World-building questions

Want to create a fictional world with the likes of J.K. Rowling or J.R.R. Tolkien? Well, here's some helpful hints provided by Kate Messner (Source: http://ed.ted.com/lessons/how-to-build-a-fictional-world-kate-messner)

Questions to ponder:

Start with a basic place/time: What type of story are you writing?

Time line of how the world came to be. What past events made the world as it is now?

What rules are in place here? Laws of gravity? Rules of society? Punishments in place?

What kind of government does this world have? Who has the power? Who doesn’t have any power? What to people believe in here? What does this society value most?

Day to day life: What is the weather like in this world? Where do the inhabitants live/work/go to school? What do they eat? How do they play? How do they treat their young? How do they treat their old? What relationships do they have with the flora/fauna of the world? What do those flora/fauna look like? What kind of technology exists? What types of transportation? What types of communication? What types of access to information?

How does this world I created effect the characters set into it? What kinds of conflict will emerge?

Enjoy imagining your incredible world! :)