152. Create An Original Religion for Your Story

“A well crafted religion can really add depth to your world building and create some incredible conflicts and tensions that can move your story forward.”

In this How To Write the Future podcast episode, host Beth Barany discusses creating original religions in fiction, emphasizing the importance of core beliefs, rituals, and the impact of religion on characters and society. She encourages writers to mix cultural influences and consider how religion shapes their story's world and conflicts. Beth also shares how her World Building Workbook for Fiction Writers can help writers and why her one one-on-one writer support program may be beneficial for you.

ABOUT BETH BARANY

Beth Barany, an award-winning fantasy and science fiction novelist, teaches novelists how to write, edit, and publish their books as a coach, teacher, consultant, and developmental editor.

RESOURCES

GET HELP WITH YOUR WORLD BUILDING - START HERE

Free World Building Workbook for Fiction Writers: https://writersfunzone.com/blog/world-building-resources/

Sign up for the 30-minute Story Success Clinic with Beth Barany: https://writersfunzone.com/blog/story-success-clinic/

Get support for your fiction writing by a novelist and writing teacher and coach. Schedule an exploratory call here and see if Beth can support you today: https://writersfunzone.com/blog/discovery-call/

• SHOW PRODUCTION BY Beth Barany
• SHOW CO-PRODUCTION + NOTES by Kerry-Ann McDade

c. 2025 BETH BARANY

https://bethbarany.com/

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Transcript

152. Create an Original Religion for Your Story

[00:00] Introduction and Host Welcome

Hey everyone. Welcome to How to Write the Future Podcast. I'm your host, Beth Barany. I'm a creativity coach for science fiction and fantasy writers, editor, teacher, speaker, and also coach for women filmmakers. I love doing this podcast because I love answering your questions.

[00:19] Listener Question: Creating Original Religions

So I have a question this week from Jasper Ezekiel who works for me and is also a client and is a speculative fiction writer. His question is about religion. He says it's his belief that religion is wrapped up in everything related to culture. So he's really curious: How do we create a fictional religion that is original?

That's such a great question. Thanks for your question, Jasper. 

[00:49] The Intersection of Religion and Culture

I agree with you that it is very hard to separate religion from culture and from the culture that we were steeped in from day one. And it's not just the culture of our family, but of course it is the broader culture at large and even maybe the intersection of different cultures that influence us from day one.

So how do we go about creating an original religion?

I guess my short answer is that ultimately there's nothing original under the sun. All the elements and ingredients are there, but it's how you put them together that make them feel original. 

And my analogy is with cooking. My father was a great cook and he would put out the ingredients. And if you look at the ingredients, you're like, oh, I think he's gonna make an Italian dish. But then there's that one spice sitting on the side that I didn't recognize, and then when he added it to the meal, it's wow, this tastes like Indian. And Italian. Oh, it's a fusion dish.

[01:44] A Value System

So that's how I see religions. At base, all religions have something that they all share, which is a value system. According to Michael Kilman and Kyra Westrom and in their book Build Better Worlds, and I interviewed Michael and I did a bunch of little episodes, a little series about his book, Build Better Worlds.

He talked about how religion, it's about essentially pure and impure. Good and bad. What is good? What is bad? 

And that is subjective. According to the culture. According to the religion. Religion steeps in everywhere in culture.

And it's influence is going to be overt or covert in one form or another everywhere. 

Now, if you are as a fiction writer, as a science fiction, a fantasy writer, how do you go about doing something that feels original. 'cause it is possible. It is possible. 

[02:38] Tips for Developing Fictional Religions: Core Value/Belief

So I have some tips for you today. 

Something to consider is: What is the core value or belief of your main character?

Just start with your main character. And then to add complexity, ask that of all of your secondary characters as well, and even tertiary characters. 

What's gonna also make your story world feel complex and interesting is that perhaps even though people share the same religion, they may be liberal versus conservative inside of that religion, and so you can define that as well.

Or some people might be religious in name only, just so they get the privileges of that religion. 

[03:19] Religion Origins and Guiding Moral Principles

So what do your followers believe about the origin of their world, of their universe? And what are the moral principles that guide their actions? 

And I would interview each one of your speaking characters and even non-speaking characters to figure that out.

[03:35] Practices and Rituals

Next, when you think about your religion, you wanna think about the practices and the rituals. 

What do people do to worship or connect to the divine in your story? 

What sacred ceremonies mark important life events?

And this is something I've thought about in my Janey McCallister sci-fi mystery series, actually wrote a passage about the end of life ritual. 

What does their funeral rites look like? And that was fun to describe. It was something different that I had never seen in the cultures that we live with, but it's something that I had daydreamed about. So I put that into the story. 

[04:10] Structure and Organization

What is the structure and organization of the religion?

Are there leaders? Are there co-leaders? Is it a very flat organization?

If you look at human history, our religions have all tended to have leaders of one kind or another. Whether that was a shaman or a wise woman, or a pope, or imam, or a rabbi. Or a priest. Or a preacher. 

