Questions to Consider When World Building: Part V (Supernatural Creatures and Ghost Rules)

Supernatural Creatures in Reader’s Real World

• Is there such a thing as magic in this world?
• If there is magic, who has it?
• If there are people with magical abilities, where does it come from? (inborn or acquired)
• How widely known is the presence of magic or supernatural creatures in this world?
• Are there vampires, werewolves, incubi, succubi, deities, fae (all “little people” including pixies, brownings, sprites, etc), zombies, ghosts, witches, hybrid creatures, immortals, angels, demons, mutants, aliens in this world?
• Are they known to the general populace?
• What is their relationship with the general populace?
• If their presence is supposed to be secret, how do they keep it?
• Do they have an internal hierarchy or power structure?
• How do the internal conflicts of supernatural species affect the rest of the population?
• Is this species in conflict with humanity?
• How does this species view humans? Do they value human life?
• Are there humans with extra abilities such as telekinesis, telepathy, levitation, camouflage, psychic abilities, energy manipulation, healing powers, etc?
• If yes, where do these abilities come from?
• How are these abilities discovered?
• How are these abilities viewed by others?
• Is there a governing body responsible for either supernatural creatures or humans with superhuman abilities?
• If there is more than one supernatural creature type or human with superhuman abilities type, what is their relationship?

How to Develop Ghost Rules

Decide who has the special skill/who is the supernatural creature

• Are they born with it?
• Is it acquired?

Decide whether you will stick with the canon of pre-existing lore for that creature

• Will your vampires be pale and nocturnal? Or will they sparkle?
• Will your werewolves be able to control their change?
• Are your fae full-sized or little?
• Are your zombies slow-walkers or fast moving?

Decide how the laws of the universe apply

• Can magic create something from nothing or only alter/enhance what already exists?
• Can ghosts move objects? Manipulate technology?
• Are there parallel dimensions? If so, how do they interact?

Decide on the parameters of the skill/ability/supernatural-ness

• If vampires are strong, all vampires are strong
• If angels can interact with humans, is it all humans or specific humans and why?
• If ghosts can only move things when they are having strong emotions, that doesn’t change

Decide on mortality

• Can these beings be killed?
• If there is a way to kill them, does it apply to all of these beings?
• How difficult is it to kill them? Is that consistent?
• Is there special skill, or weapon required to kill them?

Decide on knowledge levels

• How much does the being/super human know about their origins?
• How much does the rest of the populace known about the being/super human?
• Is there a keeper of knowledge? And who decides access?
• Who in the story will convey knowledge to the reader?

Questions to Consider When World Building: Part IV (Arts, Culture, and Social Relations)

Arts/Architecture

• What forms of art exist in this world? (e.g. music, story, painting, sculpture, weaving, carving, dance etc)
• Are their formal venues for the exhibition of art or art forms?
• Is there a system of training for artists?
• How is art perceived by inhabitants of this world?
• How is art practiced in this world? Is it valued? By whom? To what end?
• Is art regulated?
• How has culture, politics, war, history, climate, etc. influenced the type of art created?
• How have these same elements influenced the ability to create/accessibility of art?
• How has climate, topography, and geography influenced architecture?
• How has spiritual or cultural belief influenced architecture?
• What building materials are available? How has this influenced architecture?
• How has the necessity of a particular type of architecture affected daily living?

Social Structure/Culture/Spirituality

• Is there a class system? How are they delivered?
• Are there different cultures?
• Is there are different cultures, how do they interact?
• If there a dominant culture?
• How are smaller/fringe cultures viewed?
• What types of conflicts exist between classes? How are they expressed?
• What types of conflict exist between cultures? How are they expressed?
• What types of social/cultural norms exist around gender?
• What types of social/cultural norms exist around sexuality?
• What is the dominant spiritual belief?
• Does this world believe in deity? If so, how many?
• What is the relationship between spirituality and nature?
• What form does religion take? Is it organized? Ritualized?
• What rituals are used and why?
• What form do these rituals take?
• Who participates in what system of belief? Are there differences?
• Who does not believe in spirituality of this world and why?
• What are the consequences of choosing or not choosing to participate in the dominant spiritual belief/religion?
• Is there religious persecution?

