World Building

I've been trying to do more world building. I decided to take a step back and make sure I've answered the important questions (or answered them clearly enough) that need answers before I can put together a truly comprehensive story. I discovered that I had a lot of things to answer. Perhaps all the details won't make it into the book (or books if I get that far) but I'm not sure that really matters. Knowing a bit more about who and what I'm writing about, and how it all fits together is more important.

So, here are just some of the questions I've been asking myself:

• What's the primary focus? What's the heart of the story? 
• Who is (are) the protagonist/s?
• Who are the heroes/antiheroes/villains?
• Where does everything take place? What do these places look like, smell like, feel like?
• What are the dangers?
• What are the wonders?
• What do they celebrate?
• How do they mourn?
• What do they do with their dead?
• What is their form of government?
• What is the food like?
• What are the traditions?
• What is socialization like between the various people based on gender, age, status?
• What are their homes built of?
• How do they light their homes?

I could go on, but I began to see how much I had yet to flesh out before I could truly sit down and sketch out what really should happen. I have no doubt the characters will guide the story to an extent, but I don't want to find myself lost in my second book (should I do one) and realize that I implied things in the first that weren't true etc. By knowing more about what all exists and how it works, I think I'll have a much easier time putting all of the pieces together.