Whytemanga
Dreamer
The size of a nation in your fictional world depends first and foremost...
...On how big you need it to be in order to get across the point you want that nation's boarder-size to make, plot-wise, or other. Don't forget that. Many would-be writers do. Write what you need, ditch what you don't--then spice it up on your multitude of self-imposed editorial passes. All good writing is re-writing, etc, etc, insignia birthmark.
Every other detail you throw in is probably gonna be the reality-icing for your plot's cake, if you get what I waffle. I am a travesty. Whatever realistic justification you can find, and add (if that plays into your style of writing) is all to help instill the readers' willing suspension of disbelief. It's very important, I agree.
So, like, yeah. It's all research (and learning to write good "offhanded" world building dialogue slips rather than infodumps on the legitimacy of your Roman Empire knock-off's latest expansion into your Britainia knock-off) from here.
Much of the pointers given in this thread is great, but your scales will be as shiny as you'd ultimately desire unless you take the nerdy-plunge and really invest yourself into the mechanics of how nations, and the rest of all this stuff, really work--not to mention why they work, & how you can fake a fictional representation (or inspired-by element) in your stories' worlds.
Maybe you already do. Only you can say.
...On how big you need it to be in order to get across the point you want that nation's boarder-size to make, plot-wise, or other. Don't forget that. Many would-be writers do. Write what you need, ditch what you don't--then spice it up on your multitude of self-imposed editorial passes. All good writing is re-writing, etc, etc, insignia birthmark.
Every other detail you throw in is probably gonna be the reality-icing for your plot's cake, if you get what I waffle. I am a travesty. Whatever realistic justification you can find, and add (if that plays into your style of writing) is all to help instill the readers' willing suspension of disbelief. It's very important, I agree.
So, like, yeah. It's all research (and learning to write good "offhanded" world building dialogue slips rather than infodumps on the legitimacy of your Roman Empire knock-off's latest expansion into your Britainia knock-off) from here.
Much of the pointers given in this thread is great, but your scales will be as shiny as you'd ultimately desire unless you take the nerdy-plunge and really invest yourself into the mechanics of how nations, and the rest of all this stuff, really work--not to mention why they work, & how you can fake a fictional representation (or inspired-by element) in your stories' worlds.
Maybe you already do. Only you can say.