Worldbuilding: Entertainment

What did your characters do in their off hours to relax or have fun? From spooky stories, to dancing around the tribal fire, to virtual reality games, tell us how your characters liked to play.

What was their attitude toward leisure?

Did they take vacations?  Where did they vacation? Did they stay close to home, visit family, or travel the galaxy?

Did they have structured periods of time off from work or downtime during the day either due to scheduling or nature's limitations (daylight/seasons)?

What activities did they enjoy: painting, drawing, sculpture, poetry, storytelling, reading, writing novels, weaving, spinning, crocheting, knitting, other needlework, leatherwork, pottery, musical instruments, listening to music (live, recorded, venues), pottery,  musical instruments, live entertainment, plays, pantomimes, board and card games, crafts, needlework? (The workbook has an extensive list).

Did they have house parties, social clubs, church or women's clubs, charity work, picnics, fetes, festivals, or fairs?

Did they attend plays, theaters, sports arenas, or public hangings?

From the holodeck in Star Trek, quidditch in Harry Potter, to live-action chess in Alice in Wonderland, original pastimes and sports make your story world memorable.

Suggested references:
1. Sport and Spectacle in the Ancient World by Donald G. Kyle 
2. On the Origins of Sports: The Early History and Original Rules of Everybody's Favorite Games by Gary Belsky
3. Russia at Play: Leisure Activities at the End of the Tsarist Era by Louise McReynolds
4. The Ancient Olympic Games: The History and Legacy of Ancient Greece’s Most Famous Sports Event by Charles River Editors
5. Researches Into the History of Playing Cards: With Illustrations of the Origin of Printing and Engraving on Wood by Samuel Weller Singer
6. The Field Book: Sports and Pastimes of the United Kingdom Compiled from the Best Authorities Ancient and Modern by William Hamilton Maxwell
7. Game On!: Video Game History from Pong and Pac-Man to Mario, Minecraft, and More by Dustin Hansen
8. The Games We Played: The Golden Age of Board & Table Games by Margaret Hofer
9. Board and Table Games from Many Civilizations by R. C. Bell

Next week, we will explore Finance.

For advanced world-building, the SBB Build A World Workbook is available in print and e-book.

Other titles in the series:

Story Building Blocks: The Four Layers of Conflict available in print and e-book takes you from story seed to conflict outline. The fourteen companion Build A Plot Workbooks, in print and e-book, offer step by step development prompts: Comedy, Con, Heist & Prison Break, Fantasy, Gothic, Historical, Horror, Literary
(Drama),  Mystery, Road Trip, Romance, Science Fiction, Team Victory, Thriller & Suspense, Western.

SBB II Crafting Believable Conflict in print and e-book and the Build A Cast Workbook in print and e-book help you build a believable cast and add conflict based on the sixteen personality types.

SBB III The Revision Layers in print and e-book helps you self-edit your manuscript.

Free story building tools are available at www.dianahurwitz.com.