Details make the cake, even if they are subtle. Whether it’s a few key elements or a collection of unique ones, details can take your world-building to the next level. If you are new to writing fiction or just need some inspiration, here are five details to include in your writing that will make your world-building stand out!

World-Building Detail #1: Sounds

This might seem odd at first, but as you are building your world, think about what it sounds like. What kinds of animal sounds are there? Does the ground make unusual sounds when people walk? Are there different sounds during the day than at night? Are some cultures loud and others quiet? While you don’t have to add all these sounds to all your scenes (too much of a good thing is not a good thing), adding a few here and there can make your world unique, especially if you have some unusual sounds.

Knowing these details can also inform how you write and develop scenes. If you have a unique type of ground in your world, this is important for describing how your characters move and what decisions they make when trying to be quiet. Deciding what things sound like not only helps develop the world your story is set in, but it can help you understand what tools your characters need to succeed in the immediate space you have given them to operate within.

World-Building Detail #2: Weather Patterns

Every location has its own weather, and weather can be used not only to build worlds but to add character to a scene. But if your world has unique weather patterns, it will stand out that much more. While you are developing your world, think about what kind of storms it has. Does it have mostly sunny weather? Is it cold? Does it have strange clouds? Does it have a sun that burns a little hot? Are there far-off lands with deadly winds or underground rivers that compromise the structural integrity of buildings during high tide? These details and more are great for creating worlds that pop and helping you plan impactful scenes and challenges for your characters.

World-Building Detail #3: Cultural Fashion

Culture is a social construct. That means that it is determined by a group for social purposes. This is why each culture is so unique and is one of the main factors driving cultural change over time. Creating the feel of an intricate culture without having to explain the whole history sometimes seems impossible. Still, there are many ways to add to your culture and make it stand out without the dreaded infodump. One aspect of culture that can help is fashion.

Fashion is a brilliant way for cultures to express themselves both in our real world and in fictional worlds. Plus, designing fashion can just be plain fun! What colors do people wear in each culture? What type of fabric? Do they tend to cover their faces, hands, feet, etc.? Are there differences in fashion based on age or vocation? Culturally specific fashion details add a "lived-in" feel that will resonate with your audience and build out your world far beyond what you explain on the page. Adding unique details to each of your fictional cultures' fashion can also help distinguish characters from each other and help readers track more clearly where your characters are located or from. This is especially helpful if your characters travel a lot.

World-Building Detail #4: Food

Food preferences also change from culture to culture. Adding unique foods can make your world relatable while maintaining the "other worldly" vibes. Think about things like what is the primary food source of each culture? Do people eat animals? Do they eat bugs? What kind of flavor combinations do each of your cultures enjoy? Food is a great detail to make your world pop, and you can do it without much explanation. Just throw in some interesting foods based on what culture your characters are either part of or experiencing and have fun with it!

World-Building Detail #5: Transportation

Deciding how your characters get around is a great way to make your world-building stand out, as transportation methods can provide background information without a lot of exposition. Some questions to ask yourself include: do your main characters travel on horses? Do they travel on a fictional animal that you made up? Do they have technology that allows them to fly? Think it through as much as you can without being overwhelmed, and take notes. You don't have to include all your answers on page, but knowing this information about your world can be very helpful.

A great example of this is the steampunk genre. One thing that makes steampunk so unique is its flying machines. Many times, these machines are not explained in detail. Some of them are explained because those explanations fit in with the plot, or need to be explained a little more for context. But when the reader sees these machines in the world, they immediately know what level of technology the world is operating with (flying machines means more advanced technology or the "age of discovery" type culture), how much people travel and where (of the steampunk story has a lot of these things flying around in the background or characters can gain access to them for cheap, then the reader knows these machines have been around for a while), and many other details. This implied information can create a backstory for your world without forcing you to explain that history in detail.

Have Fun!

Adding these details can make your world-building stand out, not just because they add that beloved "lived-in" vibe that readers love so much, but also because much of this information can be included without much exposition. Everyone expects these things to exist in any world, so they don’t require a lot of explanation before you present them. Plus, it's just plain fun! These are the nitty-gritty details of your fictional world, and you can take your time or discover them as you go. Either way, have fun!