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Description
The following questions are designed to help writers brainstorm ideas for their fictional worlds and/or nations. These questions are geared mostly toward medieval and earlier periods (that is, hunter-gatherer societies, horticultural societies, and agricultural societies).

Very often a question might have two or more answers depending on the social class of the person/people. If this occurs circle both and write a note of which classes have what. There will also be questions where more than one answer is correct, so circle all applicable ones. I also encourage you to write in the Other option as much as possible, even if you circled one of the choices.

The name of this fictional country/nation/kingdom is _____________.

Social organization:

Some basic characteristics of societies: (these are not true for all societies)
Circle or write a note by anything that is a characteristic of your society.

Hunter-Gatherer:
They generally use a bow and arrow for hunting.
Gather plants, no growing.
Nomadic.
Most are peaceful and live off of cooperation instead of competition.
No formal government or written laws/rules.
Nomadic groups are normally small and are often extended families.
Emphasize sharing and helping others so they can be helped in turn.

Horticultural:
Grow and farm foods with a hoe.
More social diversity because some people are free to learn trades instead of hunting or farming.
Trading more often than currency.
Slavery.
Wars.

Agricultural:
Plow and other inventions make farming more productive and fruitful, making even more social diversity.
Merchants.
Ownership of property is very important.
Churches and sometimes schools.
Wars and slavery.
Swords and armor.
Wagons, roads.
Currency.
Formal governments.

What type of society yours closest too?

* Hunter gatherer
* Horticultural
* Agricultural
* Other....

Housing is made of:

* Mud, and other temporary materials.
* Wood
* Wattle and Daub
* Brick
* Stone
* Caves or other natural places.
* Other...

The cities are:

* Generally large and have stone or wood walls surrounding them.
* Small farming villages that are clustered throughout the kingdom
* Has one major city, but the rest are small clustered villages.
* No clustering whatsoever. Houses are spread out.
* Housing and locations are temporary, so there are no formal cities.
* Other...

Does this society have a formal currency? Does this currency vary from nation to nation, area to area, or not at all? Are weights sometimes used to determine the worth of coins, or do people trust that they are all the same?

When your character goes to the market to buy a few chickens, he:

* Offers the owner a pig in exchange.
* Pays the price of the chicken with coins.
* Barters with the owner until they reach a reasonable price.
* Other...

Describe any other generalizations about your society here:

Government:

When someone breaks the rules/norms, who corrects him?

* A judge
* The church
* The government (sometimes a monarch): Guards or police.
* His peers
* The elders, and/or a counsel
* Other...

When two people have a major dispute (that doesn't resort to violence):

* They generally work it out themselves or find an unbiased third party.
* They ask a guard, count, monarch, or judge to settle it for them.
* They play a fair game of chance.
* The person with a higher social status always wins the dispute.
* Other...

Describe in as much detail as possible the form of government in this society. (If there is no formal government describe how they control deviance without laws or law enforcers). Is it ruled by a monarchy or by a council? Are there certain parts of the government designed to do only a handful of tasks (ex. a judicial branch)? How much power do the law enforcers have? Are laws written, or is right and wrong determined by who is in power at the time? (Keep in mind that it is possible for a monarchy or council with law enforcement and jails to have no formally written laws)

Class (economics):

How many social classes are there?

* One: wealth is shared pretty equally.
* Two: serfs and landowners or something similar.
* Three: upper, middle, and lower.
* Other...

How is social class generally determined?

* By birth
* By intelligence
* By strength
* By how much they work, or how inventive they are.
* By the government. (Government tells them what they have to be)
* Other...

Describe any notable differences between economic classes:

Culture

Talk about holidays and large social events. Who celebrates them? Are some mandatory (like how the Jews were unable to work on the Sabbath)? How are they celebrated? What are some holiday traditions shared by the majority of this culture?

What are some norms in this society?

What are some taboos or ways to break the norms? (For example, hugging a stranger breaks most social norms).

