I’m working on my Raven assassin story again this week, and have spent some time fleshing out the world.  This is no chore, since I’d rather build worlds than, say, bake cookies or play at the beach.

But there’s more to world building than stacking up little rows of bucket-shaped sand.  It’s not enough to have a nice backdrop to the world, it needs to live, and that means change.  I noticed a news blurb about the king who told the pres to shut up, and it got me thinking of how little scandal, slogans and pop culture show up in most fantasy worlds.

Of course, a writer is always told to cut history and scenery down to the most efficient use of words, but it’s not hard to tie in a national scandal in the gossip or songs of the local people.  If used correctly, it can deepen and enhance a fantasy world by demonstrating the mood of the people and the culture the characters wade through, without a lot of exposition.

So on that note, perhaps I’ll experiment with two of my favorite things and whip up some Piccolo Pie, so named for the skinny fellow who made the dessert for all his guests, but never touched it himself.