Relating/Relationships/Personal Expression

• How do inhabitants of this world organize themselves in groupings? (e.g. familial, skill-based, intellectual, etc)
• To what degree do inhabitants of this world form bonds with one another?
• How are bonds expressed?
• What types of relationships exist in this world? (e.g. only co-workers, friendships, romantic, etc)
• Are all relationships permitted equally across social strata? (e.g. can only one group form romantic attachments, etc)
• Are relationships permitted between different classes/races/groupings?
• How do inhabitants of this world express different types of attachment?
• How freely can inhabitants express their feelings/thoughts/opinions?
• How freely can inhabitants choose their groupings/pairings/partnerships?
• How do these inhabitants treat offspring?

Questions to Consider When World Building: Part III (Species/Race, Government, and Economy)

Species/Race

• Does this take place in the human world?
• Are the inhabitants of this world humanoid?
• If humanoid, what are the common physical traits?
• If humanoid, how do they differ from humans?
• Are these differences inherent to them? Or mutations?
• If humanoid, is procreation similar to human? If not, how does it work?
• If humanoid, are there different races within this species?
• Are there genders in this species?
• If there are genders in this species, how are they differentiated?
• If there are genders in this species, how are they expressed?
• If not humanoid, what are the physical characteristics?
• If not humanoid, what are the basic biological functions? (e.g. five senses, eating, voiding, etc)
• If not humanoid, what is its mobility? Is it capable of locomotion?
• How does this species communicate?
• How does this species interact with other species?
• How does this species interact with the natural or technological world?
• How is this species perceived by other species?
• How does this species procreate?
• What is the level and type of intelligence in this world? How is it  measured?
• Are various groupings (cultural, species, etc.) capable of the same level and type of intelligence?
• How does this species acquire/pass on knowledge?

Infrastructure/Government/Laws

• Is there a social structure or hierarchy in place?
• Is hierarchy necessary based on population size or location?
• Is hierarchy necessary for defensive purposes?
• Is there a monarchy? Or system of royalty?
• If royalty, what are the succession laws?
• Is this world run by an aristocracy, geniocracy, kratocracfy, or technocracy?
• Is there a form of elected government?
• Is this government democratic, autocratic, oligarchic, tyrannical, despotic?
• Is there anarchy?
• Is there a revolutionary government body?
• How institutionalized is the governing body?
• How much does bureaucracy influence this world?
• What laws are in place for defensive purposes?
• What laws are in place for peace-keeping purposes?
• What laws are in place to regulate commerce, agriculture, and trade?
• What laws restrict or permit access to knowledge? (e.g. education, news, and transparency of information)
• What laws regulate the acquisition of knowledge? (e.g. schools, apprenticeships, etc)
• What laws restrict or permit freedom of movement or assembly?
• What laws impact the practice of religion or culture?
• What laws to the populace rebel against?

Commerce/Trade

• Is there capacity to import/export?
• What goods or resources are imported by necessity?
• What goods are imported for pleasure?
• Where are goods imported from?
• How are imported found/secured?
• How are goods imported? (e.g. transport)
• How have imports influenced the local economy?
• What goods or resources are exported?
• How does this export affected the local economy, ecosystem?
• Who has participates in trade? Is this regulated?
• What goods/service are most commonly traded?
• How do surplus and shortage of trade goods affect this world?
• Is there a laboring class? What are their rights

Questions to Consider When World Building: Part II (The Macrocosm)

