Cities And Worldbuilding: 50 Questions For Creatives: Way With Worlds, #11

By Steven Savage

Cities are a stable of fiction, from vast structures on other worlds to cities of magic and dragons.  Creating truly good and believable cities is critical to good worldbuilding.  Just like real life, cities are often their own characters.

This book is a helpful series of 50 questions, as well as follow-up exercises and more, to help you think about cities and setting.  From medical care to transportation, politics to natural disasters, these questions help you bring your cities to proper life.

It's time to explore the fictional cities you make!
 

• Language: English
• Publisher: Steven Savage
• Release date: Mar 30, 2019
• ISBN: 9781386106944

Steven Savage

Steven Savage is a biologist, natural history writer, lecturer, and an associate member of the Institute of Biology in England. He teaches about ocean biology and has written more than thirty-seven natural history books for children.

Book preview

Cities and Worldbuilding:

50 Questions For Creatives

(The Way With Worlds Series)

(First Edition)

www.WayWithWorlds.com

Copyright © 2019 by Steven Savage

All Rights Reserved. The materials in this book are provided for the personal use of the purchaser of the book. No redesign, editing, reproductions, or creations of a derivative work from these materials is permitted without the permission of Steven Savage. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever, including but not limited to, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without written permission – except for the inclusion of quotations in a review or personal use.

The information in this book is offered with the understanding that it does not contain legal, financial, or other professional advice. Those interested in such advice should consult a competent, properly-certified professional.

While it is the sincere intent of this publication to provide accurate information in regard to the subject matter, the authors and all those affiliated with the publication of this book assume no responsibility for events occurring to any person or entity taking action or refraining from action as a result of the material in this publication.

This book is not completely comprehensive. Some readers may wish to consult additional forms of information, some of which are provided inside this book.

This book is provided as is without warranty of any kind.

AUTHOR: Steven Savage

www.StevenSavage.com

www.InformoTron.com

EDITOR: Bonnie Walling

Table of Contents

Cities and Worldbuilding

Other Books by Steven Savage

Keep Up With The Author

Introduction

How To Use This Book

The Questions

History

Physical Footprint And Location

Resources

Food

Housing

Transportation

Waste and Recycling

Government

Education

News

Medical Care

Challenges And Disasters

About The Author

Other Books by Steven Savage

A Bridge To The Quiet Planet: A Tale Of Dead Gods And Living Stories

Her Eternal Moonlight: Sailor Moon's Female Fans In North America, An Unauthorized Examination (with Bonnie Walling)

The Way With Worlds Series www.WayWithWorlds.com

Way With Worlds Book 1: Crafting Great Fictional Settings

Way With Worlds Book 2: Details And Discussion

Way With Worlds Minibook Series – Specific guides for specific worldbuilding subjects.

The Creativity Series

The Power Of Creative Paths

Agile Creativity

The Art Of The Brainstorm Book

The Focused Fandom Series

Focused Fandom: Cosplay, Costuming, And Careers

Focused Fandom: Fanart, Fanartists, and Careers

Convention Career Connection

The Career Series

Fan To Pro: Leveling Up Your Career Through Your Hobbies

Epic Resume Go!

Resume Plus

Quest For Employment

Skill Portability

Keep Up With The Author

Keep up with all my books by subscribing to my newsletter. You'll get updates on my projects, free content, and more!

You can find out more about what I'm doing at www.StevenSavage.com

If you enjoy this series, please check out www.WayWithWorlds.com

You can find my books and more free resources at www.InformoTron.com

Introduction

Many stories involve cities. Adventurers need to stop off from doing the whole adventuring thing to restock. Detectives solve crimes in dank alleyways. Great metropolises, fictional and real, are a standard part of any setting.

We get too used to cities being there.

Of course, in real life, cities are complicated things. Food comes in and waste is processed. Roadways deliver people across the miles, and public transport moves passengers to their destinations. Zoning laws and building codes create challenges. A city is a living thing.

We get used to real cities as well and rarely think of their complexity.

This book is about creating fictional cities. Cities are fascinating things, and when well-realized they enrich your setting and express it. A city, that dense collection of people and places, is the result of the setting – and a significant part of it.

This book is about helping you create more believable cities, even when they’re in unbelievable places.

How did this come about? Many years ago, I published a column series on worldbuilding called Way With Worlds, taking what I'd learned from writing, gaming, and coaching people. Years later, I revived and rewrote it, including knowledge I'd gained from various projects and experiences. It became a book series after that rewrite because I wanted to preserve it in a more accessible form.

As I worked on those books, I realized that people may