Worldbuilding.
It's a daunting task, wouldn't you say? After all, you have to create your own society with its own rules and customs and religions and whatnot. There's a lot to keep track of, and it's easy to forget the little details. But worldbuilding is essential to any good story. Done well, it adds depth and richness and wonder and can greatly advance your plot, as well as increase your character's overall development. It adds believability, which everyone should strive for. Done poorly, you confuse the crap out of your readers and make them put down your work.
So there's some incentive to do it right, neh?
Now, I'm not usually a fan of character sheets and notes and such, but I find the following to be a good guide. It's actually a breakdown of the required parts for designing your own personal utopia. It's technically meant to be written into a 6-8 page paper, but it's modifiable; you could easily use this as a breakdown for the different aspects of your world, nation, city, etc.
I strongly recommend that, should you use it, you keep it for your own files--don't drown your reader in useless knowledge. Better to incorporate it into the storyline bit by bit, if it's actually necessary. Even if it's not, having the background knowledge will help you, the writer, have a better understanding of the world your characters reside in, which will seep into your plot, character, and style whether you like it or not.
So let's get started.
I. ScopeIt's a daunting task, wouldn't you say? After all, you have to create your own society with its own rules and customs and religions and whatnot. There's a lot to keep track of, and it's easy to forget the little details. But worldbuilding is essential to any good story. Done well, it adds depth and richness and wonder and can greatly advance your plot, as well as increase your character's overall development. It adds believability, which everyone should strive for. Done poorly, you confuse the crap out of your readers and make them put down your work.
So there's some incentive to do it right, neh?
Now, I'm not usually a fan of character sheets and notes and such, but I find the following to be a good guide. It's actually a breakdown of the required parts for designing your own personal utopia. It's technically meant to be written into a 6-8 page paper, but it's modifiable; you could easily use this as a breakdown for the different aspects of your world, nation, city, etc.
I strongly recommend that, should you use it, you keep it for your own files--don't drown your reader in useless knowledge. Better to incorporate it into the storyline bit by bit, if it's actually necessary. Even if it's not, having the background knowledge will help you, the writer, have a better understanding of the world your characters reside in, which will seep into your plot, character, and style whether you like it or not.
So let's get started.
INDENT1. Would your utopia be a global utopia?
INDENTINDENTA. If not, would it be a nation state? A bioregion? A city? An eco-village or other type of intentional community?
INDENTINDENTB. If none of the above, what?
II. Goals & Values
INDENT1. What would be the fundamental values of your utopia?
INDENT2. What would be its goals?
INDENT3. Would individuals choose their own goals and values, or would their goals and values be those of your utopian ideology?
III. Members/Citizens
INDENT1. If your utopia was less than global, what would be the characteristics of its population?
INDENT2. Would it be open to all, or would you select its members?
INDENTINDENTA. If you’d select members, how and why would you do so?
INDENTINDENTB. What would be the criteria for membership?
INDENT3. If your utopia was small in size, would you find the physical site or the community members first?
INDENTINDENTA. Why?
INDENT4. What would be the rights of the members of your utopia?
INDENT5. What would be the duties of the members?
INDENT6. Would there be social stratification (e.g., owners and renters, different roles for males and females) in your utopia?
INDENT7. If there would be social stratification, what roles would different classes of individuals play?
INDENTINDENTA. Why?
IV. Children & Education
INDENT1. Would the number of children per parent be limited in your utopia?
INDENTINDENTA. If so, to how many children?
INDENTINDENTB. Why?
INDENT2. Would children live with their parents?
INDENTINDENTA. If not, what would be their living arrangements?
INDENT3. What rights would children have?
INDENT4. Would restrictions be placed on children’s activities?
INDENTINDENTA. If so, what restrictions?
INDENT5. How would children be educated?
INDENTINDENTA. Who would be the educators?
INDENTINDENTB. What rights would children have in deciding what they learned?
INDENT6. Would your utopia feature sex education of children?
INDENTINDENTA. If so, who would conduct it?
