#aaa i dont know if any of this makes sense hdsjfsd but i wish you luck !! you'll do great im sure + pls reach out if you ever need to :D

[chaninfused]

hi furat! i loved the changbin so much!! i was re-re-bingeing your masterlist, and i just wanted to ask, how do you incorporate mythology and culture into your fics so well? i’ve tried so hard to do it in my own writing as a way to overcome cultural disconnect as a desi-american, but it never works out. i always feel like no one would read it, or it would be too weird or unexplainable. your world-building is always immaculate. you are the only blog i’ve seen on stayblr do this and you always execute it flawlessly. do you have any tips? (also, happy AAPI month!) -a distressed writer

hello! first off, thank you so much! I'm glad you enjoyed the changbin fic 🤍✨

second, regarding your question:

I just mimic what I've seen be done in published books. so, I'd recommend finding a book that incorporates the culture you want to include, and seeing how the author did it.

there's a very specific balance that you would want to achieve when world-building. you wouldn't want the world to overwhelm the plot, especially when it's something new and unfamiliar. this is why I personally rely on graphics to introduce the world and its major traits, so that going into the story, I can focus on the subtle intricacies. so, if you're able to make graphics, I feel like that would help in the world-building process quite much.

language is also important when you want to include culture into your writing. throwing in simple words into the dialogue and narration helps immerse the reader into the world you’ve depicted. things that could be guessed (almost) without having to refer to a glossary because again, we don’t want to overwhelm and scare readers. for example: names of certain objects that relate to said culture (clothing, weaponry, food, etc), greetings, honorifics and titles (mister, miss, prince, etc), exclamations (yes, no, etc), and so on.

world building is intimidating when you face it head-on, so I would suggest breaking it down to smaller elements and noting them. I know it’s tedious work, but it helps massively. for example, these are the things I work on when I begin world-building: locations (figuring out names, terrain, history, etc), magic systems (is there magic in this world? how does it work? its types, its history, and all that), culture and history (how do these people act? are there any beliefs that base their society? any folklore?), clothing and items and food (how would the characters’ clothing reflect what we determined for culture? what kind of food do these people eat considering their environment?), characters (what roles do they play? their relationships, their motives, their backgrounds), and whatever else that needs to be worked on (for example: maybe there’s a competition so what are its rules and why does it exist? language, perhaps?). when you put all these smaller blocks together, you end up building a bigger world.

I know I rambled a lot and I don’t know if my advice would be of any use, but just know that people will read. so don’t worry! and don’t overthink it 😤 I’m sure there are many out there who would appreciate a fic that incorporates their culture!