#fictional settings

(these are the things I think some writers tend to forget about but are not just important, but also kind of fun)

—remember there are more types of government leaders than presidents and monarchs (multiple leaders, religious leaders, Athenian democracies, etc)

—the education system and who is or isn’t allowed to learn and what are they allowed to learn

—essential jobs (garbage collectors, firefighters, medical professionals, or any fictional ones you come up with) and is their work process any different from our world’s version of them?

—which animals are protected by the government and why? (Are they endangered? Are they beloved by the people? Is there any time where hunting those animals is legal?)

—Is there a separation between church and state? (No it doesn’t mean just Christianity, it’s asking if the religion run the country, or do both co-exist without interference?)

—Any fictional laws that are used in just that setting alone and NOT our world? (Magic is banned, no flying after dark, all aliens need a passport before entering a planet)

—Is the election process any different compared to how they are done where you are from?

—higher education and what that means in the setting

I know that some writing advisors tell people that they need to ask EVERY. SINGLE. QUESTION. about their fictional setting/country, but I think plenty of people would disagree. Write what’s important to your plot and to the characters, but sometimes adding in fun little extra details about everyday life can make it feel more alive.

I don't need justification for liking fictional characters, though if they were real I probably would have hated some or most of them. I might like one character and hate another one despite them being from the same group, for no reason in particular. It also says nothing about how I feel about certain factions. I can hate a faction but love a character despite them fully believing in the cause.

Are they people that have done or still do morally questionable things? Probably. Do I care? In their fictional state, absolutely not. (If they were real I WOULD have a problem and wouldn't condone or tolerate those individuals. Some of those individuals are probably war criminals, or just criminals and belong in prison. )

I love those bastards :D look at them go all dramatic like. They've done nothing wrong. Ever.

Do I sometimes make stuff up about them? Probably. That's fanfiction (at least mostly) baby. 💫 Escapism ⭐

I apply the same logic to several of my own characters and OCs

You also don't have to agree with me or like the same characters, but don't bring my real life morals into question just because I like or dislike what I like or dislike in a fictional world.

Fictional Settings Series: Panem, The Hunger Games

Fictional Settings Series: Middle Earth, The Lord of the Rings

I recently received a compliment from a friend that was, by my own admission, a bit odd. It’s not that I don’t receive compliments or know how to be gracious with them, but when it comes to my writing, I don’t often expect to get them. It’s nice to receive compliments, of course, so keep them coming friends on the internet – but I feel like what I was complimented for was just a standard practice…