I've spoken before about how I believe writing is like magic.

Today, let's talk about world building.

Anything I say past this point is only a pale reflection to the master of world building in my mind. J. R. R. Tolkien.  The man created languages (yes plural) for his characters first to get an idea of the world they lived in.  I bow to you sir. 

But don't get the idea world building is only for fantasy writers.  It is an essential element of any story.  Even the shortest. (Check out my 1 chapter story Kiss and tell me I didn't write a world in those 1300 words.)

Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice could not exist without the world her characters lived in. Harper Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird needed Maycomb to exist. The Girl on the Train required...a train.

One of the secrets of world-building is to go beyond just describing the settings.  Outline the laws of your world.  Woman can't speak to men until they are first spoken too (Pride and Prejudice). There is a code on how white and black people interact (To Kill a Mockingbird). Drunks can't be trusted (The Girl on the Train).

What are the "laws" in your story?