World Weavers' Workshop

Exercise 1 : Outlining

Write out the headline notes and inspirations for your setting.

You don't need to get into details yet, but make a note of any specific ideas you already have.

This should include:
Your inspirations.
An idea of naming conventions.
An idea of gender roles.
An idea of era or technology level.
Any other significant factors you already have in mind.

There are no wrong answers. There are no ideal answers.
Just put down on the page a rough description of what you think you're going to do.


Exercise 2 : Local Geography

Outline the physical environment and how it might influence the people who live in the region.

This should include:
Climate and weather, including seasons.
The topography (the natural and artificial physical features of an area). e.g. forests, water sources, soil and stone types, etc.
What's on the borders of you 'world'? Is it a city that gives way to rural land? A country bordering on another? A school district?
Are there any key landmarks within the region that might develop significance? Like a hill with a fort, or a lighthouse on the coast, or a sprawling cave system?
What restrictions does the area put on the people living there? What advantages does it offer that would have enticed people to settle there originally?


Exercise 3 : Hometown

Now that you know the unique advantages and difficulties of the area, you can start to think about what your people do there.

Work on the main industries and the key facilities your 'world' (city, village, high school, etc) offers the people living in it.

Things to consider:
Food and water.
Sanitation.
What is produced there? Do they export anything?
What isn't produced and has to be imported?
Is the 'world' affluent, or are they in economic decline?
If your 'world' is a facility like a school campus or a lunar base, what is its purpose?


Exercise 4 : Market

Trade is a necessity in any society. It would be impractical, if not impossible, for a single household to provide for all its needs from production to consumption. A market is a place for people to trade for what they need, either through barter or using currency, although there are a lot of different kinds of markets too.

Think about a market or exchange that might exist in your setting -- this might also include websites or forms of e-trading.

Things to consider:
What kind of market is it? Who is selling what?
Where does the market take place? Why in that place?
When is the market held? Is it often or regularly or more like a seasonal fair?
What or who else can be encountered at the market? Thieves? Police? Tourists? Stray dogs?


Exercise 5 : Venn Diagram

As an expansion to the exercises so far, work on identifying the main social groups you expect to touch on in your story.

Things to consider:
How do these groups intersect? What brings them into contact with each other?
How do these groups interact? Where? Why? How?
How do these groups (generally) perceive the others?
What are the power dynamics between the groups?


Exercise 6 : Key Tensions

I often use the phrase 'politics is people'. People have different values, different priorities, different struggles and different fears, and ultimately they can't all have what they want. Somewhere along the line, conflicting interests mean someone has to be denied in order to satisfy someone else.

Think about what the main problems facing your society/faction might be.

Is it access to a natural resource? Is it a threat to their place in a wider society? Is it their physical safety? Is it something they want for success or a better life? You might have some ideas from exercise 1.

Things to consider:
What might pose a threat or risk to the group?
How could that risk be eliminated or minimised?
What -- or who -- might stand in the way and why?
What does the group, or individuals in the group, want in order to prosper?
What -- or who -- might stand in the way and why?


Exercise 7 : Review Day

Go back over your notes from the past week. Do any further research, add to your notes, and make any adjustments or corrections.

If you have any other ideas that you want to get down at this point, submit those too.