INDENT7. Would the traditional higher education system be retained, modified, or discarded?
INDENTINDENT A. If modified, how?
INDENTINDENTB. If discarded, how would your utopia conduct higher education?
V. Power & Politics
INDENT1. Would your utopia be based on any particular political theory?
INDENTINDENTA. If so, what?
INDENTINDENTB. And why?
INDENT2. What form of social and political organization would your utopia have?
INDENTINDENTA. Would it be based on political authority, with some giving orders and others obeying them in a vertical, hierarchical structure, as at present?
INDENTINDENTB. Or would it be based on voluntary cooperation in a horizontal, noncoercive structure?
INDENT3. What would your decision-making process(es) be?
INDENT4. Would you have a constitution, other written agreement(s), or verbal agreements?
INDENT5. How would officials or coordinators be selected?
INDENT6. How would you deal with abuse of authority by officials or coordinators?
VI. Economics, Work, and Leisure
INDENT1. How would production and distribution be organized in your utopia?
INDENT2. Would your utopia retain the use of money?
INDENTINDENTA. If not, would there be a means of exchange?
INDENTINDENTINDENTa. If so, what?
INDENT3. How would work be compensated?
INDENTINDENTA. Would everyone receive equal compensation for hours worked?
INDENTINDENTB. Would those who do dangerous or unpleasant work receive extra compensation or work fewer hours than those doing pleasant work?
INDENTINDENTC. Would access to community goods and services be based solely on need or want, and not connected to work?
INDENTINDENTINDENTa. If so, given present social conditioning, how would you prevent parasitism?
INDENT4. How would people determine what jobs they do?
INDENT5. Who would do economic planning?
INDENTINDENTA. How—what would be the process?
INDENT6. Would your utopia have sustainable economics (that is, economic processes that do not deplete or destroy unrenewable natural resources)?
INDENTINDENTA. If so, how would your sustainable system differ from the current system?
INDENTINDENTB. If so, how would you transition from the current economic system to a sustainable system?
INDENT7. Would your utopia be based on private property? Common ownership? Or a combination of the two?
INDENTINDENTA. If the latter, what would that combination be?
INDENT8. How many hours per day would your utopians work?
INDENT9. Would the standard of living in your utopia be poverty level (voluntary simplicity), middle class, or high on the hog?
INDENT10. Would you set aside time for play and creative pursuits?
INDENTINDENTA. How important would such time be in comparison with work time?
VII. Sex, Sex Roles, & Gender Differences
INDENT1. Would men and women live together in your utopia, or do you envision a sexually separatist utopia?
INDENTINDENTA. If so, why?
INDENTINDENTB. And how would you achieve it?
INDENT2. Would the roles of women and men vary in your utopia?
INDENTINDENTA. If so, how?
INDENT3. Would the nuclear family be retained?
INDENTINDENTA. If not, what would replace it?
INDENT4. Would marriage be retained?
INDENTINDENTA. If so, who would conduct the ceremonies?
INDENTINDENTB. Would married people have any rights or obligations beyond those of single people or those in alternative relationships?
INDENTINDENTC. Would gay marriages be recognized?
INDENT5. Would “alternative” relationships (gay/lesbian, bi, polyamorous, etc.) be prohibited, discouraged, tolerated, or encouraged?
INDENTINDENTA. If only some forms of relationships would be discouraged, tolerated, or encouraged, which ones would they be, and why?
INDENT6. Would your utopia encourage sexual freedom?
INDENT7. Would women and men be equally free sexually?
INDENT8. Would abortion be available on demand?
INDENTINDENTA. Would men have rights in making this decision?
INDENTINDENTB. If so, whose decision would be final?
INDENTINDENTC. If abortion was not available on demand, what criteria would be used in determining eligibility for abortion?
INDENTINDENTINDENTa. And who would make the final decision?
INDENT9. How would your utopia deal with sexually transmitted diseases?
INDENT10. What would be the attitude toward youthful sexual experimentation?
