World building

by Consty

Question: The super humans in my novel wear tunics...has this been overdone?
If I tailor a new costume for my super humans for instance a sleeveless short dress tied at the waist with sash, would that be one way of adding a new dimension to my setting?
There are no cars and I was relying on tunics to set the time for the novel in the medieval period.
Thanks,

Answer: Well, Consty, I have to say that it will probably take a lot more than tunics to establish the setting of your novel.

If you are writing a historical novel set in medieval times, you will need to do some research on what life was like in that period, in the part of the world your story is set. Clothing alone was a very complex matter in medieval Europe, for instance, as it was used to signify social rank, occupation, etc. Certain fabrics could only be worn by certain people, etc.

However, I suspect you what you are really writing is a fantasy? (The superhumans are a give-away.)

In that case, you have to decide whether the story takes place on earth in the medieval period, or in a fantasy world that is not earth. If it's a fantasy world where civilization is roughly at a medieval level, you'll have to design the world: its government, culture, technology, traditions, customs, history, furniture, architecture, lifestyles, spiritual beliefs, medical practices, etc. If it's set in a real historical period, once again you'll need to bone up on your history so you can describe it with reasonable accuracy.

Knowing the world of your story thoroughly, in all its aspects, will allow you to depict the characters and the action authentically. Little details sprinkled throughout the story can make the world come alive for the reader.

Of course, you can go overboard. If you find yourself spending years designing an extensive history and geography for your world, most of which will never be included in your first book, you're going too far. You may not need to plan the costumes down to the each individual stitch either. But you should be able to describe other aspects of the setting. If there are no cars, do people ride horses? Or are those only for the middle class and higher? What are the roads like? What do people eat? Do they use steel or bronze? Etc.