When a lower class citizen (or non citizen) passes an upper class they are supposed to:

* Make a quick bow and be respectful.
* Be respectful and not bother them or get in their way.
* Kneel, or bow down on all fours when addressed directly.
* They are not supposed to talk to or acknowledge the other social class in any way unless absolutely necessary.

When a slave (if applicable) is addressed they are supposed to:

* Not make eye contact.
* Listen to and do everything they are told unless it conflicts with what their master has told them.
* Bow or kneel until allowed to rise.
*Always answer respectfully and including the word "sir" or "master" in their sentences.
* Other...

Social roles:

Marriage is:

* One man, one woman
* One man, possibly several women
* One woman, possibly several men
* Sometimes two men, or two women
* Other...

Is this because of (or despite) a major church or religious value?

Women are:

* Competent, able to handle themselves
* Supposed to follow their husband's wishes publicly, but able to voice their opinions in private.
* Treated roughly if they voice their opinions.
* Are expected to raise all of their children.
* Are expected to raise just the female children (ex. teach them to sew and cook), while boys go to school or are taught a trade by their fathers.
* Supposed to run the household because fathers work away from the home.
* Unable to own property
* Unable to be part of a council
* Unable to learn a trade or otherwise work outside a home.
* Other...

Men are:

* Supposed to be strong and show little emotion.
* Supposed to provide for their family.
* Supposed to teach their boys their trade and possibly how to read and write.
* Able to be part of the government despite their economic background.
* The brains and the bronze of the society.
* Other...

Children:

* Are competent and able to handle themselves.
* Should be nurtured and indulged
* Should be disciplined when they do wrong.
* Should concentrate on important things like learning their father's trade
* Should have lots of times to play with their siblings and/or friends.
* Are often sent on simple errands (like buying a loaf of bread from the local bakery).
* Are not considered adults until they... (Describe a rite of passage)
* Are considered adults when they turn ____ years old.
* Other...

Who socializes the children (who teaches them morals, norms, and general knowledge)?

* Their families
* Churches
* Schools
* Other...

Religion and superstitions:

Is there a state-mandated religion (or one that 90% of the population follows)?

* Yes (If yes, then answer the following questions.)
* No (If no because there are many religions in this nation, answer the following questions as many times as needed.)

This religion is:

* Monotheistic (One god)
* Polytheistic (More than one god)
* Nature-based (Worshiping animals and nature without personifying them as actual gods.)

Do these gods have statues, temples, and paintings made of/for them?

Do people make offerings/sacrifices to the gods? What type (money, livestock, children....)? Do different gods accept or reject different offerings? What is done with the offerings--are they given to priests to redistribute as the gods command (as the case would normally be with money), or are they burnt, or something else entirely?

If the religion is polytheistic, what are the supposed relationships between individual gods? Are there factions (ex. Hades and his followers, and Zeus and his, but each with their own agendas)?

IMPORTANT: Do the gods ever show themselves to the characters or readers? (Meaning, are they actually living characters in the story or simply some background culture?)

What type of superstitions are common? Are there unlucky or lucky numbers? Is seeing a black cat on Friday the 13th (for example) an ominous sign from the gods or just plain unlucky? How do they explain deja vu?

The Church:

* Is a powerful and influential structure in government and in the lives of people.
* Is a place that some people go to on Sundays.
* Is a place where everyone goes on Sundays.
* Is considered holy and sacred.
* People who go there should be dressed their best and be on their best behavior.
* Takes care of the homeless and the needy.
* Has healing powers (or sometimes acts as if they do)
* Other...

History:

History was:

* Passed down in stories and tales
* Written down in texts
* Poorly recorded until recently
* Erased or destroyed in wars in one point in time, so much of it was lost
* Partially rediscovered
* Other...

Ruins of ancient buildings:

* Are often rebuilt or built around
* Can sometimes be found in uninhabited areas
* Are few and far between
* Are practically nonexistent in this region
* Other...

Name and describe any important figures in history, and what they did.

Describe and tell about any past wars, recent or not, and how that affects their culture today? (Are there still hard feelings between them and the people they fought with?)

