#googleplexed

tagged by @sleepyowlwrites ! thanks for thinking of me :))

rules: look back on your work, both past and present, finished and unfinished. what are five to ten narrative elements or tropes that continuously pop up in your work? tag as many people as the number of tropes you listed.

1. Verbal confrontation: I noticed this a lot in the stuff I’ve posted so far. People have words. Speaking of which, I probably overuse italics.

2. Split family: but who is having these confrontations, you might ask? The answer is often family. And not petty stuff like who finished the milk- we’re talking big moral questions here, right vs wrong.

3. Parent issues: this kind of goes hand-in-hand with #2, but there’s a lot of parental issues hanging in the balance, particularly daddy issues.

4. Possessiveness: this is featured lot in my newer works, which I have yet to post here. I have a thing for some sort of underdog escaping the overbearing thumb of some overly powerful figure (by wealth, magic, or something else). This possessiveness can be featured in any type of relationship (parent-child, SOs, etc), as long as the person on the receiving end of the possessiveness does not accept it, if that makes sense?

5. Chasing: I love a good chase or a race, particularly where the antagonist is chasing the protagonist.

6. Bromance: what can I say? I like to craft strong platonic relationships.

That’s six, so here are my six tags:

@beck-writes-insanity

@thatsmybluefondue

@fragilebutfloral

@ryns-ramblings

@moonahlisa

@larissa-the-scribe

Religion is important because it can be a basis for conflict, a way for you to add your own social commentary to your story, or just to let loose and create the next Pastafarianism.

The Belief System

What deities are worshipped? You may want to draw from mythology here to get inspiration for your deities, which is always a fun time!

What beliefs are practiced? What are the core beliefs, and how does that affect the everyday behavior of its believers? How do the most pious practice the religion, and how do laypeople practice it?

What beliefs are preached? What does the prayer leader (priest, rabbi, etc) say when/if everyone gathers to pray? Is there a bible?

What does the religion teach about moral behavior?

What does it teach about the afterlife?

Death practices: are memorials or services held? How do people mourn their dead? How is the body handled after death?

In a similar vein, you should also consider other types of beliefs. For example, what are some common superstitions?

Symbols, Statues, and Ornaments

From the Star of David to the cross, most religions also have symbols among other things. When crafting a realistic religion, it’s important to consider how objects play a role in that (if at all, if your religion values minimalism).

What items do believers find important?

How do they commemorate these things? Do they create clothing or household objects honoring these elements? Do certain ornaments play a role in religious practices or festivities? Are statues erected in homes or in public squares?

Remember that symbols, statues, and ornaments can be significant outside of religion as well. They could be instituted by the government as a form of patriotism, or valued as a social symbol, or used as part of the arts/entertainment.

Once you have your religion, you’ll need to consider how that fits into your world, both the political and social (and maybe even economic) aspects. If you’re creating a pluralist society, you need to figure out which religions will be dominant and which will be in the minority. You’ll also need to figure out how people of different religions interact with each other, and what sorts of persecution religious minorities face. You’ll also need to consider what relationship the government has with religion. What role does religion play in politics, or lawmaking?

More Resources

You can find more on religion here and here.

Another way social classes can differ is by the types of food they eat. The food you eat impacts your health and lifestyle, so it’s important to consider this if you’re making up your own food.

What do they eat?

Do people mostly eat fish? Meat? Vegetables?

Do people eat plain or heavily flavored food?

Is the water generally clean enough to drink? If not, is there an alternative?

What do people drink?

Are some foods poisonous to certain people?

How do they eat?

What does a feast look like?

Consider special foods eaten for specific holidays or occasions.

What does a basic pauper’s meal look like? What does a basic upper class meal look like?

Do people eat together or separately?

Do they eat in small or large groups?

What utensils do people use to eat?

Where do they eat?

Are there many restuarants? Who goes to them?

Are there street food sellers? Imagine a crowded city street.