INDENT11. Would your utopia address problems of sexual jealousy and possessiveness when they arise?
INDENTINDENTA. If so, would it do so openly (publicly)?
INDENTINDENTINDENTa. Why would you choose to do this publicly?
INDENTINDENTB. Or would such problems be dealt with privately?
INDENTINDENTINDENTa. Why would you choose to do this privately?
INDENTINDENTC. In either case, what procedure(s) would be used?
INDENT12. Would your utopia ban, tolerate, or encourage public nudity?
INDENTINDENTA. If you’d ban it, why would you do so?
INDENTINDENTB. If your utopia would tolerate nudity, would it be acceptable in all places and at all times?
INDENTINDENTINDENTa. Why?
INDENTINDENTC. If nudity would not be acceptable in all places and at all times, what restrictions would you place on it?
INDENTINDENTINDENTa. Why?
INDENTINDENTD. If you’d encourage public nudity, why would you do so?
INDENT13. Would any kinds of sexual relations be banned in your utopia?
INDENTINDENTA. If so, what kinds?
INDENTINDENTB. Why?
VIII. Science & Technology
INDENT1. Would your utopia encourage scientific research?
INDENTINDENTA. If yes, would it be in all fields?
INDENTINDENTB. If not in all fields, in which fields would research be encouraged and in which would it be discouraged?
INDENTINDENTINDENTa. Why?
INDENT2. Would technological development be encouraged in all areas?
INDENTINDENTA. If not, which technologies would be encouraged and which discouraged?
INDENTINDENTINDENTa. Why?
INDENT3. Would your utopia abandon any technologies?
INDENTINDENTA. If so, which ones?
INDENTINDENTB. Why?
INDENT4. What would be the energy sources to drive your utopia?
INDENTINDENTA. Why would you use these particular energy sources?
INDENT5. Would any energy sources be banned?
INDENTINDENTA. If so, which ones?
INDENTINDENTB. Why?
INDENT6. What if any role would the new reproductive technologies have?
INDENTINDENTA. Who, if anyone, would have access to these technologies?
INDENTINDENTB. Would genetic manipulation be permitted in order to choose the sex of offspring?
INDENTINDENTC. Would genetic manipulation be permitted in order to choose other characteristics?
INDENTINDENTINDENTa. If so, which characteristics?
INDENTINDENTINDENTb. And why?
INDENT7. Would cloning be permitted in your utopia?
INDENTINDENTA. If so, who would be allowed to do it?
INDENTINDENTB. And for what purposes?
INDENT8. Would your utopia allow life-extension techniques?
INDENTINDENTA. If so, would you attempt to extend life indefinitely?
INDENTINDENTINDENTa. If so, why?
INDENTINDENTINDENTb. If not, why not?
INDENTINDENTB. If life extension techniques were available, who would have access to them?
INDENT9. Would your utopia explore outer space or confine itself to the Earth?
INDENT10. How would your utopia deal with the residues of present society, such as nuclear and toxic waste?
IX. Religion
INDENT1. Would there be a division between religion and other social and political institutions in your utopia?
INDENTINDENTA. If so, why?
INDENTINDENTB. If not, why not?
INDENT2. Would your utopia have a single religion?
INDENTINDENTA. If so, what would it be?
INDENTINDENTB. Why?
INDENT3. Would your utopia have no religion?
INDENTINDENTA. Why?
INDENT4. Would your utopia have many religions?
INDENTINDENTA. If so, would you place any restrictions on the types of religion?
INDENTINDENTB. Why?
INDENTINDENTC. How would you deal with religious strife?
INDENT5. How would you deal with cults and gurus?
INDENT6. Would your utopia have rituals and celebrations?
INDENTINDENTA. If so, what would they be?
INDENT7. Would there be religious ceremonies concerning birth, death, marriage, rites of passage, etc.?
INDENT8. Would religion be integrated into daily life?
INDENTINDENTA. If so, how?
INDENT9. What would be the relationship, if any, between sex and religion?
