importantly if the answer is yes, what is it? Are there multiple gods or a single one? What type of mythologies are present in the culture and what values do they teach? For instance, a warlike culture would value strong warriors as gods and worship acts of prowess, whether a farming culture might lean towards fertility gods or animal deities, encouraging their people to respect nature. How does your belief system (or lack thereof) affect art, music, literature, science or magic? Do they have any holidays or customs? These are all important aspects to consider.

Join me next week for part 3 of this world building series as we continue further down the rabbit hole.

In the meantime, how would you describe the society in your comic? Did you draw on history or other works of fiction when building it? Let us know in the comment section below! And join us on Sunday evening for our Quackchat at 5:30PM(EST)!

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