The main basics I cover when starting world-building is: who, what, where, when?

Who are the people? What are the people? Where are they living? When is this?

Now, let’s break it down a little bit. I’ll explore a bit more about each section in more depth in separate posts (because that’s basically how this series is going to go).

Who

Who are the people? What are they called? What are they like one the base level? Is it a place of hostility or kindness? Are they nomads, the poor, the rich?

Those are really quickly and easily thrown out there, and sometimes they’ll change and evolve and that’s completely fine. But as you work on it, this branches into more questions and more details that will inevitably need to be looked at if you want more detail and depth. And again, these become whole sub-categories on their own that I’ll go through.

AND AGAIN: this is all informed by my own writing process and opinion. People all cultivate craft in different ways, don’t forget that.

• Are there multiple peoples?
• Are there tensions between the peoples?
• Are there sub-categories between the who?
• What are their cultures?
• Do these cultures conflict or intersect?
• Is there evidence of historical interaction?
• Is there religion? Are there multiple? Do they intersect? How do they behave? How do they interact?
• What’s the history of the peoples?

There are three distinct peoples, but they are not split by colour or status, but by their creed. Many expect to find either one belief system or a war between the believers, as it is a set of triplet deities that they devote themselves to. But they have surprised surrounding countries and nations by how harmoniously they live, despite clearly divided by their dedication. They have always been there, however, longer than the empires that have cropped up around them, and so some scholars speculate that long ago there was such a bloody conflict between the three that they realised they must live together in peace, or die together in war. And so, they live beneath the triplet stars, worshipping the Ukar of Ordered Soil, Moku of Free Winds and Byka of Mischief Rapids. Hence, the Erigan people are divided into the Ukarian, the Mokuna and the Bykan.

Just Making Stuff Up, Edald Hopfield

What

What are they? Are they humans? Are they humanoid? Is there a mix of them?

It’s easy to pick humans, but if you’re picking something other than that, you need to know what they are and how it might affect the story or where you decide to put them. Are they a species that perhaps doesn’t do well where you’re placing them? How do you include that in your writing?

• What species is there? What’s their history? Are they different from others around them?
• What kind of animals and plants are around?
• Are we following the lives of a supernatural/magical species?

Some believe that the Erigan are blessed because of their devout lifestyles and seamless ability to live in harmony as three distinct cultures. There are rumours that they live longer and have keener agility and hunting senses, with tales that each religion and culture has bore its own fruit. They believe that the Ukarian are immovable, the Mokuna are swift, and the Bykan have the ability to become invisible. But, they are indeed just normal humans. And the animals around them are not incredible beasts, but ordinary ones. And the crops they cultivate do not have magical properties, just healthy ones.

Just Making Stuff Up, Edald Hopfield

Where

Where are they? Is it a forest? Is it a mountain? Is this a big kingdom? Is the story going to concern the whole country? What’s it called?

Where can easily be forgotten or underappreciated, especially if the location is quite small and you’re not considering an entire land area. But the where can still be broken down by what’s there and when it is. Perhaps they live in a mountainous area, where the winters are harsh and there’s often winds in the valleys of trees. Perhaps this makes them isolated and they must often leave for trade, but because of the lush forest around them they often have meat or pelts to trade?

• What’s the geography?
• Has it always been this way? How has it been shaped by time?
• How do the people, and the flora and fauna, live on it? Do they take advantage of certain parts? Are some parts hostile to them?
• How do the people make a living off of the land? Can they?

The Erigan live up against the Dharni Forest, where a river shapes its border. Rather than building into the forest, the City of Ukmoby, named after the birth order of the triplet deities as they made their way out of the womb of the Great Tree, sprawls out into the plains. It is claimed that many of the Bykan live in the edge of the forests, but their treehouses and huts are so well hidden that they often aren’t included by outsiders as being part of Ukmoby. The Ukarian live on the edges of the plains, where the small country shares borders with other countries and nations. This was determined because they are much more militaristic than the other two cultures. The Mokuna then fill most of the central city, acting almost as a buffer before the lawful Ukarian and the cheeky Bykan. With the river always full and the forest teeming with life, the Erigan rarely seek out trade with other nations. They have enough food and water and shape their lives out of the soil and forest. However, those who have visited claim that the river seems to be slowly shrinking.

Just Making Stuff Up, Edald Hopfield

When

When is the story taking place? What kind of era are they living in? Pre-technology? Pre-industry?

The when is something that is usually obvious, but once you’ve picked whether or not that have an analog or digital clock (or even a clock at all), there are still things to dive into. When is this taking place in their time? Perhaps they’ve just come out of a war? Perhaps there is political tension? Maybe they’re on the verge of a technological break through or about to enter a horrific summer?

• Are there any major events happening? Or have just happened or about to?
• What tools do they have access to?
• What about seasons? What season is it? What’s the life pattern for this season?

Though the Erigan live in peace amongst one another, there are rumours of them stirring at the wake of the Usurper of the East. Where the Emperor Althea has fallen, a tyrant has taken its place and is waging war on their own people. Ordinarily, the Erigan do not meddle in the affairs of others, but despite having distinct cultures, they share the virtue of family. Those who flee Thema in the east and come to the City of Ukmoby and pledge themselves to one of the triplet deities are regarded as family, but as their own people struggle in their original lands, the Erigan take on the suffering and must, by the values of the triplet stars, protect their family by destroying the source of harm. This has many thinking that the Erigan will soon be declaring war against the Usurper of the East. Most people think that the division of cultures means that war is left to the Ukarian, but they are wrong. All three cultures merely have a distinct way of handling conflict, and the Usurper of the East is not prepared for the ruination that awaits them if the Erigan decide as one to protect these brothers and sisters fleeing into their arms.

Just Making Stuff Up, Edald Hopfield