While you’re at it, consider how different food is in urban vs rural culture.

What are the tables like? What is their shape? Are they high or low?

More Resources

Here’s a Downton Abbey-themed food post for inspiration!

Power structures can come in many different forms, from societal structures like systemic racism, to political structures like government.

Sociological Power

When considering how systemic racism or sexism will manifest in your society, the first thing you should realize is that the group with power is probably the most influential in the government. Consider how this affects:

The makeup of the governing bodies

How the government is run as a result of systematic beliefs

How the government responds to systemic racism (are they open about their persecution? Or do they pretend to care through performative allyship?)

What laws rule the land- now that we’ve considered who makes the laws, we should also consider how these laws are enforced

What rights people hold

From that last point, you should consider how marginalized populations interact with their community, and how the system affects their ability to thrive as well as the majority population. Some examples from real life include:

De facto segregation

Police brutality

Vigilantism

Stereotypes

And more

Another thing to consider is your class system. Is there a class system? How do the rich treat the poor, and vice versa? How different are their lives? What has caused these wealth inequalities? Is social mobility easy or hard.

Last, you need to consider the concept of immigration. Is immigration possible in the country you’ve constructed? Are there only certain people who are allowed in? Are there different levels of citizenship?

Political Power

First and foremost, you need to decide what kind of government you will have, such as a democracy, a monarchy, a dictatorship, or something else. If it’s a democracy, consider how the characters’ participation in it might affect the plot. One idea to consider might be a tragedy where the characters watch the democracy fall. If it’s a dictatorship, chances are that’s the enemy the characters are fighting, so it might be useful to consider how that dictatorship came to be.

Some other things to consider might be:

How long has this system of government been in place?

Is there slavery?

Is there a form of police? Is there a formal army?

How are wrongdoers tried and punished?

Does the government provide social assistance?

Is there any centralized healthcare?

Is there public transport?

Are there publicly run communications systems?

Consider the role of public opinion. Do people trust the government? Do a majority of people people (dis)approve of the government?

What is the system of taxation?

Does the government spy on its enemies?

These ideas are a good place to start. They might lead to other ideas of how to expand your knowledge of your government/society, which is important because they could form the basis of your conflict. If you’re a little lost on where to start, try looking up governments around the world and in books/TV/podcast/other and mashing elements together!

More Resources

This Wikipedia page really goes in depth with the sort of forms of corruption you can find in politics.

Creating a Magic System

Define its use.

How does magic manifest itself?

What fuels (if any) does it use?

How does the user summon magic, and what abilities does it give the user?

Are items such as wands or staffs needed to use it?

Who receives magic in your world?

Who can use it?

Can anyone use magic, or is it exclusive to a certain few?

What are magic users called?

Is it inherited, gifted, obtained, or learned?

Are there different factions of magic users?

Outline the limitations.

Is it a limited resource?

Can it be stolen or quelled?

Can it be controlled?

Can it be destroyed?

What effect does the use of magic have on the user?

Is there a cap on the users’ magic abilities?

How could a magic user be defeated?

What is the price/cost of using magic?

Do magicians need to go through a ritual or meet other sorts of requirements to practice magic, or specific spells?

Does magic require tools and props?

Is any magic illegal?

Establish the dangers.

Can it be used improperly or for selfish reasons?

Can it be used to harm others or cause destruction?

What dangers does magic pose to the user, whether directly or beccause the use of magic is scorned or envied by society?

Is there good and evil magic?

Explore its origins.

How was magic created?

Where does it source its power?

Are there different types of magic, or did magic diversify over time?

What important historical events were affected by the use or failure to use magic?

To what extent is magic a learned skill or an innate talent?

What is magic generally used for?

Writing Magic into Your Plot

To write magic into your plot, you might want to consider which characters (or how many characters) will have this ability and why. Perhaps everyone has magic, or magic is something one character contributes to the larger team.