INDENT10. Would there be a religious hierarchy?
INDENTINDENTA. If so, how would religious leaders be selected?
INDENT11. What would be the relationship of religion to science?
INDENT12. Would psychoactive substances have any role in religion in your utopia?
INDENTINDENTA. If so, which substances?
INDENTINDENTB. What would be their role?
X. The Arts
INDENT1. What would be the role of the arts in your utopia?
INDENT2. Would your utopia distinguish between art and life?
INDENTINDENTA. If so, how?
INDENT3. Would your utopia encourage participation in the arts?
INDENTINDENTA. If so, who would be encouraged?
INDENTINDENTB. And how?
INDENT4. Would you distinguish between “mere entertainment” and “serious art”?
INDENTINDENTA. If so, what would be the purpose of each?
INDENTINDENTB. How would you distinguish between them?
INDENTINDENTC. And who would make the distinction?
INDENT5. Would you make a distinction between amateur and professional artists?
INDENTINDENTA. If so, why?
INDENTINDENTB. What would be the ramifications of this distinction?
INDENT6. Would professional artists (musicians, dancers, et al.) pursue their creative efforts full time, with the rest of the community supporting them?
INDENTINDENTA. If so, who would determine who would receive public support?
INDENT7. Would there be any censorship of art in your utopia?
INDENTINDENTA. If so, what would be censored?
INDENTINDENTB. And who would do the censoring?
XI. The Media
INDENT1. What types of media would exist in your utopia?
INDENT2. Who would control the media?
INDENT3. Who would own the media?
INDENT4. Would there be any censorship of the media?
INDENTINDENTA. If so, what would be censored?
INDENTINDENTB. Why?
INDENTINDENTC. And who would do the censoring?
INDENT5. Would participation in the media be open to all?
INDENTINDENTA. If not, why not?
INDENTINDENTB. If so, how would this be achieved?
INDENT6. Would intellectual property be recognized in your utopia?
INDENTINDENTA. If so, how?
XII. The Physical
INDENT1. What would be the architecture of your utopia?
INDENTINDENTA. What materials and techniques would be used in building construction?
INDENTINDENTINDENTa. What would be the underlying philosophical or ecological reasons for the use of these materials and techniques?
INDENT2. Would your utopia have high population density or low population density?
INDENTINDENTA. Why?
INDENT3. Would your utopia be urban, rural, or have elements of both?
INDENTINDENTA. Why?
INDENTINDENTB. If both, what would their relationship be?
INDENT4. What kind(s) of transportation would it use?
INDENT5. Would any kinds of transportation be encouraged or discouraged?
INDENTINDENTA. If so, which ones?
INDENTINDENTB. How?
INDENTINDENTC. And why?
INDENT6. How would your utopia deal with sewage and other waste products?
INDENT7. What would be the relationship between public space and private space?
INDENT8. Would your utopia have private, self-contained dwellings (as at present—detached houses and self-contained apartments)?
INDENT9. Would it have private, but non-self-contained individual living spaces (without kitchens and laundry facilities, and perhaps without private bathrooms or living rooms)?
INDENTINDENTA. What kind of buildings would these living spaces be in?
INDENT10. Would your utopia have private or communal dining facilities, or a combination of the two?
INDENTINDENTA. If a combination, what would it be?
INDENT11. Would it have a closed or nearly closed ecosystem, as in Soleri’s arcology?
INDENT12. How would your utopia deal with noise pollution?
XIII. Food
INDENT1. Would your utopia be vegetarian, omnivorous, or would food choice be an individual matter?
INDENTINDENTA. If your utopia was small scale and food choice was an individual matter, would you prohibit or allow the preparation and consumption of meat in public kitchens/dining areas?
INDENT2. Would agriculture be the province of factory farms, as at present, or would agricultural production be carried on by smaller units?
INDENTINDENTA. If by smaller units, what types of units?
INDENTINDENTINDENTa. Who would own and control the smaller units?
INDENT3. Would agriculture utilize pesticides and chemical fertilizers, or would agriculture be organic?
