Worldbuilding Questions and Templates (Free)

• Oct 09, 2025
• 10 min read

• Tags: Book Writing, Fiction, Fiction Research, Fiction Writing, Writing Tips

Whether you’re building a fantasy, sci-fi, or dystopian world, building a compelling and believable world is of the essence. With various categories such as geography, politics, society, power structure(s), climate, culture, language(s), and many more, your world is your playground, and your word is law! 

Our specially curated guide offers 100 questions across categories to help you build an immersive world for readers to lose themselves in.

100 category-wise worldbuilding questions

Here are some questions you should be asking to build the different parts of your fantasy world:

Geography 

1. What is the geographical layout of your world, and what are the major landforms?

2. How do the different climate zones affect the seasons and cultures of your world?

3. Are any landforms sacred or forbidden to certain cultures? Explain why, and any religious beliefs/superstitions surrounding these.

Politics 

4. Is your world an autocracy, a democracy, or a dictatorship? Who forms the government?

5. What are the major laws and taboos that govern your world?

6. Are any laws controversial or likely to cause rebellion?

Flora and fauna

7. What are the different species that exist in your world, and how are they unique/different from real life?

8. What are their lifespans?

9. What are their diets/restrictions, if any?

Culture 

10. What are the defining features of your world’s culture(s)?

11. How many different cultures are there, and how do they interact with each other?

12. Do they have any specific beliefs/myths/holidays/practices?

Language 

13. Is there a common tongue used by the inhabitants of your world, or are there languages specific to various regions?

14. What are their writing styles?

15. What are their cultural values, and how do they differ from region to region?

Magic or technology

16. What kind of magic/technology is used on a daily basis?

17. Is any kind of magic/advanced technology regulated or feared?

18. Do types of magic/technology vary from region to region?

Economy 

19. Does your world have a currency, or does it function on the barter system?

20. What are the most/least valuable resources?

21. Does your world have more capitalist or socialist leanings?

Arts

22. What are the major art forms in your world, and how are they viewed/valued by society?

23. Who are the performers, and how are they perceived by society?

24. How do the performers and art forms interact with structures of power? For example, are there court poets or jesters?

25. What are the musical traditions of your world?

26. What are the dance traditions of your world?

27. What are the fine arts traditions of your world?

28. Are any art forms prized over others?

Knowledge and education

29. Who in your world has access to education?

30. How do they acquire their training/education? Do they go to an institution of learning, or are there apprenticeships?

31. What are the disciplines they are educated in, and how does this affect or influence their career options?

32. Are there particular examinations/tests that they have to take to be considered masters/experts?

33. What are the various levels of expertise (eg, apprentice, master, etc.) that exist? How do they attain these levels?

34. What does the typical student–teacher relationship look like?

35. Are there any customs surrounding initiation into (a particular branch of) learning?

36. Do education opportunities differ for males and females?

37. What are some skills/knowledge that every adult is expected to have?

38. Does your world have libraries? If so, what are they like?

Daily life 

39. What does a typical home in your world look like?

40. What are the different strata of society?

41. What does a day in their life look like?

42. What is the cuisine like, and what are the food habits of the inhabitants of your world?

43. How do they acquire basic necessities like bread, water, etc.?

Worldbuilding templates

Here are some templates you can use to guide your worldbuilding process and help you gain clarity with regard to the kind of questions you should be asking:

One‑page pitch

Here are some questions you should ask to summarize your world at a glance:

44. Where is your world located, and who are its inhabitants?

45. How is your world different from the real world? What sets it apart?

46. What are the defining conflicts/crises of your world, and how do the main characters intend to solve them?

47. What are the rules and regulations of your world, and do your characters follow or break them?

48. What does your world’s system of government look like?

Event timeline 

Your world’s history plays a major role in its present events. It could also affect the background of your characters, the factions they belong to, and their motivations. Here’s a brief template to map the history and plot-relevant events of your world: 

49. Define the major eras of your world, their pivotal features, and the outcomes of major events that occurred during these eras. 

50. Plot major keystones or turning points that shaped the history of your world.

51. Elaborate on recent upheavals that played a role in disrupting your world and directly influenced the events of your story (eg, revolution, war, plague, etc.)

Magic/technology rules 

Not sure how to go about building the magic or advanced tech that forms a major part of your fantasy world? Here is a template to help you form a logical basis for your world’s systems:

52. What are the rules and limitations that govern the use of magic/tech?

53. What are the costs of crossing certain limits/using forbidden magic/tech?

54. How does one acquire skills and knowledge?

55. Who has access to this magic/tech?

56. How does this affect society at large?

Factions

Most fantasy worlds consist of rival factions, often with different agendas and political goals. Here are some questions to ask yourself to comprehensively outline each faction:

57. What are their goals? What do they stand for?

58. Who is their leader? What is his/her/their history and motivation?

59. Where are they based, and where do they operate out of?

60. What are the resources at their disposal?

61. Who are their allies and rivals?

62. What led to the founding of this faction, and how long has it been since then? Have their goals/mode of operation changed or evolved since then?

63. What would it take to start an uprising?

64. How are uprisings planned and executed?

Map-based template

A good strategy to follow when building the geography of your fictional world is to go from the ground up. 

Here is a template to follow to ensure you get your geographical features right:

65. Where are your continents positioned, and how many are there?

66. Where do your mountain ranges lie? Tip: They can form natural barriers against invasions.

67. Where do your major wind routes come from, and how do they affect the climate of the areas they flow into?

68. What are the major ocean currents, and how do they influence trade and migration?

69. Where do the rivers and wetlands lie, and how do they influence agriculture, food habits, and settlements?

Society

70. What does it mean to be a child in your world?

71. What does a typical childhood look like?

72. Are there any rites of passage to transitioning into adulthood?

73. How large is the typical family in your world?

74. Is marriage the norm, and if so, what are some marriage traditions?

75. Is your world patriarchal, matriarchal, or equal?

76. Are there any rites/customs surrounding the birth of a child?

77. What are some commonly used first names, and how are they derived?

78. What are some commonly used last names, and how are they derived?

79. What is the typical family set-up like in your world?

80. How are elders addressed?

81. What are any rituals/practices surrounding death?

82. Does your world have hospitals/a healthcare system?

83. How is the life of the nobility?

84. How is the life of the upper class?

85. How is the life of the middle class?

86. How is the life of the lower class?

87. What does it mean to be homeless in your world?

88. What are some commonly pursued hobbies?

89. What is the dressing style of the nobility?

90. What is the dressing style of the upper class?

91. What is the dressing style of the middle class?

92. What is the dressing style of the lower class?

93. Is it possible to transcend class boundaries?

Infrastructure

94. What does your world’s transportation system look like?

95. What do the houses/palaces/castles of the nobility look like?

96. What do the houses of the upper class look like?

97. What do the houses of the middle class look like?

98. What do the houses of the lower class look like?

99. Does your world have a military/guards/a security system?

100. What are some public facilities available?

Worldbuilding plays a major role in crafting the universe you set your story in. They influence the characters, their backgrounds, and their journeys, and create a stunning visual backdrop in the mind’s eye—a well-described fictional world can provide an almost cinematic experience for the reader. We hope our template helps you create the fantasy world of your dreams!

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Tanvi

With a foundation in Life Sciences, Tanvi enjoys curating technical writing tips tailored for ESL students. When she's not translating complex concepts into bite-sized nuggets, she can be found playing with dogs or painting landscapes.