A couple of years ago I reblogged a similar post about a list of worldbuilding background details, several of which were a lot more nitpicking and frankly pointless.
Thereâs a lot of stuff a writer knows about their world that shouldnât ever need to go onto the page. When it does, it should be (IMO, YMMV) to add detail as the plot requires it (technology, jobs) or to expand and colour the world for the readerâs enjoyment (toys, light sources). It should never be added merely to show how much research the writer has been doing.
A good reason for not âtalking upâ something without reason is seen in movies, where when the camera Pauses Significantly on something, thatâs almost always a hint that itâs going to be Significant Later. Expending too much description on an object or incident which is simply providing worldbuilding colour may also suggest itâs going to be Significant Later and, when it isnât, readers whoâve been expecting that may wonder if material has been left out somewhere.
Leave âsubverting expectationsâ to those whoâve forgotten how to do anything else.
What kind of eating utensils do people use?
Chopsticks? Â Forks and spoons? Â Their hands?
Are the utensils provided by the mealâs host / eating establishment (if so, what quality and material are they?) or are they each dinerâs personal equipment, like these?
Does the quality of an eating-set (âtrousseâ) or the way in which itâs used say more about the character using them than the character intended to reveal?
Dining errors are a good way to let characters give themselves away if the plot requires such a thing: do they eat with knife and fork or fork alone, do they break a roll or cut it, do they make a small heap of salt on the side of the plate or sprinkle it all over their food - all unthinking behaviour that can send a message without hitting that character with the Idiot Ball.
Leaving utensils aside, whatâs the etiquette for eating with the hands? Use both?
How are the hands kept clean? Is licking fingers a courteous I-waste-nothing compliment to the food and its provider, or an ignorance of how to use finger-bowl and napkin?
If diners clean their plate does this show appreciation or hint that they werenât given enough? If they leave food on their plate does this acknowledge the generosity of the serving or hint that they didnât like what they were given? How much should / shouldnât be left? What âoneâ is meant in âLeave one for Mr MannersââŚ?
Is refusing second helpings polite (please, keep something for yourself) or rude (do you think weâre that poor?) or is a certain amount of insistence (indulge yourself, go on, but itâs your favouriteâŚ) and refusal (I couldnât, no really, not another crumbâŚ) expected, followed by acceptance (oh, all right, thanks awfully, just a bit, you shouldnât haveâŚ) after a certain number of exchanges?
All of these donât just add colour and possibly humour, they can be a springboard for further developments, like finding out they really were that poor-but-proud after allâŚ
What color is used for mourning and funerals?
Black? Â White? Â Red? Â Blue? Â No specific color? Â What does the color symbolize?
If a character who should be wearing mourning colours doesnât, why not? Are they a foreigner who doesnât know, or a local or even family member with reasons not to, and what reasons might be acceptable or totally beyond the pale?
Is an appropriately coloured armband / sash / hat-plume enough, or is anything short of full mourning clothes insufficient? How is accidental / deliberate failure to wear mourning regarded? Is âIâm foreign, I didnât knowâ sufficient excuse, and if the foreigner puts on something in their own mourning colour(s) is that acceptable?
Worldbuilding is fun, especially since it can serve several functions at once.
