Education
Is there any formal education? Typical education level
At what age do children start school?
School subjects
School environment (strict, lenient, etc.)
Availability of schooling/education
Cost of education
Restrictions on education due to gender, abilities, species, etc.
Is there a written language?
Are most people literate or illiterate?
What are there different types of school for?
Language
Primary/major languages
Regional/minor languages
Prevalence of multilingual/bilingual people
Colloquial phrases, slang, and curses
Do most people speak more than one language?
Is there a common language? For trade?
How do people greet each other?
What is considered a rude gesture?
What titles/formalities are used?
What is a gesture of respect (bowing, saluting, ect.)?
What topics of conversation are controversial?
Which topics of conversation are safe?
What constitutes a social faux pas?
Are there publicly run communications systems?
Races and Species
Primary/major races and/or species
Minority races and/or species
Did the people evolve on this planet or come from elsewhere?
Are there any physical, psychic or magical powers particular to the races/species?
Dynamics between species and/or races
Where and when did civilization begin?
What is the total population (of the planet/the country/the city/etc.)?
Cultural disconnects between species and/or races
Commonalities between species and/or races
How do they demonstrate grief?
Onomastics
What's in a name?
Are names for things mere matters of identification or are there deeper meanings?
Are concepts other than people named, as well?
How are ethnonyms formed?
How are individual people named?
What constitutes an individual's name?
And what of toponymy, the names of places and geographical features?
Are towns & cities and woodlands & fields named?
And what of hydronymy, the names of bodies of water?
And what of oronymy, the names of mountains?
Are streets, roads, highways named?
Do rivers, railways, power lines, canals, mountain chains, roads & highways that pass through different jurisdictions & even different countries keep one name, or do names change from place to place?
Are private houses (mansions or cottages) and public buildings (schools, churches, temples, libraries, markets) named?
Are animals given individual names? What sorts of animals might be given a name and which are not?
Are vehicles or tools or weapons named?
Do names convey any kind of power over a thing or are they mere labels?
What rites or ceremonies pertain to naming someone or something?
Can one change one's own name?
Can one confer a new name, or a nickname on oneself or others?
Sex
How does this society define incest and rape? How do people react to these events?
What secret vices are believed to be widely practiced?
What secret vices actually are being practiced?
What sexual habits are widely believed common among foreigners?
What sexual acts or behaviors are considered unnatural, and how do people react to them?
Are premarital or extramarital sexual relations allowed?
How is adultery defined? What, if any, is the punishment and how is it decided to be an offence?
Is prostitution legal? How are prostitutes viewed by people and are their views accurate?
What is the greatest sexual taboo?
What does this society mean by the word "virgin" and how important is it?
Is sex confined to marriage, or, is it even supposed to be?
What constitutes aberrant sexual behavior?
Are there any cultural or religious strictures, norms or taboos that specifically address sexual conduct?
Are there laws that control or restrict sexual behavior?
At what age is it considered normal to engage in sex?
Are there taboos against sex with children?
Should sex be a one-to-one experience, or are groups allowed?
How much privacy is accorded to sexual activity?
Weather
Typical weather
Atypical weather
What is the climate like?
Seasonal variations in weather (or lack of variation)
What are the seasons like? How many? How long?
Clothes for each season
Heating & cooling homes
YOU ARE READING
Resources to Better Writing (ReOrganizing & Editing)
Non-FictionI have done a considerable amount of research over the years in order to improve my writing abilities. Decided it might be a good time to share them with all the writers on Wattpad. I hope it helps. Enjoy!