Dug this up from my creative writing class…

Science/Technology/Biology

• What is this world’s relationship to light/dark and the 4 elements?
• what is the level of scientific discovery compared to the reader’s world?
• What areas of science have been developed in this world?
• Is there overlap or conflict between science and magic?
• How has scientific knowledge affected human biology and life cycles? (i.e. medical advancements, mutations, life expectancy, etc.)
• How has scientific knowledge affected the place of this world in the larger universe?
• How do the inhabitants of this world view science and/or technology?
• How advanced/behind is the technology compared to the reader’s world?
• What areas of technology have been developed in this world? (e.g. agricultural, communications, transportation, medical, military, etc.)
• Has science or technology been at the heart of a major conflict?
• Who has access to what technology? Why?
• What technology is abundant? What is scarce?
• What resources are available to build the technology?
• How is technology used at different levels of society?
• Does this world suffer from illnesses comparable to the reader’s world?
• What kind of injury/illness is common to this world?
• How is injury/illness viewed?
• Who has access to medical treatment and why?
• How has science/technology changed procreation?

Space-Time

• Does this world exist on Earth or another known planet?
• Is there space travel involved?
• Does the setting of the story encompass the entirety of the world?
• Do the inhabitants of the story world know of other worlds?
• Does the story take place in an (re)imagined past or future?
• Is this a world parallel to the reader’s?
• Does this world borrow from Earth’s known past? (i.e. mimics a known era like Medieval, Renaissance, Victorian, etc.)
• Where in this world’s own history does this story take place?
• How much of this world’s history must be known to the reader?
• How has this world marked the passage of time?
• How does this world view itself in the space-time continuum? (i.e. does it known its place in a wider universe)

Geography/Topography/Climate

• How big is the world?
• How much of the world is traveled in the story?
• Is the geography comparable to Earth? A Particular area of Earth?
• How has geography affected development? (e.g. proximity to water, expanse, stability of land masses, etc)
• What is the topography of the world?
• How has the topography affected development of communities, technology, culture?
• What are the climate zones?
• What types of weather systems are there?
• Are there seasons? If so, what is their cycle?
• How has the climate affected development? (e.g. agriculture, life cycles, contract with other communities, etc.)

Flora/Fauna

• What is the basic natural setting of the world? (e.g. desert, forest, ocean, glacier, etc.)
• How has this natural setting been developed?
• How has this natural setting been affected by development?
• How do story world inhabitants view/interact with the natural world?
• Are the plants the same as Earth or another known planet?
• What are the similarities between these plants and those known to the reader?
• What are the differences between these plants and those known to the reader?
• How has topography and climate affected plant life?
• How and where has science or technology intervened in plant development and growth?
• What are the similarities between these animals and those known to the reader?
• What are the differences between these animals and those known to the reader?
• How has topography and climate affected animal life?
• How and where has science or technology intervened in animal development and growth?
• Have plants and animals been experimented on? Cross-bred?
• Have plants and animals been affected by magic or other supernatural forces?
• Are plants and animals being used by magic or other supernatural forces?

Questions to Consider When World Building: Part I (The Overview)

From Outlining Your Novel: Map Your Way to Success by K.M. Weiland

What does the landscape look like? 

• What kinds of plants grow here?
• What’s the climate?
• What kinds of animals are present in this world?

What kinds of societies are found in this world?

• What kinds of clothing are in style?
• What mortal and religious values define people’s world views?
• What language(s) do they speak?
• What form of government is currently in place?

How advanced is technology?

• What forms of long-distance communication are used?
• What modes of transportation are available?
• How has technology affected entertainment and the arts?
• How has technology affected weaponry and modes of war fare?
• How advanced are the fields of medicine and science?

What are the natural laws of this world?

• Which natural laws are different from our world (e.g. gravity)?
• Is there a magical force in your world? How does it work?
• What are its limitations?

What kinds of people populate this world?

• Are there different races?
• How do customs differ between people of different races and citizens of different districts?
• Do the ethnic factions get along?

What’s the history of this world?

• How many years of recorded history are available?
• What historical epochs have shaped society?