Neither Depth Nor Height Nor Principalities Shall Separate Us From the Love of Westeros

One of the things that sets Martin apart from other writers is his ability to give depth and diversity to his world. He gives exhaustive examples and illustrations of the land, traditions, politics, food, and culture. He regularly includes concepts about local religious practices and mythology into character dialogue, just as we would today when discussing Christianity, atheism, deism, and world leaders. He is not uncomfortable describing spicy dinners, intimate encounters, or vulgar discrimination, which adds another layer of depth into the books. Some examples are:

• Catelyn remembering her days at Riverun
• The tombs beneath Winterfell with the burial traditions
• The dedication of different character swearing and praying to different gods
• The course humor about the wildlings sleeping with goats
• The doubts Sam Tarley has about his own gods and converting with Jon Snow
• The Dothraki sexual practices
• The commonality of expecting and using ravens
• The magic and history in surrounding, “The Wall, Aegons Tower, and the Heart Trees.”
• The use of drugs, alcohol, vice, and poison to address problems

What literary devices will allow me to include this kind of detail in my own storyline. Should I compare each character to someone I know and add personal traits accordingly? Should I take modern political scenarios and modify them to apply to my kingdoms? These questions and more beg to be explored.