Angus McKie
- Does your world have an education system? If so, which areas of study are the most valued?
- What are the most undervalued jobs in your world? Who works them?
- Which genre of music is the most popular?
- How common is it to speak a language that is not your native one?
- How is public intimacy regarded?
- Does age play a role in how much respect a person gets at first glance? Why?
- Which meals or foods are considered classics or universally loved?
- What is that one thing that it seems like every kid does? (For example, where I live, it’s soccer.)
- Does magic play a role in your world? How important is it and under what circumstances is it used?
- How are criminals punished?
- What is considered the worst possible crime that a person could commit?
- Do people keep pets? Which ones are the most popular?
- What are the three most common pastimes?
- How are people like the police regarded by the general public?
- Are there any gender roles or stereotypes that exist? If so, what are they?
- How are people in the LGBT+ community treated?
- How are disabled people treated?
- How are people of color treated?
- What is the general lifestyle of the average person in your world?
- Do people with mental illnesses have access to resources they might need (therapists, medication, etc.)?
- What are beauty standards for men and women like?
- If any, what are the stereotypes that exist for each age group?
- Which is valued more, the arts or the sciences?
- What constitutes as standard intelligence?
- Think of the biggest accomplishments or events in your world’s history. Is there a certain theme that carries through them all?
- Do forms of entertainment like TV, movies, and theater — or anything resembling them — exist? How popular are they?
- Does anything like the Internet exist? What is it most commonly used for?
- When are kids expected to move out of their parents’ house?
- When are people expected to get their first job? Does this standard vary depending on the family’s financial stability?
- Do arranged marriages exist?
- Describe your world’s (or country’s) government in five words or less.
- If anything, what will absolutely not be tolerated in your world?
- What does a typical family look like, if any?
- What happens on the home front in times of war? What do people who aren’t actively engaged in the conflict do to try and help?
- What role does music play in society?
- How often do people travel? How far do they go, usually?
- Is it common for families to live in different corners of the world?
- How is hunting regarded?
- Are there any endangered species? What is the punishment for threatening them?
- If any, what are the most famous pieces of literature or most famous authors? Why are they so well-known?
- What is the most common form of transportation?
- What are the current fashion trends? How are they different from the trends that one, ten, and thirty years ago?
- Is there anyone in your world’s history who is regarded as truly evil?
- Does your world have a military? Are there different branches, such as the navy or marines? How does someone enlist?
- What are some common first date activities?
- What do people do when they need to relax?
- How common is it for people to go out with a group of friends versus alone?
- How do people get their electricity/power?
- At what age is a person considered “old”?
- At what point is it less offensive to be considered “old” by younger people?
- Do your workers have a minimum wage? What is it?
- What makes it easy for a person to consider a house a home?
- Who usually lives in a single house?
- Is there a “standard age” for a person to reach certain milestones in life (As in getting a job, finding a partner and getting married, having kids)?
- How might the rich display their wealth?
- Usually, how close are families to each other? Are they in contact with their third cousins on the other side of the world or do they barely know how many siblings they have?
- Which skills are considered the most important to have?
- Which laws are the most commonly broken?
- Does your world have any absolutely ridiculous laws? What are they/
- Are there any career paths are considered more valuable than others? Why?
- Is there any dedicated time of relaxation (like the weekend or a long holiday)?
- What is your country’s relationship with the countries around it?
- Can people easily talk about the politics of their world and keep a level head?
- What degree of control does the government have over the lives of the people?
- Is there a traditional process for mourning loved ones who have passed?
- In general, how much do people gesture when they speak?
- In general, how are people that speak with an accent regarded?
- What does a person have to do to be considered a prodigy?
- Have common is it to be a farmer or someone that produces food?
- Is the majority of your world’s food produced by big businesses or by smaller farmers?
