I am new to this forum. Loving it by the way! Anyways, I am wondering how other writers handle writing about cultures that don't exist. I personally come from two completely different cultures, but that doesn't help when you have to think of how a centaur would do things!

I think the first thing to do is think of the natural limitations and abilities of the persons who make up the culture you are developing. This is especially important when dealing with such creature as centaurs, considering how much they differ in proportions and shape from humans.

Another thing is history. In America, for example, many of our allusions and expressions, as well as art and literature, are derived from our history. Or think of the effect history has had on British culture. Heraldry and symbolism play a great role in England's art and literature.

Also consider the language. Languages naturally place certain restrictions on what a person can and cannot say, or what they should and should not say.

The are other factors, such as physical and emotional environment, and current events that often take a subtle but important role.

I made my centaurs like to be symmetrical. They always have twins, a boy and a girl, and their houses are cube-shaped and dug into the side of a hill. I don't really know if you have to go too in depth. Even little things like what I did can help make it interesting.

Thankyou! This is all very helpful!

Sometimes you can borrow form a real race of people as well. One example is in the Chronicles of Narnia, when C.S. Lewis borrowed from Middle Eastern culture for the Calormens.
That always makes it a little easier, but personally I like making up my cultures.

I think part of the fun of writing is being able to make thing up about what people and cultures in your story do

hmmm.


I have never even really thought much about making up my cultures. Usually, I focus on the geography of the region. They only have a distinct culture if they've been generally isolated from other people and races. Otherwise, I work cultural diffusion into the works, so that the people are all fairly similar.

I get the whole C.S. Lewis thing. But in my realm, there are no humans at all.

Oh, okay. That takes a little more creativity.

Yay for realms that are human-less, except for the main characters! Riocht doesn't have humans either, but the other countries in my world do.

Tolkien also created the Rohan Horse-Lords almost entirely from Anglo-Saxons. I've got several non-human cultures in my world, (not very well developed yet) and I'm still working on them. There are at least three:
A race of smiths in the mountains with silver eyes
A race of tree-dwellers in a forest with gold eyes and night-vision
A race of horse-breeders living on a large plain