Worldbuilding When You Have No Ideas

This is how you make a small setting in a day when none of your ideas feel good enough, or you can't come up with any at all. It is, in part, a variation on this post. Though I do not think you need to have read it to understand this one. I'll keep this quick.

By Ryan @__SolS on Twitter

This is what you will need to do:

Take a book, any book, and highlight six phrases per spread. These can be anything, as long as they stand out to you. They do not even need to be complete sentences. Do this until every spread in the book is highlighted in this fashion. Keep it cursory.

Flip to a random page, roll 1d6. Look for the highlighted phrase that matches the result. The first highlighted phrase on the spread is 1 on the die, the second 2, and so on... Write it down.

Do this three times. Write the phrases next to each other.

You will have a small, poemlike piece of nonsense that should only take a minute to form. For instance - taking from a large book of Shakespeare I own:    

We came into the world like brother and brother:
God give his lordship joy!
it were mortal poison, for thy sake!

Use the result as inspiration to answer a worldbuilding question below. Then roll another and repeat. 

The questions provided are split into three sections: The Town, The Wilderness, and The Dungeon. That is all you truly need to start a game.

The Town:

1. Where is the town? Why would you live here? 
2. What is the town known for by outsiders?
3. Who or what governs this place? How do they govern?
4. What is this town's biggest problem? How do they deal with it or hide it?

The Wilderness: 

1. What is the wilderness known for by outsiders?
2. What is the most beautiful thing in the wilderness? What about the ugliest?
3. Who or what calls the wilderness their home? How do they mark and protect their territory?
4. What resources does the wilderness possess? Who is actively looking to exploit this? 

The Dungeon:

1. Where is the dungeon? What did this place use to be? 
2. Why would you risk your life to be here?
3. Who or what guards the interior? What are their defenses?
4. What treasure lies here? Who is actively seeking it?

Answer the questions to the best of your ability. Chase whatever inspiration comes to you, no matter how silly you may think it. Do not worry about representing the rolled result as a whole in your answer - if something small stands out strongly to you, run with it. Use information from previous questions to inform the current question you are answering, if you think it is relevant. If all goes well, this should serve as a unique base for more solid prepwork.

From The Third Mind, by William Burroughs and Brion Gysin