Worldbuilding questions to answer right before writing your book

Worldbuilding questions to answer right before writing your book.

You are probably here because you have a brilliant idea that you want to write in a book. You probably already have characters in mind and in which direction you want the plot to go. You clearly see their personalities, their traumas and their enemies.

It all sounds perfect and motivating, but this motivation dies as soon as you remember the work you have to do to create a story that will hold up.

Whether you’re writing a fantasy book, a novel, a despotic book or any other genre, unless you take everything from the real world, the worldbuilding process is a crucial step in creating a compelling narrative that fully engages your readers.

Hardly anyone finds worldbuilding, the creation of the imaginary world in which your story takes place, a nice and relaxing thing but it does not have to become your biggest nightmare.

If you ask yourself the right questions you will be able to fix everything you need for your book in a matter of days.

But what are the right questions?
Don’t worry. Here in this article I have collected some of the questions that helped me to start writing my book without giving myself too much trouble.

The worldbuilding questions are divided by topic and will guide you in creating a cohesive and realistic world for your story.

Answering the following questions will give you great ideas for your story and will certainly make you think of other questions that will be even more helpful. Writing is a process and that is its best side because you never stop improving.

Worldbuilding questions

Financial situation

What kind of system do they use to exchange goods?
Do they use money, barter or another system?
What does the money look like?
What is it called and what does it look like?
What do they use the money for?
How do they get the money?

Government

What type of government predominates in your book?
Do countries have different types of government?
Is there a king? How far does his power extend?
Is there a council? Who is on it and what powers do they have?
What laws do they have? How do they enforce them?

Work

What kind of jobs do people do?
How do they find work?
Which jobs are most desired?
Are jobs divided by class, are they inherited or are they a personal choice?

Transport

What do the characters use to get around?
Do they use horses, carts, trains, cars, supernatural creatures, etc.?
What do the roads look like?
Are there road rules?
How far apart are the places?

Magic

Does magic exist in your world?
What is it used for?
Does everyone know of its existence?
Who can have magical powers? And why?

Don’t worry, here you will find a whole article dedicated to helping you create your own magic system.

Society

Are there social classes? How many?
How are they divided? Who belongs to what?
What lifestyle does each social class have?
How do they treat each other?
Do they have equal rights? What rules control them?

Appearance

How do the characters dress?
What hairstyles do they usually wear?
Do they dress differently in different environments?
Do your main characters have a specific style?
What are the clothes made of?
Do different social classes have different types of clothes? What differentiates them?