Guest Speakers: Dana Cameron, Roshani Chokshi, Sargon Donabed, K.D. Edwards, Violette Meier – WRITE Program Director: Venessa Giunta
Observe others and their social quirks. How do people in cultures view themselves? How does everyone else perceive them?
There are many sub-cultures within cultures. If you live in a country, there are regions where people may think or behave differently. There are sub-pockets of culture within those regions. Even different neighborhoods within the same town or city can carry different vibes.
“Hive mind” is something to watch out for, especially in writing. You don’t want everyone in a culture to be thinking or behaving the same way. Individuals make up a whole, and unlikely alliances make up some of the most entertaining fiction!
There are two sides to every story (perspective) of history and reality.
Consider implementing alternate histories (like “Man in the High Castle.”) This TV series was based off a story where America had lost WW2, and the eastern half of the region was taken over by the Nazis, while the western half of the region was dominated by the Japanese.
Restructuring language itself is also a fun writing exercise that can immerse the audience into the cultures of your world. “Firefly” did this by inventing new phonetic versions of profanity.
What other details are variable depending on the culture (or that the culture may depend on?) Food, clothing, body language, social customs, climate, environment, religion, economy, careers, entertainment, etc.
Avoid info-dump’s. While it’s tempting to explain everything in your world (often in the beginning of a story), resist the urge! It’s better to layer out the information throughout the story, as it’s needed.
Know when to leave some information to the reader’s imagination. In some cases, it’s even better to make sure they know it’s intentional. A great example was James Cameron’s “Avatar” when Jake lands on the back of a legendary flying beast with the intention of taming it. The screen goes dark, and you hear a dragon-like shriek.
Multi-planet world-building is a daunting task to say the least! It can be worth it if you take the time to do it right! But bear in mind that you are more likely able to condense a richer “world” experience into smaller settings as opposed to spreading yourself thin over entire galaxies. It can be done, but it’s a LOT more effort! And that’s an understatement!
What do you think? How much does culture impact a story? Was there a fantasy or sci-fi world where you found yourself strongly relating to the cultures therein? Do you have a favorite world with unique cultures, and if so – what made them really special to you? I’d love to hear your thoughts in the Comments Section below!
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