Describe common prejudices and beliefs of the people and their possible origins:

Describe any important discoveries:

Describe any other important historical people or happenings:

The People

Are your people all (or the majority of them) part of the same ethnic background? If yes, then answer the following questions.

What is the common Hair color?

What is the common eye color?

What is the common height?

What is the common skin tone?

Any other descriptors for these people?

~~~

What are common Hairstyles? Do they depend on economic status at all?

What are common clothing styles? Do they depend on economic status?

What is this nation's flag/banner/royal crest? Draw or describe.

The Location

What is the weather like in this country? (Rains a lot, really dry and hot, etc.)

What are the most common natural resources in or near this nation? (Good farmland, timber, metal deposits, rivers with fish, etc.)

What are the neighboring nations/kingdoms? Are they aggressive or do they trade often?

Draw a simple map of nearby kingdoms, rivers, oceans, forests and the location of your major cities.

Technology:

What type of weapons do they use for hunting? For fighting?

What type of armor do they use in battle? How much armor do they wear?

How do they irrigate the land for crops? Do they use plows or hoes on the soil?

Is there any other important technology? Who invented it and when? What is its impacts on the society?

Other factors:

Do they have an official calendar (do they count days, months, years)? Is it different than ours? (I've seen some stories and videogames simply assign new names to existing months, or leave out day numbering entirely and just go by month-like passages of time [ex. moon phases])

Do they keep any domesticated animals? Which ones, and what are their uses (if it's not already obvious)? (horses for transportation, dogs for hunting, etc.)

What sort of game and wild animals are in or around this nation/kingdom? (ex. Lions and tigers and bears, oh my!)

What makes this society different than the ones around it?

What are some major exports/imports?

How are these people viewed by other kingdoms? Why?

Do they have a notable accent difference (either within their own social and economic statuses or with other nations)? (ex. Do nobles speak with better grammar than peasants/slaves).

List as many professions as you can? (ex. Law enforcer, farmer, fisherman, politician, blacksmith, and so on)

For non-human races only:

Are they humanoid? (Do they have two arms, two legs, hands that are flexible and can be used to make and use tools, etc.)

What do they look like? Describe in detail here. Try drawing a picture, too. (It doesn't have to be a work of art, I just want you to try visualizing what goes where.... Trying to design armor for a race with a tail is a trick, and it may be so significant that you'll want to include that description in the story.)

How does this affect their clothing styles? (that is, if they wear clothing)

How do they communicate (this mainly applies to non-humanoid races)? For example, a race of wolves lacks the tongue/mouth shape to speak like a human. In the Wheel of Time series by Robert Jordan wolves speak with telepathy. In Through Wolf's Eyes and the rest of the Firekeeper saga by Jake Lindskold, wolves communicate mostly through body language. Sometimes humanoid races require different forms of communication as well. In my stories, the Kurthans (people who can live and breathe underwater) have a primary language that is formed entirely by hand signals (like ASL) because it is obviously difficult to speak verbally while at the bottom of the ocean.

Do they have a specific personality trait (or traits) that is amplified compared to other races/humans?

Magic:

In this world magic is called ________. (Ex. The force, The Source, Manna, and so on.)

Magic:

* Can be learned by anyone
* Is a trait that is born into people
* Can be learned by only a few people who have a specific genetic trait.
* Other...

Magic is:

* Made up of incantations, spells, and chants.
* Mostly complex forms of potion-making.
* A natural source of special energy that can be channeled by people (sometimes)
* Other...

The church/religious fanatics view magic as:

* Evil and unnatural
* Something that exists and is not necessarily good or bad.
* The divine power of the gods/god given to mankind
* Nonexistent, because it is so rare.
* Other...

Magic has:

* No limitations
* Complex procedures for doing even simple things
* Very few actual functions
* Specific functions, (ex. healing, controlling the weather, and so on). List them.
* Other...

Magic can be dangerous if:

* The person wielding it has become too powerful
* The person wielding it is corrupt
* The person wielding it tries to learn too much, too quickly.
* Its use is not monitored by an organization (like a church or something else)
* Other...

Description
The following questions are designed to help writers brainstorm ideas for their fictional worlds and/or nations. These questions are geared mostly toward medieval and earlier periods (that is, hunter-gatherer societies, horticultural societies, and agricultural societies).

