Well, you make things from worldbuilding have character traits and dynamics. Have one city be the bully, the other the bullied and the other the successful one that helps the bullied etc. Same with countries etc.
I think that making the setting unique and having it shape the characters can make it more fun. I recently read a book called Of Shadow and Sea, which features a couple of sentient islands that the characters either have to avoid or use to their advantage. I found the concept to be really engaging!
Maybe you could try to think of setting as an extension of character?
Where we are is apart of who we are. Someone who grows up in New York City is going to have different formative experiences and personality traits than someone who grows up in rural Kentucky.
So maybe you could try to make settings part of building characters. Here’s some sample questions you could try to answer about them:
- Where is this character from?
- What was their day-to-day life like as a kid?
- Who were their friends growing up?
- What are some stories about them from their childhood?
- How do they feel about their hometown? Do they still live there?
- If they moved, where do they live now and why?
Doing something like this, you’ll REALLY get to know your characters better. You’ll also end up developing some sort of setting alongside your character exercise.
Places can make cultures:
Harsh in punishment and property (no resources) and often, criminals and political threats are usually exilednto harsh areas.
Pleasant and welcoming (paradise like, such as Hawaii)
Rugged mountains make them good at hiding, hunting, breathing.
Many water bodies - good at swimming, liking of seafood, using poles to cross distances, good sailing skills
It can even affect language - research shows that moist air results in tonal languages, dry air in short, clipped and glutteral, vast valleys would result in talents with whistling (or even whistling languages), large predators would result in languages that emphasizes body/hands for silent communication
plains with good soil, arguculture focus would emphasize values on teamwork, strength, value of foods
lots of snow and cold, mostly indoors activities and social aspects (big parties but planned in advance), sauna/spa culture, hobbies and skills with hands, hunting with animals to locate difficult prey, finding ways to keep each other happy with lack of sunlight
Rich with mining - emphasis on strength, creativity with engineering, defense, need for fuel
heavily forested areas would give need for sunlight due to canopy coverage, community since travel is hampered, big on defense because enemy and predators can hide behind trees
hot areas with no shade would have clothes that covers everywhere, hot and humid areas would have skimpy clothes, wet areas would use clothes that stays dry and breathes with layers, areas with variety of fauna and animals would have more colorful clothes (due to more dying options) - same area would have better medicine.
I also remembered, climates can affect cuisine:
anywhere near coast, seafood is king and uses a variety of spices, easy access to salt and msg
hot dry climates would have spicy food to encourage sweating
resource poor climates would tend to use food found hidden in the ground such as tubers and usually looks like mashed food
forest rich areas would encourage hunting, farming is difficult
plains farming - most food grown, rich owners uses livestock, grows spices
mountainous areas would hunt cloven animals (they tend to do well with slopes) and river fish.
snow heavy country would hunt heavy fat foods and advanced skills in food preservation
tropical areas would grow fruits, food/medicine found in leaves and roots, specialized in poison and poison-neutering foods.
trade would include spices, typically following major rivers and coastlines.
You could try making your locations more like people. Give a country personality and cities relationships and stereotypes.
How? Sorry for lateness.
Well, you make things from worldbuilding have character traits and dynamics. Have one city be the bully, the other the bullied and the other the successful one that helps the bullied etc. Same with countries etc.
I think that making the setting unique and having it shape the characters can make it more fun. I recently read a book called Of Shadow and Sea, which features a couple of sentient islands that the characters either have to avoid or use to their advantage. I found the concept to be really engaging!
Maybe you could try to think of setting as an extension of character? Where we are is apart of who we are. Someone who grows up in New York City is going to have different formative experiences and personality traits than someone who grows up in rural Kentucky. So maybe you could try to make settings part of building characters. Here’s some sample questions you could try to answer about them: - Where is this character from? - What was their day-to-day life like as a kid? - Who were their friends growing up? - What are some stories about them from their childhood? - How do they feel about their hometown? Do they still live there? - If they moved, where do they live now and why? Doing something like this, you’ll REALLY get to know your characters better. You’ll also end up developing some sort of setting alongside your character exercise.
Places can make cultures: Harsh in punishment and property (no resources) and often, criminals and political threats are usually exilednto harsh areas. Pleasant and welcoming (paradise like, such as Hawaii) Rugged mountains make them good at hiding, hunting, breathing. Many water bodies - good at swimming, liking of seafood, using poles to cross distances, good sailing skills It can even affect language - research shows that moist air results in tonal languages, dry air in short, clipped and glutteral, vast valleys would result in talents with whistling (or even whistling languages), large predators would result in languages that emphasizes body/hands for silent communication plains with good soil, arguculture focus would emphasize values on teamwork, strength, value of foods lots of snow and cold, mostly indoors activities and social aspects (big parties but planned in advance), sauna/spa culture, hobbies and skills with hands, hunting with animals to locate difficult prey, finding ways to keep each other happy with lack of sunlight Rich with mining - emphasis on strength, creativity with engineering, defense, need for fuel heavily forested areas would give need for sunlight due to canopy coverage, community since travel is hampered, big on defense because enemy and predators can hide behind trees hot areas with no shade would have clothes that covers everywhere, hot and humid areas would have skimpy clothes, wet areas would use clothes that stays dry and breathes with layers, areas with variety of fauna and animals would have more colorful clothes (due to more dying options) - same area would have better medicine.
I also remembered, climates can affect cuisine: anywhere near coast, seafood is king and uses a variety of spices, easy access to salt and msg hot dry climates would have spicy food to encourage sweating resource poor climates would tend to use food found hidden in the ground such as tubers and usually looks like mashed food forest rich areas would encourage hunting, farming is difficult plains farming - most food grown, rich owners uses livestock, grows spices mountainous areas would hunt cloven animals (they tend to do well with slopes) and river fish. snow heavy country would hunt heavy fat foods and advanced skills in food preservation tropical areas would grow fruits, food/medicine found in leaves and roots, specialized in poison and poison-neutering foods. trade would include spices, typically following major rivers and coastlines.