An Easy Guide to Crafting Fictional Cultures
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Some speculative fiction stories are set in imaginary worlds, while others take place in alternative or fantastical realities here on Earth. Regardless of where your story is set, developing fully-realized cultures is crucial to immersive world-building for one simple reason: culture impacts character.
Travelers often say that experiencing a new culture has expanded their worldview, and with good reason. Culture can be defined as the predominant customs and institutions shared among a people group, and that shared experience can deeply impact the lens through which one sees the world.
For speculative fiction writers, developing our worlds’ cultures is key to not only creating a unique experience for readers but crafting strong characters, which in turn strengthens our stories’ plots and themes.
But how do we build something as complex as cultures of our own making?
Like any difficult undertaking, developing a fictional culture from scratch becomes easier when you break the process down into small steps. Thankfully, this is fairly simple to do given that cultures are comprised of various elements such as customs, attitudes, iconography, and social institutions.
As with general world-building, you can develop a fictional culture from the outside in or the inside out, devising cultural elements as needed or crafting fully-realized cultures before putting pen to paper. The choice is up to you.
Neither option is inherently better than the other, but you may want to take the nature of your story into account before making your decision.
If you’re writing a sweeping fantasy epic or sci-fi adventure, then developing your cultures during the pre-writing process is likely the best decision. On the other hand, writers penning lighter, less fantastical stories can probably get away with making up details as needed.
Developing Common Cultural Elements
Most real-world cultures are defined by a few common material and immaterial elements. Exploring these aspects one by one can be a great way to begin developing a few fictional cultures of your own.
#1: Social Norms
A norm is a standard of social behavior expected of a people group. Norms can be formal (i.e. instituted by law or religion) or informal (i.e. widely regarded as acceptable though not systematically enforced).
When developing your culture's social norms, consider gender and socio-economic roles, criminal behavior and punishment, and actions that are commonly considered improper or immoral.
You may also wish to consider whether your culture’s predominant religion views certain behaviors are sinful and, if so, how those who sin are treated and/or punished.
Social norms play into nearly every aspect of culture, so we'll discuss many of these elements in more detail below.
#2: Leadership & Social Classes
Cultures typically have some form of leadership, a driving force that shapes how culture changes (or refuses to change) over time. Often, leadership can be found in government, religion, celebrity, and/or social hierarchy.
When crafting your culture's own leadership and social classes, consider which forms of leadership exist, how each form operates, and who holds the power within each system. Also consider how social classes are defined in your world and whether your culture relies upon any form(s) of oppression to thrive.
#3: Communication
People groups often share particular ways of communicating, which can be defined by language and dialect, mannerisms and gestures, alphabets and iconography, accepted attitudes, and unique technologies.
Communication politics (i.e. who can speak to whom, as well as when and in what manner) also come into play. Take a moment to explore your culture’s common terms of address and the topics considered improper among certain audiences, both of which are often affected by social classes and gender norms.
#4: Religion & Ethics
Religion often plays a large role in defining cultures’ shared values and beliefs.
When crafting your culture’s predominant religion, be sure to devise its deities and manners of worship, its notable stories and/or writings, and its core beliefs regarding morality and the afterlife.
If your culture shares values and ethical beliefs that derive from sources other than religion, then go ahead and explore these elements as well. Consider how your culture’s shared moral code impacts other aspects of its make-up.
#5: Holidays & Festivities
Whether derived from religious rituals or secular events, don’t forget to define the holidays and festivals that are observed within your fictional culture. What is the purpose of each celebration and how are they practiced?
#6: Arts & Entertainment
Art and entertainment are prominent fixtures in many cultures. When crafting cultures of your own, consider whether art is valued and, if so, the types that are held in particular esteem (e.g. painting, dancing, sculpting, storytelling). Is art encouraged as an everyday practice or is it revered as sacred in some way?
Don’t forget to explore the types of entertainment commonly enjoyed within your fictional culture, which might include anything from concerts and plays to household games and sports, gambling, comedy, and beyond.
#7: Stories & Histories
Legends, fairy tales, and historical events often become well-known within cultures as a means of entertainment, education, or warning. You may wish to craft a few tales or events of your own to help round out your fictional culture.
#8: Housing, Food, & Livelihood
Don't forget to consider how the people within your culture meet their basic needs. Define the nature of the dwellings in which they live, the types of food they eat (and where they are sourced), and how they make their livings or otherwise contribute to society and their own safety and survival.
#9: Clothing & Bodily Care
People belonging to a culture are often visually distinguished by the ways in which they present themselves. Beauty standards, modes of dress, and adornments can all differentiate people of one culture from another.
When developing your fictional culture, consider the materials available to your people for dress, as well as the types of clothing they would need to survive the climates in which they live. Don’t forget to explore the types of jewelry, makeup, and hairstyles that are regarded as proper or attractive.
While you’re exploring appearances, you may also wish to determine how people care for their bodies, as well as which body types and features are commonly favored. Finally, give thought to whether any forms of body modification are common within your culture.
#10: Relationships & Family Dynamics
The nature of marriages, friendships, and family structures can vary greatly from culture to culture. When crafting your own, consider what a typical marriage and household looks like, how children are raised, how friendships are structured, and other common relationship dynamics.
#11: Death Practices
You’ve already defined what people within your fictional culture believe about the afterlife. Now take a moment to determine how death is treated within your culture. How is the body handled after death? Are memorials or services held? How do loved ones commonly mourn their loss?
#12: Symbols, Statues, & Ornaments
Cultures commonly revere particular symbols that act as a unifying force, such as colors, animals, or tools.
Consider the types of symbols that people in your fictional culture might find to be of similar importance, then ask yourself how people within your culture honor or celebrate these symbols. For example, they might create objects or articles of clothing that bear the symbol, erect statues in their homes or public squares, or praise these symbols during religious practices or festivals.
You may also find it helpful to define why these items are revered. Are they part of a religious practice or governmental regime? Are they a social symbol or do they derive from the arts or entertainment?
Though they aren’t comprehensive, developing these twelve common cultural elements should help you craft richly realized and immersive fictional cultures. Congratulations, writer!
Don’t hesitate to follow your imagination where it leads during this aspect of the world-building process. As we mentioned at the top of today’s article, culture deeply impacts character, which in turn can impact your story’s plot, themes, and more.
If a bit of culture development work leads to an exciting new plot thread or a character you just can’t seem to shake, then go ahead and lean into that whirlwind of creation. That’s the magic of world-building, writer — and I can’t wait to see where it takes you!