Very often a question might have two or more answers depending on the social class of the person/people. If this occurs circle both and write a note of which classes have what. There will also be questions where more than one answer is correct, so circle all applicable ones. I also encourage you to write in the Other option as much as possible, even if you circled one of the choices.

The name of this fictional country/nation/kingdom is _____________.

Social organization:

Some basic characteristics of societies: (these are not true for all societies)
Circle or write a note by anything that is a characteristic of your society.

Hunter-Gatherer:
They generally use a bow and arrow for hunting.
Gather plants, no growing.
Nomadic.
Most are peaceful and live off of cooperation instead of competition.
No formal government or written laws/rules.
Nomadic groups are normally small and are often extended families.
Emphasize sharing and helping others so they can be helped in turn.

Horticultural:
Grow and farm foods with a hoe.
More social diversity because some people are free to learn trades instead of hunting or farming.
Trading more often than currency.
Slavery.
Wars.

Agricultural:
Plow and other inventions make farming more productive and fruitful, making even more social diversity.
Merchants.
Ownership of property is very important.
Churches and sometimes schools.
Wars and slavery.
Swords and armor.
Wagons, roads.
Currency.
Formal governments.

What type of society yours closest too?

* Hunter gatherer
* Horticultural
* Agricultural
* Other....

Housing is made of:

* Mud, and other temporary materials.
* Wood
* Wattle and Daub
* Brick
* Stone
* Caves or other natural places.
* Other...

The cities are:

* Generally large and have stone or wood walls surrounding them.
* Small farming villages that are clustered throughout the kingdom
* Has one major city, but the rest are small clustered villages.
* No clustering whatsoever. Houses are spread out.
* Housing and locations are temporary, so there are no formal cities.
* Other...

Does this society have a formal currency? Does this currency vary from nation to nation, area to area, or not at all? Are weights sometimes used to determine the worth of coins, or do people trust that they are all the same?

When your character goes to the market to buy a few chickens, he:

* Offers the owner a pig in exchange.
* Pays the price of the chicken with coins.
* Barters with the owner until they reach a reasonable price.
* Other...

Describe any other generalizations about your society here:

Government:

When someone breaks the rules/norms, who corrects him?

* A judge
* The church
* The government (sometimes a monarch): Guards or police.
* His peers
* The elders, and/or a counsel
* Other...

When two people have a major dispute (that doesn't resort to violence):

* They generally work it out themselves or find an unbiased third party.
* They ask a guard, count, monarch, or judge to settle it for them.
* They play a fair game of chance.
* The person with a higher social status always wins the dispute.
* Other...

Describe in as much detail as possible the form of government in this society. (If there is no formal government describe how they control deviance without laws or law enforcers). Is it ruled by a monarchy or by a council? Are there certain parts of the government designed to do only a handful of tasks (ex. a judicial branch)? How much power do the law enforcers have? Are laws written, or is right and wrong determined by who is in power at the time? (Keep in mind that it is possible for a monarchy or council with law enforcement and jails to have no formally written laws)

Class (economics):

How many social classes are there?

* One: wealth is shared pretty equally.
* Two: serfs and landowners or something similar.
* Three: upper, middle, and lower.
* Other...

How is social class generally determined?

* By birth
* By intelligence
* By strength
* By how much they work, or how inventive they are.
* By the government. (Government tells them what they have to be)
* Other...

Describe any notable differences between economic classes:

Culture

Talk about holidays and large social events. Who celebrates them? Are some mandatory (like how the Jews were unable to work on the Sabbath)? How are they celebrated? What are some holiday traditions shared by the majority of this culture?

What are some norms in this society?

What are some taboos or ways to break the norms? (For example, hugging a stranger breaks most social norms).

When a lower class citizen (or non citizen) passes an upper class they are supposed to:

* Make a quick bow and be respectful.
* Be respectful and not bother them or get in their way.
* Kneel, or bow down on all fours when addressed directly.
* They are not supposed to talk to or acknowledge the other social class in any way unless absolutely necessary.

When a slave (if applicable) is addressed they are supposed to:

