I write science fiction, so I’m always looking for ways to improve my world-building skills. Sometimes I find my best examples in the news. Consider this item from an article in Foreign Affairs: “Since the beginning of written history, Chinese society has relied on extended kinship networks to cope with economic risks. Yet a rising generation of urban Chinese youth is made up of only children of only children, young men and women with no siblings, cousins, aunts, or uncles. The end of 2,500 years of family tradition will be a departure into the unknown for Chinese civilization . . .” (“With Great Demographics Comes Great Power,” by Nicholas Eberstadt, Foreign Affairs, July/August 2019). Although I knew that the one-child-only policy (lasting from 1979 to 2015) would drastically alter family dynamics, reading Eberstadt’s description evoked an emotional connection I had never had before, and put me in a world totally outside my own.
The notion that one can change an ancient culture so drastically in only 36 years made me wonder. What one decision could I insert into a backstory to create the foundation I need for my characters to begin their journeys? Whether the main characters agree or disagree on the wisdom of that decision could set the story in motion, with subplots involving secondary characters who either benefited or suffered from the results of the decision. This structure could work well for a short story, a stand-alone novel, or a series.
The next time you need inspiration, pick up a newspaper or news journal and read past the headlines – you might find more than you expect.