How to use the economic, political, and sociocultural concepts in a fantasy world?

[Miaristan]

Hi,

I'm here because while I'm in the process of creating and describing the different countries (also drawing their borders btw!) that will exist in my fictional world, I struggle to know where to start.

However, there is something I found somewhat fascinating is that in the real world, there are three dimensions that are commonly covered to describe a specific country, i.e. the "political", the "economic", and the "sociocultural", and I felt like it would be good to start here, especially because like we would say it, "we have to build the skeleton before building everything else".

In other words, I wanted to re-use these concepts to briefly describe the countries in my fantasy world, than use them as a form of "bible" and "reference" to then develop further the said countries and add more detailed descriptions, characteristics, and so on.

So, that will be all, and have all a good day!

 

[pmmg]

I would start with story, and from that, I would come to decide on what type of land the MC begins in, and what it is like. From that, I might expand to ask how must its neighbors be, and further, what places might they be going over the course of the story, and what kinds of lands do those need to be?

Then I might freehand a map.

The map will probably lend itself to other things, like where points of conflict might be, and what makes for good trade routes, and where the water, and the iron and all that may be.

All of that political, economic, sociocultural stuff is built into the above, but its not always most important. For example, my MC has nothing to do with politics, and does not follow what those in charge are doing.

Better example:

Plot: the Governors daughter has been kidnapped by pirates who are hiding her on some unknown island. The MC has to get her back.

So what do I need?

Well, a coastal or island land with a governor. A lot of sea. A lot of islands to hide in. And...there are pirates. What must they be like? Who opposes them? are there other big nations that harass and hinder them, or do they have free reign?

Why is the governor a governor and not a king?

Why are they pirates? Do a lot of fat wealthy ships float by, or are things so poor its a last resort?

What is my MC like? Are they in the age of sail? Do they have gun powder? and what must it say about the area in which they live if they do?


That's how I would begin.

 

[DesinKalaScribe]

Building something like this has been super helpful to me. I have a document called "Economies, Social Structures, Histories, Religions" that cover the various kingdoms in my story. The breakdown of the existing hegemony, often times along historical cultural and economic divides, is an extremely important element of my story. However, the document remains pretty fluid. There are some foundational elements that aren't going to change like a kingdom with lots of forests has a thriving timber industry, while an island nation is seafaring. The specific histories have been adjusted as the story has gone on to increase tension and deliver, what I think, is a more comprehensive and engaging product.

Also, like pmmg said, if this sort of stuff is superfluous to your story, then you don't need to dig into it. Systems can oftentimes be invisible, but still have impact on folks. Broad strokes, implications, and allusions can do the work of telling the story in those cases.

 

[Mad Swede]

My simple advice would be to write your story, and to ask a few simple questions as you do so:

• What do the main characters do for a living, and how do they get paid?
• Where and in what do they live? Where does their food come from?
• If they want to buy something (food, clothes, weapons etc) where do they buy them and what do they pay with?
• How do your characters travel from place to place? Where do they stay?
• If your characters sign or agree some sort of contract, how is this enforced and by whom?
• Do your characters carry cash everywhere (and if so how are bandits dealt with?) or do they use some form of letters of credit and if so, who issues and cashes those?
• Who writes and enforces the law?

Just asking simple questions like this as you write your story will create those economic, political, and sociocultural concepts you need for your setting. So write the story!

 

[ThinkerX]

Hi,

I'm here because while I'm in the process of creating and describing the different countries (also drawing their borders btw!) that will exist in my fictional world, I struggle to know where to start.

However, there is something I found somewhat fascinating is that in the real world, there are three dimensions that are commonly covered to describe a specific country, i.e. the "political", the "economic", and the "sociocultural", and I felt like it would be good to start here, especially because like we would say it, "we have to build the skeleton before building everything else".

In other words, I wanted to re-use these concepts to briefly describe the countries in my fantasy world, than use them as a form of "bible" and "reference" to then develop further the said countries and add more detailed descriptions, characteristics, and so on.

So, that will be all, and have all a good day!

These elements are central to my 'Empire' series.

Capsule version:

Solaria is a quasi-Roman empire in another world. (Their ancestors were mostly imports from ancient Rome and surrounding nations.) The Church of the One God expelled the other sects a few centuries after thenations founding and assumed major political importance, with a separate army and currency. Several centuries ago, barbarians seized the western part of the empire. A few hundred years later, one of these barbarian kings managed to reunite the realm via intrigue and marriage. The denizens of 'old Solaria' were thrilled to see the empire reunited, but were unhappy with the new additions - commoners and aristocrats alike. The barbarians, for their part, viewed the 'old Solarians' as decadent and sly.

Meanwhile, a technological revolution - the development of semaphore towers, telescopes, printing presses, and other wonders was underway at the fringes of o;ld Solaria. Members of both aristocracies saw the value of these innovations. They put some under direct imperial control and restricted the rest.

The barbarians also saw the value of Solaria's legion system, which they revamped and imposed nationwide. The old knightly companies became noble auxiliaries. Commoners across the empire gained the chance for citizenship and land - at the cost of twenty years of military service.