* Not make eye contact.
* Listen to and do everything they are told unless it conflicts with what their master has told them.
* Bow or kneel until allowed to rise.
*Always answer respectfully and including the word "sir" or "master" in their sentences.
* Other...

Social roles:

Marriage is:

* One man, one woman
* One man, possibly several women
* One woman, possibly several men
* Sometimes two men, or two women
* Other...

Is this because of (or despite) a major church or religious value?

Women are:

* Competent, able to handle themselves
* Supposed to follow their husband's wishes publicly, but able to voice their opinions in private.
* Treated roughly if they voice their opinions.
* Are expected to raise all of their children.
* Are expected to raise just the female children (ex. teach them to sew and cook), while boys go to school or are taught a trade by their fathers.
* Supposed to run the household because fathers work away from the home.
* Unable to own property
* Unable to be part of a council
* Unable to learn a trade or otherwise work outside a home.
* Other...

Men are:

* Supposed to be strong and show little emotion.
* Supposed to provide for their family.
* Supposed to teach their boys their trade and possibly how to read and write.
* Able to be part of the government despite their economic background.
* The brains and the bronze of the society.
* Other...

Children:

* Are competent and able to handle themselves.
* Should be nurtured and indulged
* Should be disciplined when they do wrong.
* Should concentrate on important things like learning their father's trade
* Should have lots of times to play with their siblings and/or friends.
* Are often sent on simple errands (like buying a loaf of bread from the local bakery).
* Are not considered adults until they... (Describe a rite of passage)
* Are considered adults when they turn ____ years old.
* Other...

Who socializes the children (who teaches them morals, norms, and general knowledge)?

* Their families
* Churches
* Schools
* Other...

Religion and superstitions:

Is there a state-mandated religion (or one that 90% of the population follows)?

* Yes (If yes, then answer the following questions.)
* No (If no because there are many religions in this nation, answer the following questions as many times as needed.)

This religion is:

* Monotheistic (One god)
* Polytheistic (More than one god)
* Nature-based (Worshiping animals and nature without personifying them as actual gods.)

Do these gods have statues, temples, and paintings made of/for them?

Do people make offerings/sacrifices to the gods? What type (money, livestock, children....)? Do different gods accept or reject different offerings? What is done with the offerings--are they given to priests to redistribute as the gods command (as the case would normally be with money), or are they burnt, or something else entirely?

If the religion is polytheistic, what are the supposed relationships between individual gods? Are there factions (ex. Hades and his followers, and Zeus and his, but each with their own agendas)?

IMPORTANT: Do the gods ever show themselves to the characters or readers? (Meaning, are they actually living characters in the story or simply some background culture?)

What type of superstitions are common? Are there unlucky or lucky numbers? Is seeing a black cat on Friday the 13th (for example) an ominous sign from the gods or just plain unlucky? How do they explain deja vu?

The Church:

* Is a powerful and influential structure in government and in the lives of people.
* Is a place that some people go to on Sundays.
* Is a place where everyone goes on Sundays.
* Is considered holy and sacred.
* People who go there should be dressed their best and be on their best behavior.
* Takes care of the homeless and the needy.
* Has healing powers (or sometimes acts as if they do)
* Other...

History:

History was:

* Passed down in stories and tales
* Written down in texts
* Poorly recorded until recently
* Erased or destroyed in wars in one point in time, so much of it was lost
* Partially rediscovered
* Other...

Ruins of ancient buildings:

* Are often rebuilt or built around
* Can sometimes be found in uninhabited areas
* Are few and far between
* Are practically nonexistent in this region
* Other...

Name and describe any important figures in history, and what they did.

Describe and tell about any past wars, recent or not, and how that affects their culture today? (Are there still hard feelings between them and the people they fought with?)

Describe common prejudices and beliefs of the people and their possible origins:

Describe any important discoveries:

Describe any other important historical people or happenings:

The People

Are your people all (or the majority of them) part of the same ethnic background? If yes, then answer the following questions.

What is the common Hair color?

What is the common eye color?

What is the common height?

What is the common skin tone?

Any other descriptors for these people?

