Worldbuilding 101 – Government, Industry, Agriculture and Trade

In our previous exercises, we created out planet, resources, peoples and societies now we need to build the engines that keep food in the belly, clothes on the back, and provide some semblance of order and leadership in our world. That brings us to government, industry, agriculture and trade.
 
Agriculture – Let’s start with the very basic foundation: food. Every creature needs sustenance. The food must come from somewhere. If your society is a nomadic race of hunters and gatherers, the bulk of their time and lifestyle will be built entirely around the locating and harvesting (through hunting and/or gathering) of food. Anthropologically speaking, hunter/gatherers are among the most primitive of societies. Cultivation of food is higher on the technology scale and agricultural societies are subsequently more fixed rather than nomadic to provide time for the planting, cultivation, and harvesting of crops. Domestication of livestock should also be considered.

If the characters in your novel are going to interact on any level with farmers or ranchers you should have some idea of what plants they farmers cultivate, what animals they raise, where the farms and ranches are located, what degree of technology they have. How big their farms or ranches are. (Incidentally, the Acre which is a long-standing two-dimensional plot of land was devised as being the average amount of land a farmer behind an ox-pulled plow could plow in a single day.) If you have farmers and ranchers, you need to consider water supply and terrain. Mountains can be terraced for farming.

Even if on-page interaction with farmers and ranchers will not take place in your novel, you still need to determine what the peoples of your world eat and drink, how the food is prepared, rituals associated with the preparation or consumption of food, food taboos (if any, such as the jewish taboo against meat and milk products being served together), etc. Don’t forget to consider what effects certain foods may have on the people who eat them, and remember that for all the healthy foodstuffs that may be available, there are also likely alcohols, stimulants and poisons to be found as well.

Keep in mind: Food is a sensory experience. Smells, tastes, visual displays (presentation) all come into play, and you can use those experiences on-page to illustrate all manner of cultural and personal information. Think of two lovers sharing long, slow bites of succulent cherries, prisoners partaking of their last meal, a Spartan soldier eating raw meat from a fresh kill, Roman nobility gorging themselves on food, wine and decadence.

Government – The human race settles itself naturally into social order, and leadership becomes established at a relatively early date on the timeline of civilization. From tribal chiefs and councils of elders to high priests to nobility and kings to elected officials, most cultures must, in order to survive, form, support, and submit to some form of government. Depending on the type of societies you have created, you may have any number of government or leadership roles.

While you’re deciding on the type of government your society has in place, also consider the benefits and perils of how the succession is decided. In monarchies, rule is passed by birthright. The eldest son of the current ruler becomes king after his father’s death. Can women rule? What happens if the king dies without issue? What if the inheriting son or daughter is not up to the task of leadership? What if they are still a child when the king dies? Is there a regency? Is it a single person? Are successions peaceful or times of great tension and upheaval?

Do not forget how the governments support themselves (taxation, goods and services donated by the governed, etc.). Also do not forget how the government establishes and maintains law and order.

Industry – Next comes industry. What goods do your peoples make? How advanced is their civilization? Are they pre-industrial? Do they manufacture machines made of metal, have automation?

Is each individual self-sufficient, or do members of your society specialize in particular crafts or industries? Types of crafts / industries can include metal workers, glass blowers, carpenters, woodcutters, tool makers, furniture manufacturers, shipbuilders, sail makers, buggy / carriage makers. The list is virtually endless. If you need a little help fleshing out types of industry to create, consider lookin up the Standard Industrial Classification codes (SIC codes) used to classify companies in the US. You’ll get all manner of ideas.

Don’t forget all the industries involved in the production of items. For instance, if your world uses metal swords, the metal ores must be mined and smelted before the swords can be made.

As part of early craftsmanship often comes the establishment of Guilds which are used to train and “license” individuals in the production of quality goods. Guilds are usually industry-specific. A woodcarver’s guild, for instance, would have different members and rules than a blacksmith’s guild. What are the stages of apprentiship and mastery in the guild? Apprentice, Journeyman, Master is a common, three step process of training, but you may choose to make up your own stages.

Trade – Last but not least, you must consider trade. How are the foods and fruits of industry and agriculture disseminated amongst your populations (or between cultures, for that matter)?

Distribution is key to any productive form of industry. What goods you harvest or manufacture must be taken to a market of some sort. Are there trade routes (land, sea, river, etc.)? How well established are they? What are the perils of those trade routes (piracy, highwaymen, etc.)?What goods does one society manufacture that are most desirable to other societies? What is traded in return? How fair is the trade – and might certain societies attack another to capture their valuable resources?

What types of people are your merchants? Honest men, or sly hucksters selling snake oil remedies? (Note: merchants who offer exotic goods for sale are usually far wealthier than the individuals who produced or delivered those goods.) How are tradesmen paid? What must they do to defend their trade routes and markets?

These are just a few of the many questions you can ask yourself when fleshing out these aspects of your society. Where possible, consider each decision you make with an eye for how it can affect your plot or your characters.

Happy Worldbuilding! In the next article, we’ll talk about Warfare and Technology in your societies.