That was where matters stood when the Traag War hit. Traag was an alliance ruled by demons with a sorcerous aristocracy more potent than any imperial wizard. Solaria triumphed - but at a bitter cost. The war dragged on for decades. The emperors were forced to release long-suppressed inventions such as bicycles and blasting powder. When the war finally ended, there wasn't enough money to pay the troops, so the veterans all received land and citizenship, increasing the middle class tenfold overnight. Additionally, many of these veterans were familiar with bicycles and other new technologies, which they set about duplicating. Others formed labor unions and protested against corrupt overlords. Wealthy commoners married or bought their way into the aristocracy. And the old guard looked at all this in utter horror, seeing the end of 'proper order' and 'traditional values.'

'Empire' opens two years after the end of the war. The characters are all directly involved in one aspect or another of this turmoil.

 

[Devor]

Here's the framework that I use for economics in my story.

A country needs five goods to survive:

Grain, Wool, Timber, Stone, Iron

If you're missing one, you need to import it, which makes you weak and reliant on others without it. If you have a huge supply of one, you can trade it off in the short run, but in the long run you're likely to be absorbed by another country. Unless they have all five a nation is never going to be secure on its own.

Then there are five luxury items:

Textiles, Spices, Liquors, Housewares, Jewelry

There are others at different times and places - slaves, art, oil, even books - but the five above are the ones that are going to pop up everywhere and create the real wealth inside the nation. These are the ones that become national secrets and are tightly controlled by the guilds so they look more valuable than they should be.

So for the main country in my book, I thought about where each of the five needed goods are sourced. Iron in the north, stone along the coast, grain along the river, livestock just further off the river, timber throughout. Then I named and defined one product for each of the luxury categories, and then ranked them based on how valuable they were. So, since there's a lot of timber, I decided that a certain wooden houseware good was the "big one" that supported the country, while the other four products were noteworthy but had far less significance.

Then for each of the secondary surrounding countries I only named one product, a different luxury good that they produced really well, just to round it out.

So country A makes five main products, the housewares of which is backbone of their wealth. The other countries make housewares too - if they come up I'll name them - but you're more likely to see country B for its spices that are hitting the market like a fad, and country C for its textiles - maybe it's a purple silk, maybe it's beaver hides - that are just to die for. Country D lingers on for its iron trade, but it's mostly a city state in the middle of nowhere. Country E is mostly a swamp but damn do they have good liquor from a fruit that only grows there.

That kind of thing.

 

[Dylan]

Hi,

I'm here because while I'm in the process of creating and describing the different countries (also drawing their borders btw!) that will exist in my fictional world, I struggle to know where to start.

However, there is something I found somewhat fascinating is that in the real world, there are three dimensions that are commonly covered to describe a specific country, i.e. the "political", the "economic", and the "sociocultural", and I felt like it would be good to start here, especially because like we would say it, "we have to build the skeleton before building everything else".

In other words, I wanted to re-use these concepts to briefly describe the countries in my fantasy world, than use them as a form of "bible" and "reference" to then develop further the said countries and add more detailed descriptions, characteristics, and so on.

So, that will be all, and have all a good day!

Hey! That’s a solid approach, starting with the big three (political, economic, sociocultural) gives you a clear framework to build on. Think of it like sketching the bones of your world before fleshing it out with all the cool details.

If you want, you could even add a fourth dimension like "geographical" or "historical" to spice things up, but the core three are a great foundation. Happy worldbuilding, and have fun drawing those borders!

(Also, love that you’re treating it like a "bible"—consistency is key!)

Cheers.

 

[minta]

Start by imagining what each country is like. Think about who’s in charge and how they got there. How do people make a living, are they farmers, traders, or crafters? Think about what the people believe in, do they worship gods, spirits, or something else? And what are their customs (festivals, marriage rituals, or daily routines)? Once you have these basics, it’ll help you see how everything fits together in your world.

 

[A. E. Lowan]

There are tons of really great worldbuilding guides out there, both as books and as apps and sites. Look for one that at least sort of matches your vibe, and then research until you're fairly certain that Aaron Sorkin is about to climb out your ear with something awesome and political.

Note bene: Team Lowan writes a whole lot of politics, particularly of the preternatural leaning. If we can find a way to complicate the plot, we'll do it with a song in our nefarious little hearts. And in the Books of Binding, Might has been making Right for a very long time.

So, this here is how we keep it all organized. This is OneNote, and they're going to pry this app from my fist of rage. Sorry, little pissed off about Skype. So, no matter the app, these are called series bibles, and with this you will write large across the skies of your world. I like showing off ours because it's closing in on 20 years old and it's scary.

 

[Fidel]

Hi,

I'm here because while I'm in the process of creating and describing the different countries (also drawing their borders btw!) that will exist in my fictional world, I struggle to know where to start.

However, there is something I found somewhat fascinating is that in the real world, there are three dimensions that are commonly covered to describe a specific country, i.e. the "political", the "economic", and the "sociocultural", and I felt like it would be good to start here, especially because like we would say it, "we have to build the skeleton before building everything else".

In other words, I wanted to re-use these concepts to briefly describe the countries in my fantasy world, than use them as a form of "bible" and "reference" to then develop further the said countries and add more detailed descriptions, characteristics, and so on.

So, that will be all, and have all a good day!

Political, economic, and sociocultural dimensions are perfect for building your world’s skeleton, they’ll keep things grounded while leaving room to flesh out the fun details later.

"This kingdom runs on slave labor and worships a blood god") and then drill down into the messy, juicy specifics (like how the priests rig the economy or why rebels brew poison in basement taverns).

Borders, trade wars, and weird cultural taboos will all feel more organic if they tie back to these core pillars