Days 1 & 2: World Building

With the July Camp NaNo approaching, I am taking June to do 30 days of world-building (courtesy of author Stephanie Cottrell Bryant) for my novel Scrapping Cinderella (working title). This is a double-post since I forgot to post yesterday.

Day 1: The World 

This is a modern-day fantasy set on Earth. Global technology is making the world increasingly smaller in terms of day-to-day contact with other people and other countries. Global warming is a serious issue that is having far-reaching effects on how people live and work. There's a remnant of a war in response to 9-11 that on its dying breath in the middle east. Gas prices keep rising, but widespread public transportation is limited to the smaller landmass countries. Independence, its definitions, and its applications are becoming a global concern, not just an American one. In most countries, space is a premium. Some countries have too many children born and survive each year; others, not enough to maintain half their current population. There are still mostly uninhabited parts of the world and no clear solution to the issue of overcrowded cities and countries. In short, Earth is getting more claustrophobic and hotter with each passing year creating a sure-fire recipe for violent anger in many of its residents.

Day 2: Geography

Call me crazy, but I am planning on setting the majority of S.C. in a fictional little town that mirrors the one in which I currently live (but with some interesting modifications of course). This area is part of tornado alley, although it is not uncommon to go years without a tornado hitting the town or the surrounding area. I have personally only seen two hit Emporia and I've lived in Kansas since 1989. Despite ideas to the contrary, Eastern Kansas is not flat, but we do have mostly grasslands with some trees. The nearest river is the Cottonwood River named for the trees that grow near its banks and cause allergies for residents of two counties every summer. The nearest man-made lake with a beach and fishing / camping areas is probably Melvern Lake to the north. Kansas, in general, is a fairly small state but with a great deal of wide open spaces. While Kansas does have a fault line, it is out in Western Kansas and runs near Garden City, I believe. It is still possible for any aftershocks to be felt in other parts of the state.