~~~

What are common Hairstyles? Do they depend on economic status at all?

What are common clothing styles? Do they depend on economic status?

What is this nation's flag/banner/royal crest? Draw or describe.

The Location

What is the weather like in this country? (Rains a lot, really dry and hot, etc.)

What are the most common natural resources in or near this nation? (Good farmland, timber, metal deposits, rivers with fish, etc.)

What are the neighboring nations/kingdoms? Are they aggressive or do they trade often?

Draw a simple map of nearby kingdoms, rivers, oceans, forests and the location of your major cities.

Technology:

What type of weapons do they use for hunting? For fighting?

What type of armor do they use in battle? How much armor do they wear?

How do they irrigate the land for crops? Do they use plows or hoes on the soil?

Is there any other important technology? Who invented it and when? What is its impacts on the society?

Other factors:

Do they have an official calendar (do they count days, months, years)? Is it different than ours? (I've seen some stories and videogames simply assign new names to existing months, or leave out day numbering entirely and just go by month-like passages of time [ex. moon phases])

Do they keep any domesticated animals? Which ones, and what are their uses (if it's not already obvious)? (horses for transportation, dogs for hunting, etc.)

What sort of game and wild animals are in or around this nation/kingdom? (ex. Lions and tigers and bears, oh my!)

What makes this society different than the ones around it?

What are some major exports/imports?

How are these people viewed by other kingdoms? Why?

Do they have a notable accent difference (either within their own social and economic statuses or with other nations)? (ex. Do nobles speak with better grammar than peasants/slaves).

List as many professions as you can? (ex. Law enforcer, farmer, fisherman, politician, blacksmith, and so on)

For non-human races only:

Are they humanoid? (Do they have two arms, two legs, hands that are flexible and can be used to make and use tools, etc.)

What do they look like? Describe in detail here. Try drawing a picture, too. (It doesn't have to be a work of art, I just want you to try visualizing what goes where.... Trying to design armor for a race with a tail is a trick, and it may be so significant that you'll want to include that description in the story.)

How does this affect their clothing styles? (that is, if they wear clothing)

How do they communicate (this mainly applies to non-humanoid races)? For example, a race of wolves lacks the tongue/mouth shape to speak like a human. In the Wheel of Time series by Robert Jordan wolves speak with telepathy. In Through Wolf's Eyes and the rest of the Firekeeper saga by Jake Lindskold, wolves communicate mostly through body language. Sometimes humanoid races require different forms of communication as well. In my stories, the Kurthans (people who can live and breathe underwater) have a primary language that is formed entirely by hand signals (like ASL) because it is obviously difficult to speak verbally while at the bottom of the ocean.

Do they have a specific personality trait (or traits) that is amplified compared to other races/humans?

Magic:

In this world magic is called ________. (Ex. The force, The Source, Manna, and so on.)

Magic:

* Can be learned by anyone
* Is a trait that is born into people
* Can be learned by only a few people who have a specific genetic trait.
* Other...

Magic is:

* Made up of incantations, spells, and chants.
* Mostly complex forms of potion-making.
* A natural source of special energy that can be channeled by people (sometimes)
* Other...

The church/religious fanatics view magic as:

* Evil and unnatural
* Something that exists and is not necessarily good or bad.
* The divine power of the gods/god given to mankind
* Nonexistent, because it is so rare.
* Other...

Magic has:

* No limitations
* Complex procedures for doing even simple things
* Very few actual functions
* Specific functions, (ex. healing, controlling the weather, and so on). List them.
* Other...

Magic can be dangerous if:

* The person wielding it has become too powerful
* The person wielding it is corrupt
* The person wielding it tries to learn too much, too quickly.
* Its use is not monitored by an organization (like a church or something else)
* Other...