The Three Pillars of Society to Focus On When Worldbuilding

Jul 27, 20246 min read

There are many different things we can focus on when talking about worldbuilding. This can overwhelm writers when you want to get right to writing the idea you came up with. While I am 10,000% guilty of overindulging in the world-building side of the writing pool, there are three main pillars that you can focus on to get you well and on your way to easy yet meaningful world-building.

Pillar #1: The Land

I will always stress this point when writing stories, especially fiction. Your characters do not live in the void. And even if they did, you'd still have to explain it. Knowing the kind of world your characters live in is key to great storytelling because the more details you give your readers, the more invested they will be. I don't mean for you to spend six pages outlining the trimmings on the curtains in the ballroom, but the choice of location matters to your scenes.

Pop Quiz: Think about a scene where two guys go out to drink and have a heart-to-heart. Imagine this scene taking place at an ale house. Now imagine it at a church. Now imagine it at a strip club. Think of the smell of each place, the sounds, and the top three things you will find at each one. Did any of them overlap? If they did, bonus points for creativity!

Everywhere in this world has a different vibe, reputation, and etiquette. Picking the right location for the right moment gives the story you tell more meaning and heart. Think of it as if you're planning a proposal. You want the birds to fly and the choir to sing at the right spot and time. You as the writer need to know where every tree and bee in the scene is because it is your job to know the details. Do you need to write it all into the book? No. But do you need to know the name of the city your world takes place in? Absolutely. And if you're writing a fantasy in a world all your own, you better double down and get very specific.

Here are some suggestions to focus on when you are in the early stages/need a quick cheat sheet:

What planet are you on?
What continent?
What country?
What city?
How many seasons does this place have and for how long?
Mansion, Apartment, Shack, or House? Where do your characters live?
Where are the top three places your main characters frequent?
What are the conditions of these places? (Use all of your senses for this one)
Do they have fast food, restaurants, and grocery stores or do they hunt for food?

Homework #1: Make a map using the free map-making tool: Inkarnate!

Pillar #2: The People

This goes without saying that you should know the details of your main characters, but what about the rest of society? What is going on in the background? Are these a free group of people living in a community of harmony? Or is this a place of dictatorship or somewhere in between? This enhances the choices you made in your previous pillar by giving some life to the place. Are soccer moms driving their kids to school and hobos shuffling along the road? Or are there space pirates and floating groundhogs near the community pool? The choices you make with your characters allow writers to dive into the unknown of various cultures and include the variety of the world itself in their stories.

Pop Quiz: What is the most important thing to focus on when writing your fictional society?

a) Diversity

b) Inclusivity

c) Historical accuracy

d) Whatever you want because it's your book

While I personally love A and B, D is ultimately the correct answer only because it's the truth. It's your story. You don't have to be inclusive if you aren't that kind of person. If you are a racist, sexist, dictator who wants to write a story where the society is a bunch of guinea pigs who love cheese and rock music more than life itself, go for it. I will probably not be reading your book but I encourage you to write what your heart desires. I, on the other hand, will be writing about fantastical Drah'Gohn societies in the midst of a universal crisis and lack basic leadership because that's what my heart desires. It's all about preference. As long as your work doesn't hurt others or yourself you're golden.

I will warn you, though, that diving into the beliefs and habits of a society-worth of people can be eye-opening at the research stage. You start to think about things like waste management system workers and how new they are as a profession in our very long history of humanity and the earth itself.

This is also a great time to deep dive into your main characters and discover entire backstories and timelines. Please don't do this for every character, unless you plan on never writing your story. Instead, think about a few of these suggestions when approaching fictional characters on a societal scale:

Are the people free, enslaved, or a mix depending?
Are there a lot of people or a little bit of people?
What are the top four foods that the collective of people eat? The minority?
What are the top four hated foods of all time by the collective? The minority?
Who are the leaders of society?
How/Do they vote for their leaders?
What is the hierarchy system?

Homework #2: Watch this brief yet informative video on the development of hierarchical structures from study.com!

Pillar #3: The Technology

If you've already gone through the first two, then this pillar will be a no-brainer. Once you know where you are and who you are/live with, it's easier to see the kind of kitchen your character has or what device they use to communicate with each other. I love this topic because if you're writing about the future, you're throwing your idea of what it will be like in the real world. Over time, you can see if you were right or wrong like Futurama. This also gives you a chance to be an inventor or at the very least a classy spender for modern technology.

Pop Quiz: True or False: Using technology in your story can "timestamp/date" your book to an era, tying you to being forgotten over time.

Honestly, it depends and is an overall gamble at this point. The pace of the tech race outpaces the might of the pen/keyboard. If you watch earlier seasons of Futurama, there are some technological "advances" that became obsolete before the end of the decade such as VHS tapes and flip phones. However, it can be important to take note of the kind of musical device you would listen to music with if you were in the year 1468. It all depends on the kind of story you're trying to tell. Yes, using a pop culture reference or slang term in your story is risky because people might pick up your book twenty years from now and have no idea what "iPhone" or "skipptytoliet" means and throw it back on the shelf.

If you are in a magical world, this is where you can ditch the wand and come up with something better. Make a new magic tool that the world has never seen and then explain it to us throughout the story. Tools can make or break your story in major or minor ways. Here are some things to think about when tackling the concept:

Is there indoor plumbing?
Has the wheel been invented?
Is there internet? How fast is it?
What device does your world use the most to entertain itself?
What is the highest form of technology for your civilization?
What is the highest form of medicine they have?
Has soap been invented yet? What about shampoo and conditioner?

Homework #3: Write about your favorite invention(s) of all time and the one invention you always wanted to exist but still doesn't.

These aren't the only things that you should be thinking about when writing a story. There are loads of world-building nuances that you could focus on. Enhancing these three pillars within your writing will give you access to more details as you are writing the story. Instead of trying to conjure up what kind of living room your main character has, you can already see the brown leather couch in front of the double doors that lead to the balcony overlooking the lake. You know what your story needs the most. All you have to do is write it. Keep learning and expanding your mind on writing topics as you continue to conjure fantastical worlds. Until next time!

About the Author

Crystal Cabrae is a storyteller who writes dystopian, romantic, and adventurous worlds for animation and fantastical fiction. Born as Angelica Cabrera, she is a proud graduate of Full Sail University, AMDA NYC, and New World School of the Arts. Her six years of acting training in New York and Miami gives her a unique perspective when approaching her characters. Crystal has a passion for sharing how to create stories with the world and inspiring the storyteller that lives within all of us. While she tries to keep up with her social media accounts, the best way to get to know her is over a cup of tea or a good plate of food.