World Weavers' Workshop

Exercise 15 : Virtues

Today, I want you to consider virtue. A virtue is a positive trait or quality deemed to be morally good and thus is valued as a foundation of principle and good moral being. You only need to cover one and it needn’t be the most important one, but decide what is important in your world.

Things to consider:
What is considered a virtue? What is thought valuable or admirable?
Why is this quality held in esteem?
What is the opposing vice to this virtue?
Are there detractors who undermine the reasoning behind this virtue? Is this quality considered a virtue within only one subculture or faction?


Exercise 16 : Beauty

Consider the place of beauty in your world. It could be beauty in the human form, but that is only one example. It could be something in nature, or art, or a kind of beauty which isn’t seen so much as observed like the beauty in a spirit or concept.

Things to consider:
What do your people consider beautiful?
What qualities make something beautiful?
Is beauty at all important in your world? What value do beautiful things have and to whom?
What is considered ugly and why? What are the consequences of something being ugly?


Exercise 17 : Courting or Dating

Romance is an important part of a person's life and so an important part of culture. Some cultures have more strict expectations of courting, some less so, some are more ritualised and some are more low-key.

Things to consider:
What are the dos and don’ts? Why?
Are there any expectations that must not be failed? e.g. paying for dinner, or asking parent(s)'s permission.
How is one instructed to behave to appear attractive to the target group?
What are the courting rituals? Movies? Dinner dates? Sending flowers?
What are the advantages and disadvantages of a relationship with someone from this group?


Exercise 18 : Social Drinking

There are a number of things two or people more can do to socialise. The one I want you to write about today is social drinking, whether it be an evening in, a night out, meeting at a coffee shop, or afternoon tea.

Things to consider:
What beverage is served and how? Do people drink exactly the same thing under the situation or are the drinks just similar? e.g. a drink in a shared vessel, or a variety of coffees from a menu.
What is the traditional venue attached to this activity?
Is there any food shared beside the drink? Not as a meal, but a snack or appetiser. If so, what is it and does it have any purpose?
What is the context of the activity? How formalised or informal is the situation really? Does a woman learn how to make tea from her grandmother? Do people visit the pub after work? Would the relationship normally be between the people present be part of a formal hierarchy or a more relaxed connection?


Exercise 19 : Games

What is the ‘national’ pastime for your world?

To be more specific, I want you to pick a competitive activity, whether it’s a team sport or a one-to-one strategy game. It should be an activity in which competitors can be ranked and recognised for their ability.

Things to consider:
Some games were developed to hone skills or muscle groups needed for productive activities. How can the skills used in the game be applied to other tasks? What skills or attributes does your society value?
What is the history of your game? How did it come to be?
If applicable to your world, consider popularised entertainment. What are the stadiums like? The celebrities? The regulatory bodies?
If popular entertainment doesn’t apply to your world, why does it not? (This can be as simple as ‘there’s no such thing as TV in medieval France’). Where and when is the game played and by whom?


Exercise 20 : New Year

Knowing the length of a year and how far through a year we are is mainly useful for agriculture and the seasonal changes which affect that industry. It also helps us to understand the past and plan for the future.

But when does one year end another start? What is a year and what does it mean for the people of your world?

Write about New Year.

Things to consider:
How is the New Year observed? Is it an outright celebration or something more reserved? Is it purely social or spiritual?
What are the trappings of New Year? How are things decorated (if they are)? What is eaten? What is drunk?
New Year comes at the end of one year and the beginning of the next. Which is more important to this festival?
Which season does it take place in? What marks this date? Why did they choose this as the day the year changes?


Exercise 21 : 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.