Over this year, Karina is going to share some of her writing seminars on the blog, with the lessons and references for further study. We’ll be posting these once a month. There’s no assigned homework, but if you have questions, please ask them in the comments. Her first workshop is worldbuilding. This is Lesson 5. Here are the links to Lesson 1, Lesson 2, Lesson 3, and Lesson 4.
To seek out new life and new civilizations… –Star Trek
Worlds are more than physics, and stories are more than settings. The most interesting thing about a world and the usual spot for conflict lies in the society that inhabits the world. Whether you have an intergalactic civilization with a history longer than the entire existence of the Earth or a small exploration group on an uncharted asteroid, you need to know how that society runs.
How much do you need to know? It depends on your story, your universe, and your own plans. David Weber has a complex and detailed universe for his Honor Herrington novels, and it shows. A short story, however, may only need a couple of important facts; the rest is immaterial. I once chatted with an author whose novel was unmanageably long because he was including every detail, right down to the history and construction of the blades used in a swordfight. One chatter suggested he was writing the world’s encyclopedia or an online game manual rather than a story.
Dream up as much of the background as you can and wish to, but don’t let it interfere with the story. Here are some things to consider:
History:
- How did your country/world/empire come to be?
- Who were the major historic figures? (soldiers, statesmen, explorers, workers for peace, famous criminals, scientists, religious leaders, people not in power who do major things)
- What inventions changed their world?
Always start with those that affect your character, story and setting. For example, in the United States, every child grows up learning about George Washington, the Revolutionary War, and Pearl Harbor. In Colorado, however, kids will be more familiar with the explorer Zebulon Pike, while in Fredericksburg, VA, students learn about the apothecary and General Hugh Mercer.
Military:
- Are there a lot of wars on your world? Over what?
- How does your society feel about war and the military? How does your character feel?
- Does your character belong to a conquering “nation” or a conquered one? Or does his nation avoid battle, preferring negotiation or neutrality?
If needed, you can map out some of the major battles. Think not only about the ones that forged the civilization(s) you’re writing about, but also the area. In a real-world example, Fredericksburg, VA (where we used to live) was the site of several important battles in the American Civil War. Thus, you can’t walk for a block downtown without seeing something from that era – whether a statue of General Lee, a historical marker, a souvenir shop, or a Confederate Flag proudly displayed next to the Stars and Stripes. My husband has a Civil War sword that his neighbors dug out of their back yard.
Economic:
- How do people acquire things? Not all societies have a cash or barter system. In my world of Kanaan, people work for the joy of creating or performing a service and freely give away their wares. Lesser enjoyed duties (laundry, dishes, trash) are shared.
- What are trade relations between systems, countries, etc. like?
- How many resources does the average person have at their beck and call? Can they afford to throw food away? Broken or no longer wanted objects? How important is recycling?
- What are the major industries, crops, etc? How do they affect the society and policies of your world?
- Do you have big businesses or small conglomerates? How are they run? For example, in Rob’s and my Rescue Sisters novel, Discovery, we have a major space conglomerate, ColeCorp, which has its fingers in everything from universities to spaceship construction. It runs like a standard American business for the most part, but in the asteroid belt, it has a cooperative relationship with the small, independent mining companies.
Political:
- What kind of government does your world have? What are the variations? For example, you may have a monarchy, but instead of the crown passing to the firstborn son, it goes to whichever child demonstrates the strongest arcane ability at 16. Each child’s score is recorded, and when the monarch dies, the crown is passed to the most skilled.
- Politics is more than governmental, however. How are decisions for groups made? How does this reflect society’s values?
Inventions:
- What inventions have transformed society? Think more than just commercially. Take the washing machine, for example. On the surface, it makes it easier to clean clothes, but look deeper, and you see it has changed our standards of clean, the amount and type of clothing the average person owns, and sparked the need for a whole slew of new industries, from detergent manufacturing to diaper services.
For More Reading:
Where do you come up with ideas for these things? Read about Earth! Read a history, political system or economics. Then ask yourself how you can adapt elements of this to your world.