You should also consider the culture around magic in your story. Is it kept secret? If so, why? Are there magical societies or a hierarchy of magic users? Is a magic user marked by their clothing, appearance, or some other distinguishing factor? Do magic users have their own language, religion, festivals, or other cultural hallmarks?

Here are some other questions to consider:

Is magic practiced or shunned by religious leaders?

Do any of the social classes fear or ban magic?

Do an elite control magic, or is it accessible to all?

Are there magical creatures? Describe them.

Is magic a specialist, elite skill or is it easily used by commoners?

How is one magician stronger than the other?

Consider dueling culture.

Is magic admired? Feared? Respected?

More Resources

Magic Podcast

Classifying Magic

Defining Magic Fields

Thanks @teasenpaiwrites for the tag! Sorry it’s late.

1. 22 by Taylor Swift

2. the last great american dynasty by Taylor Swift

3. See Me Now by Little Mix

4. Self Inflincted by Katy Perry

5. Applause by Lady Gaga

6. The Calendar by P!ATD

7. Mannequin by Katy Perry

8. Lips Are Movin by Meghan Trainor

9. I Don’t Need Your Love from Six

10. Lost Boy by Ruth B.

On a similar vein to magic, you should also consider the other natural features/laws of nature of your world. You can really play around with some of these ideas to differentiate your world from our world, or, if your novel’s taking place in a larger solar system, to differentiate separate planets.

Laws

Are the laws of nature or physics different to Earth? Elaborate. Consider, for example:

Gravity

Evolution

Motion

Genetics

Matter

Light

Food chains

The ability to control any of the above

Relations between sentient and nonsentient creatures

Relations between humans and nonhumans

The Sky

The sky can be important. We look up to the sky for hope. The sky also serves as a gateway for what is beyond, whether that means the afterlife or outer space. You should absolutely feel free to customize your sky.

Are there multiple suns or moons? What does that mean for your climate?

Describe the sky during the day. Consider things like color, clouds/stars, etc.

Describe the sky during the night. Consider things like color, clouds/stars, etc. (Note: we base constellations off of mythology, so if you’re going to have stars and constellations, you might want to consider developing your own body of mythology)

Define what day and night mean for your planet. Are there equal amounts of night and day? What if your people were nocturnal? What if there were more than 24 hours in a day?

Weather and Climate

I’ve already covered how to think about weather and climate in creating your world. Another thing you might want to consider, however, is your world as a planet. The Earth rotates on an axis, which is how we get night and day, and revolves around the Sun, which is how we get seasons. It’s also on a tilt, which differentiates the northern and southern hemispheres.

What you might want to do is consider your planet’s movements (and tilts) and its relation to weather and climate in your world. What are seasons like? How many are there? How long are they?

More Resources

Quick Ways to Establish Rules in Your Universe

If you’re creating your own fantasy world, it’s best to put all your ideas on paper. And since describing setting is crucial, why not make that paper a map?

Locations

Take a sketchbook and start with continents and countries, or, if it’s taking place in space, planets and solar systems.

How are the contients/solar systems laid out?

How are the countries/planets laid out?

What natural resources are available in different regions?

Which natural resources are scarce?

Water

Identify sources of water (lakes, rivers, springs, etc). Note that towns and cities will centralize around sources of freshwater (if this is not the case, then you need to figure out how the water is irrigated, unless you’re creating a species or an evolved form of human that doesn’t need water to survive).

Landscapes

Take note of natural landmarks:

Mountains

Valleys

Deserts

Forests

Grasslands/Plains

And more!

Climate

How will seasons work?

Which places will remain hot/cold throughout the year, and which places get all 4 seasons?

How much land is temperate/equatorial/polar?

Are there tropical areas?

How will the weather affect the growth of plant life? How will it affect where/how animals live in their environment? How will it affect the society you’ve built?

More Resources

This post explains how to create a species.

This is an excellent masterpost for making your map.

Here is a link to another group of videos on fantasy-related cartography.