XIV. Animals
INDENT1. Would animals be raised and slaughtered for food?
INDENTINDENTA. If so, what kinds of animals?
INDENTINDENTB. If so, would this production be under the present factory system?
INDENTINDENTINDENTa. If not, what system would replace it?
INDENTINDENTC. Would free-range production of food animals be allowed?
INDENTINDENTINDENTa. If so, of what animals?
INDENT2. Would hunting be allowed in your utopia?
INDENTINDENTA. If so, of what animals?
INDENT3. Would animals be used in laboratory testing?
INDENTINDENTA. If so, what would be the limits to this testing?
INDENT4. Would animals be kept as pets?
INDENTINDENTA. If so, what animals?
INDENT5. Would any animals be banned as pets?
INDENTINDENTA. If so, what animals?
INDENTINDENTINDENTa. Why?
XV. Health & Medicine
INDENT1. Would your utopia utilize allopathic (western) medicine?
INDENT2. Would it utilize alternative (holistic, herbal, natural, etc.) approaches?
INDENTINDENTA. If so, which ones?
INDENTINDENTB. Why these particular ones?
INDENT3. What role would preventative medicine have?
INDENT4. Would everyone have equal access to medical treatment?
INDENTINDENTA. If not, who would have preferential treatment?
INDENTINDENTINDENTa. Why?
INDENT5. How would your utopia deal with mental illness?
INDENTINDENTA. Would psychotherapeutic approaches be used?
INDENTINDENTINDENTa. If so, which ones?
INDENTINDENTINDENTb. Why?
INDENT6. Would psychiatric drugs be used?
INDENT7. Would “death with dignity” (voluntary euthanasia) be allowed in your utopia?
XVI. Alcohol and Other Drugs
INDENT1. Would alcohol be allowed in your utopia?
INDENTINDENTA. If so, what if any restrictions would be placed on its use?
INDENT2. Would tobacco be allowed?
INDENTINDENTA. If so, what if any restrictions would be placed on its use?
INDENT3. Would marijuana be allowed?
INDENTINDENTA. If so, what if any restrictions would be placed on its use?
INDENT4. Would other drugs be allowed?
INDENTINDENTA. If so, which ones?
INDENTINDENTB. What if any restrictions would be placed on their use?
XVII. Antisocial Behavior and Conflict Resolution
INDENT1. How would your utopia deal with those who harm others?
INDENTINDENTA. Force them to undergo psychiatric treatment?
INDENTINDENTB. Shun them?
INDENTINDENTC. Banish them?
INDENTINDENTD. Imprison them?
INDENTINDENTE. Kill them?
INDENT2. Would your utopia have a formalized system for dealing with criminal behavior?
INDENTINDENTA. If not, would it be dealt with by the community as a whole?
INDENTINDENTB. Would punishment be meted out by victim(s), their families, and friends?
INDENT3. How would your utopia deal with self-destructive behaviors?
INDENT4. How would it deal with conflicts between individuals?
INDENT5. Would there be a means of private mediation?
INDENT6. Would there be a meas of public mediation?
INDENT7. Would your utopia ban guns?
INDENT8. Would your utopia ban other types of weapons?
INDENTINDENTA. If so, what types?
XVIII. Military/War
INDENT1. Would your utopia abolish war, or if a small society would one of its goals be the abolition of war?
INDENT2. Until war is abolished, would your utopia have some kind of self-defense force?
INDENTINDENTA. If so, would it be a conventional army with a rank system and chain of command?
INDENTINDENTB. If not as a conventional army, how would your self-defense force be organized?
INDENTINDENTINDENTa. As a militia? If so, who would be its members?
INDENTINDENTINDENTb. How would weapons be controlled? And by whom?
INDENT3. Would any types of weapons be banned?
INDENTINDENTA. If so, which ones?
INDENTINDENTB. Why?
That's everything from the sheet. Let me know if you think something should be added.
Hope you get some use out of this!
Hope you get some use out of this!