You can see in a lot of the religions that we've had over the last 2000 plus years, are mostly male focused, but then you've got other religions, animistic religions, pagan religions that might be organized differently.

[04:47] Leadership and Passing on Knowledge

Who are the leaders and how is religious knowledge passed down? Do people go to a seminary, a school? Are people in small learning circles? Is it just a legacy that's handed down through the family? 

So that's also something very interesting to think about. 

[05:03] Religion's Impact on Characters and Society

And then on the day to day, how does religion impact the daily life of your main characters? Are there certain ways that people greet each other that stem from religion? Are there certain rituals or prayers that need to be done throughout the day? Are there impacts when different religious groups come together, either accidentally or on purpose? And what about non-believers? What about people who do not adhere to the religion in your story? What happens to them? What are the consequences? 

[05:32] Religion's Evolution in Your Story

Another thing to think about is what is the evolution of this religion in your story? Did it start out one way and evolve into a new form throughout the historical period? 

And then on the day on page one, when we meet your main character, the way they practice religion or interact with the religion might be very different than their ancestors.

[05:52] Your Heritage: Mix and Match

And then lastly, especially for the science fiction writers, there's a lot of ways that you can come at developing religion that feels fresh and new. And in my conversation with Jasper, we're talking about our own heritage and how our ancestors came from different places and how we might be drawing inspiration from those places.

And so my advice is to mix and match. If you're drawn to certain religious practices from different groups, then what would it be like to put them together in a way that is your own? 

[06:21] How Religion Affects the 

Culture and Vice Versa

So when you think about designing a religion for your story, you wanna consider how religion is also going to affect politics and the power structure, the social customs and taboos, even art and architecture and education and knowledge transmission, what can be transmitted and what is taught in schools. 

And so coming back to your own life, think about the world's religions that you may have been exposed to and how can they impact what you wanna create? 

And if you wanna deviate and come up with something original, something different than the religion that you were brought up with, how do you do that in a way that is respectful to other beliefs?

And if you are going to appropriate real beliefs, are you doing it in a way that is respectful, honors the historical evolution of that religion?

And when you create your own religion: How do you make it believable for the reader, and of course, for your characters?

[07:14] Religion's Impact on Your Story World and Plot

And of course from a plot level, in what way can your story's religion create some interesting plot possibilities and character conflicts?

A well crafted religion can really add depth to your world building and create some incredible conflicts and tensions that can move your story forward. And if your story focuses on morals and values and religion, then it's gonna be doubly important that you understand where your religion came from, who shapes it, how people operate inside of it, and how it impacts them and your story.

[07:46] Example

Now before I wrap up, I just wanna give one example that comes top of mind for me for an incredible religion in science fiction and fantasy. And that's the Bene Gesserit in the Dune series. That is a religious order that Frank Herbert created that combines mysticism with political power and just so beautifully with lots of layers and of course, secrets and lineages, and it's just so wonderful.

[08:11] Sacred Objects, Prophecies, and Technology

And that brings me to some other elements to consider in your religious design, which is sacred objects or substances like the spice melange in Dune.

And, as we saw also with the Bene Gesserit and Dune, the intersection of technology and faith, they did that really well.

[08:27] Power Struggles

And like in Dune, we see the different power struggles because of the religious factions and the tension between scientific beliefs and traditional religious beliefs. And then of course there's always the fabulous personal conflicts. 

When your character questions their belief, that's such a powerful one.

Especially if you're writing a story where the religious beliefs are central in the story like they are in Dune, it really creates great tension and conflict in your story. 

[08:53] Start here to design your own religion

So, my biggest tip for you, my biggest takeaway for you today is to really, if this all is like a lot, 'cause there is a lot to consider, start with one core belief. Or practice and then build outward from there, step by step, considering how it affects your character in their world, in their daily life, in the core problem or conflict of the story, with the people in the story, the other characters, secondary characters, tertiary characters, and with themselves.

And so just start with one thing, one core belief or practice, and take it step by step and build outward from there. 

[09:31] Thanks!

Gonna end there. I could throw more questions at you, and there's always more to think about. I'm gonna stop there. I wanna thank Jasper again for his question. Jasper Ezekiel, a speculative fiction writer.

Shout out to him. He's got a great substack and he also writes for our blog, Writer's Fun Zone. 

[09:46] Resources

So here is my offer for you today. If you are a science fiction and fantasy writer and you need some help with your world building, be sure to check out my World Building Workbook for Fiction Writers to help you think about your religion and your story and other aspects of your story world. 

And if you would like one-on-one support with me, I work with science fiction and fantasy writers who are ready to move their book to the next level and get it edited and published and in the hands of their readers.

So I have a program for that. You can see that link in the show notes. It's a group mastermind for science fiction and fantasy writers who have finished their first draft. 

You do need to have finished your first draft and it's here to help you in a small group coaching mastermind format to finish, to get your book ready for beta readers ready for publication, and learn how to market that and connect with readers.

So check that out if you're ready for that.

And I'm happy to have a conversation with you. And if you want to explore more. 

Alright, everyone, that's it for this week. 

Write long and prosper.