Through the end of 2017, Worldbuilding Wednesday themes are going to coincide with the chapters for my forthcoming workbook, The A-Zs of Worldbuilding (based off a blog series I posted back in 2014). So, if you’d like an idea of what’s coming ahead, just go peek at that. 😉
Using the theme is not required for participation, but is just a jumping point if you don’t know what to start with.
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If you’d like to receive an early preview of the Worldbuilding Wednesday theme each week (going out on the Sunday prior to the new topic), please sign up for my newsletter and mark that you’d like to receive the Worldbuilding Wednesday Reminders.
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Language
Creating a language is one of the first places that many worldbuilders wander to, and it’s mostly because it’s what Tolkien did. What fresh worldbuilders (including yours truly, some 15 years ago) often don’t realize, though, is that Tolkien created languages because he was a linguist. Continue reading “Worldbuilding Wednesday – Language – September 20”→
Through the end of 2017, Worldbuilding Wednesday themes are going to coincide with the chapters for my forthcoming workbook, The A-Zs of Worldbuilding, which is now available for pre-order!
Using the theme is not required for participation, but is just a jumping point if you don’t know what to start with.
There is no giveaway winner for last week.
If you’d like to receive an early preview of the Worldbuilding Wednesday theme each week (going out on the Sunday prior to the new topic), please sign up for my newsletter and mark that you’d like to receive the Worldbuilding Wednesday Reminders.
Feel free to grab this badge for your post!
Knowledge
The amount of information accumulated affects how a society and culture grow, and there are three main ways knowledge can be dealt with: the pursuit of it is encouraged, allowed, or forbidden.
How a society deals with knowledge can be a key point in helping you figure out how it is governed – whether it allows liberty, grants the illusion of liberty, or is actively oppressive.
There are many examples of how knowledge is controlled, manipulated, and often simply drowned in misinformation and entertainment in our current political climate, both in the US and around the world. You shouldn’t have any problem finding examples that you can use for inspiration.
In addition to how governments deal with knowledge, also consider how smaller societies – and even craftsman – treat the knowledge they have accumulated over time. Knowledge can easily be lost when the last surviving member of a family decides not to take up the family trade, or when how knowledge is stored experiences a drastic shift (oral traditions transferring to written languages, for example.)
Further Questions
How much does each culture know about your fictional world?
How is that information stored?
How is information passed on? Are there schools, private tutors, or is it a community responsibility around other necessities?
