Saturday, August 31, 2013

World Builder #7

Ever notice how little details about the facts of life seem missing when reading a fantasy world? Like no one needs to bathe, eat (unless it's a feast), use the bathroom? Everyone dies perfect, pretty deaths (unless it's a horror novel), and birth is usually pretty clean (unless it's convenient to the story). I'm not advocating replaying in vivid detail your character's visit to the water closet, but mentioning it every now and again when relevant wouldn't hurt. In the same vein, deciding on cuisine and referencing it can add another layer of relatability.

What do your people eat? What forms the backbone of their staples? What grows well? What's exotic? How big are the differences in what the poor and the rich eat? 

Take into account the climate of your area as well as the geographic features. A seaside kingdom would likely deal in a lot of fish. But what makes their fish different? How do they prepare it? Are they a kingdom of spicy food lovers? What preservation techniques, if any, are available? What's your world's equivalent of caviar. Remember to think outside the familiar, and bon apetit.

All prompts on this blog are free for personal and instructional use, but may not be republished without the permission of the author. 

No comments:

Post a Comment