One of the most basic, passing tip I always give to anyone who asked me how I came up with the worlds I built is this: get inspirations from the real world. It's encompassing to a lot of worldbuilding aspects; it's meaningful and sounds deep and thoughful; and it's usually enough to shut people up for the time being. So yeah, it's my go-to principle, both in my own work and in advising people.

Like I discussed in the previous articles, our world is so big that we won't know everything in it unless you're a Mary Sue or something. We can only incorporate its huge-ness in our own literary worlds, and what better way to do it other than get inspirations from the one already in front of us?

Moreover, there are things in our world that sound out of this world the more we think about it. Take the internet, for example. Try to explain it to a five year old with no concept of electricity, electromagnetism, or computers. It will sound something out of an SF book, even to you. I know because I tried.

You can take the concept of the internet, replace certain aspects in it to fit your world, and voila! You have a worldbuilding concept that's entirely yours and novel in your world.

But, but, but—hold your fire-breathing horses for a sec. Saying we can take inspiration from the real world, whether be it concepts, flora and fauna characteristics, or mythology and folklore, doesn't mean we can do it as freely as we think. Below are some cautionary tips to keep in mind when traversing this equally wonderful area of worldbuilding.

Do your research.
Always. Never skip this step. The dangers of not doing research is you might end up using something that is part of a larger system of things that doesn't go with what you're aiming for. Worse, the way you handled it in connection to your themes might not be the best way to handle it and can come across as insensitive. Overlooking basic information (or even some obscure ones) can make your world feel inconsistent annd/or built in a hurry. An example in failing in this step is using something from a real-world culture thinking it was part of their flolklore, when in fact, it's part of their history. The vice-versa is also entirely plausible.

Learn to gauge accuracy and credibility of resources.
I think this goes without saying. Tying with the research tip, you need to be able to identify what type of content is true, credible, and good for your integration to your worldbuilding. One practical step is to look through multiple sources about what you want to know and see if they match up, omit information, or add something that has no basis. Read through the references and be meticulous about the people who wrote them.

Be sensitive.
If you're looking to fictionalize or take inspiration from religions or spiritualities that real people practice, don't turn their beliefs into fantasy schticks. Again, do your research properly and don't assume someone's practices to always have some sort of magical side. The fine line with this issue is that if it's not really exclusive to a single religion or spirituality (like potions, magic stones, etc.), then it's good. Always ask yourself if what you're doing can exist without any religious or spiritual connections/subtext.

Things can be similar but not each other's versions.
Just because things are similar doesn't mean they're the same thing or they are each other's versions. As you do your research, you might find their history, influences, and context don't really have anything to do with one another. One example of this is the Filipino diwata who are described in numerous English texts as "fairies" or "protectors of mountains", when in fact, they are believed to be powerful goddesses in their own right by ancient Filipinos. And you wouldn't know this if you just looked at the first article in the search engine's first page.

Not everything has to fit into paradigms.
One common pitfall is when we think things need to fall into well-known or unquestioned paradigms we encounter every day. It doesn't always have to be "good-vs-evil" or a pantheon patterned after the twelve Olympian archetype. When researching another culture, it's best to never look at it through the lens of your own. Instead, focus on what it really is and do your best to present that.

Don't put everything in.
Yes, the struggle is real. There are so many cool things you want to put into your world and your story's setting. But don't forget that you are, first and foremost, telling a story, and not building your own fictional encyclopedia (although, you can do that but let's pretend you aren't). There has to be some limit as to how far and how many stuff you can shove into your world without overwhelming it. Using stuff without considering if it adds to your story or not will just make your story sound tacky.

One example of that is from personal experience, during the time when I wrote The-Series-Who-Will-Not-Be-Named. I really got into the Tarot cards and the Major Arcana that I ended up researching it to the full and shoehorning it to the present story I have. What resulted from it is a mish-mash of garbage that I had to rehaul it altogether.

The rule of the thumb is that when you see that you have to change something inherent in the thing you're trying to insert to your lore, or if you find yourself having to explain how such thing came to be in your world and the answer you came up with invalidates something essential to it, then it's best to leave it alone and save it for another project. That, my friends, is how you end up with a bajillion series(es) to write.

Don't take away from originators.
It's insulting to have something practiced by real people from real cultures and reveal it to be a part of your lore all along. Worse, if you start painting those who really do it as wannabes and unoriginal. This can also take the form of getting bits and pieces from a culture and failing to include representations from said culture. For example, you take elements from Korean culture and mythology and none of your characters are Korean. Don't do this.

Understand the history and context of things.
Don't just take things you find interesting without learning how it came to be. Study its history, cultural context, and socio-political and economic backgrounds before you insert it to the lore and setting of your story. For example: you want to make some form of witch hunts in your story. First, understand the cultural and political climate of the era that did have some witch hunts in it. Not only will it provide you with enough context with how the real thing happened, you will also have an idea on how to execute it in your story without sounding implausible or unrealistic.

Bits and pieces are enough.
If you really can't find things from real life that fits, you can start with traits and small concepts instead. You don't need to shoehorn the entire Major Arcana into the series, but maybe you can take the Fool archetype, the High Priestress archetype, or the Tower archetype, and do with them what you will. Don't be afraid to create your own elements—that's what we are here for, anyway. Remember that even the most simplest worlds can make the most extraordinary story.

Talk to someone.
This is a must, especially if what you're aiming to represent is a marginalized or a minority group. The rule of the thumb is that as long as you do not belong to a specific group, it's best to consult people who do.

Reference
LRC. (n.d.). Tips On Taking Inspiration From Real-Life Myth, Lore, Tradition, & Legend Without Looking Pretentious, Ignorant, or Insulting. Springhole. Retrieved January 31, 2023, from https://springhole.net/writing/taking-inspiration-from-real-life-myth-lore-tradition-and-legends.htm.

So... that happened. I'm not exactly the best at representation, and there are many, many things I've yet to know about this whole topic, so I always put on a disclaimer about it. I'm not perfect, and the best thing I can do is to try my best and be open to correction at all times. If you're still insiting on reading through this thing, continue to the next article: Numbers, Numbers, Numbers.

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