Building a Universe

Arts and entertainment

This may be one of the least pondered of the world-building tips. Arts and entertainment is a large portion of most human societies. It expresses the thoughts of the times on both a popular and avant-garde level. You can learn a lot about a people by partaking in their entertainment. You should take some time to invent entertainment so that your readers can do the same.

Though you don't have to include the types of things people do for fun in a story, you should at least think about what people do in their leisure time. Ask yourself the following questions:

What do people do for fun? What's considered fun? What's socially appropriate? What's socially deviant?
Where do people go to have fun? Do they stay home? Are there "fun centers?"
How does technology affect entertainment? Are there things like electronic dogs, or are kids stuck with a stick and a rock?
Who has the most leisure? Who is allowed to have leisure?
Is there a popular culture? What is it like? How does it shape entertainment? Who follows the popular culture? Who creates it?
Are there social sanctions around some activities? What are they? Why are these sanctions in place?
How is sex viewed? Is it purely for reproduction? Is it also considered entertainment? Are there people who produce and sell sexually explicit material? Is it legal? Are their prostitutes? Is it legal?
How is violence viewed? Is violence in some situations considered okay, but considered inappropriate in others? What are these situations? Is violence a primary component in entertainment (as in ancient Rome or the United States)? Is sports a form of entertainment?
Is entertainment or art considered a waste of time?
Who are the great artists? What are they known for? What medium do they work in?
What skills do your characters have that can be considered artistic? How do your characters entertain themselves or their friends?
What role does music play in society? What are kind of instruments are there? What are the most popular instruments? Who are the most famous players? Who are the most famous singers?
Is there theater? How is it viewed? Who participates? Who is allowed to participate? What sorts of subjects are dealt with in plays? What are the traditional and standard forms of theater?
How do the laws govern what is entertainment and what is not? What happens if you break these laws?
What sorts of drugs are used for entertainment? Are they legal? What are they made from? How do people get these drugs?

These and many more questions can give your story a personal and realistic touch that it seems like most stories miss.