Content

• Steps
• Method 1 of 4: How to Determine the Physical Parameters of the Universe
• Method 2 of 4: How to Decide Who Will Live in the Universe
• Method 3 of 4: How to describe social and political structure
• Method 4 of 4: How to Come up with Traditions and Habits in the Universe

A believable fictional universe is an important element of a creative project. Your heroes live, work and interact in this universe. The universe can also play a key role in the lives of the characters - for example, the rules and orders of the universe can conflict with the beliefs and aspirations of the characters. To create a fictional universe, define the physical characteristics of space, decide who will live there, consider the social and political characteristics of the universe, as well as everyday rituals and customs.

Steps

Method 1 of 4: How to Determine the Physical Parameters of the Universe

1. 1 Think how big your universe will be. The first step is to determine what the scale of your universe is. Decide how big this world will be. Imagine what should fit into this universe and how it will be in comparison with other worlds.
   • Perhaps your universe spans multiple planets or lands. Perhaps it is small and consists of only one planet or earth, which is divided into many different cities and villages.Understanding the scale of the universe will help you see the big picture. Then you can focus on the smaller details.
2. 2 Decide if the landscape will change. Think about what the universe will look like in terms of geography and landscape. Will there be different regions in the universe? Or does the entire universe consist of one type of surface (like ice or jungle)?
   • Also think about how many types of terrain there will be in your universe. Landscapes can be located in different parts of the universe or even on different planets.
   • Think about how the landscape affects other elements of the universe, including the economic system, social structures, and customs. Perhaps some characters live only in a certain landscape: for example, people - in cities, and mutants - in the jungle.
3. 3 Decide what the weather and climate will be. Think about what the weather will be like in your universe. Maybe on certain planets or in certain regions it rains all the time, or drought persists, or fires rage? Think about the weather in all parts of your universe.
   • Remember that this universe belongs to you, so the laws of physics or nature may not correspond to the laws of nature in the real world. You are not limited by the rules of the universe, so you can make your world the way you want. This means that it can rain fire in your universe, and the jungle can coexist with ice caves and waterfalls in deserts.
4. 4 Draw a map the universe. To make it easier for you to navigate the universe, draw a map. This could be a detailed drawing showing the different types of land and terrain and their names. You can draw a map on your computer. A special program will allow you to better work out the elements and their size ratio.
   • Try to make the map as detailed as possible as you will be building a story around the map. Come up with names for towns and cities, and think about the landscape, vegetation, and climate. You can mark the map in different colors to make it easier to link the actions in the story later.
   • Explore existing maps of fictional worlds, such as the interactive map of Middle-earth from JRR Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings.

Method 2 of 4: How to Decide Who Will Live in the Universe

1. 1 Decide who will live in your universe. These can be people or creatures similar to people. If these are people, what are they? You can settle people similar to existing ones in your universe, or combine several groups of different people to get your own race.
   • For example, you decide that there is a race in your universe that was colonized by another race in order to get a hybrid. You can rely on historical events, describing the merger of races.
   • If you choose to use existing races, avoid stereotyping certain ethnic groups and try to make the images of people versatile. You are creating your own world, so add whatever you see fit.
2. 2 Settle extraterrestrial creatures in your universe. Elves, gnomes and fairies can live in your universe. Extraterrestrial creatures can live among people or in a separate world where people are not.
   • You can invent your own extraterrestrial heroes, incorporating both human and magical elements. Use your imagination and create a unique look that would be fun to watch.
3. 3 Consider whether there will be objects in your universe that are endowed with special power or meaning. Special items may exist in a fictional universe. These things can be available to everyone or only a select few. Think about what objects might play a special role in your universe, and then think about less significant elements of the environment.
   • For example, one central object is responsible for the integrity of the universe (for example, a shard of special glass or a melting golden ball). Or there are objects in the universe that grow on trees or on graves.Get creative and come up with a couple of items that make the universe seem more thoughtful and organic.
4. 4 Define the role of magic in the universe. While not all fictional universes have magic, it certainly won't hurt. If you want to use magic in your universe, consider how much magic there will be and who will own it. You should also think about where this magic comes from: from nature, from ancient artifacts, from gods or one deity, from powerful people.
   • Think about the role of magic in nature. If the magical power is very powerful, who owns this power or protects it? Maybe only a select few own magic? Or has magic been forgotten, and now this power is waiting for someone to be able to take it for themselves?
   • Also consider how magic is treated in your universe. Is it considered a sacred gift or treasure?

Method 3 of 4: How to describe social and political structure

1. 1 Define the system or systems for managing the community. You will need this concept later when you start thinking about the plot and interaction between the characters. You can use characters' political preferences to create conflict and heighten tensions, especially if the characters have opposing beliefs.
   • What will you choose for your universe - democracy, dictatorship, republican system, or some combination? Is there a stable government in your universe, or is there a crisis? Perhaps each planet has its own government, and these governments are fighting for the right to rule the entire universe.
   • You can build your system based on the existing one. For example, in your universe, the main principle of government is democracy, but the power belongs to extraterrestrial beings, and some decisions are executed using magic.
2. 2 Decide how the economy functions in your universe. Think about how the exchange of goods and services will be carried out. Is currency used to buy everything you need? How does currency exist? Is it paper bills, gold coins, live birds? Think carefully about the system of economics so that the reader or viewer better understands what it means to live in such a world.
   • If the universe consists of several planets or lands, each region may have its own currency or even its own economic system.
   • You can build an economic system based on an existing one by adding a couple of elements to it. For example, you can take capitalism and add several elements of socialism to it.
3. 3 Think about the role of theology. There are certain theological systems in many universes. These can be ordered religious movements, pagan beliefs, or belief in higher powers. There can be one or several theological systems in your universe. The system can be determined by the type of inhabitants of the universe, as well as the political structure of the region.
   • It is possible to build a theological system based on an existing religion. For example, you can combine fragments of Catholicism with voodoo and get a belief system that would apply in one of the regions of your universe.
4. 4 Decide what the dominant culture will be and what culture will complement it. Many universes include a dominant culture, complemented by less popular cultures. The dominant culture can unite humans or other creatures. Such a culture has certain rights and privileges that are not available to adherents of other cultures. Such a system will create tension and conflict when non-dominant cultures want to oppose a dominant force or group of people.
   • The presence of different types of cultures also forms hierarchies and class differences. Classes can conflict, especially if your characters belong to different class groups.
   • Often, dominant cultures have their own version of the history of the universe, which is set out in official sources.The dominant culture may hold to this version, which contradicts or even suppresses the experience of people from secondary cultures. All of this can lead to conflicts in the universe.

Method 4 of 4: How to Come up with Traditions and Habits in the Universe

1. 1 Come up with a transportation system. Think about how your heroes will move. Perhaps they may take a fast plane or have to travel by horse. Perhaps there are cities in your universe where transport is controlled by magic. The transport system will create infrastructure in the universe. This will make it easier for you to move the heroes.
   • Perhaps some means of transportation will be available only to certain groups of the population or selected creatures. For example, wizards can ride on a broomstick, and fairies can ride on flying dragons. Humans can ride the bus, and elves can ride horses.
2. 2 Decide which traditions are acceptable and which are not. Think about how the creatures will interact in public places (on the street, in transport, in a city or village). Do creatures belonging to the same group greet each other in a special way? Defining acceptable and unacceptable traditions will help you understand how characters can interact with each other.
   • Suppose people greet each other with computerized glasses. Or, perhaps, some creatures greet each other with facial expressions and a special movement of the hand. Lack of knowledge of the routine can lead to certain consequences (for example, to expulsion from a group or community).
3. 3 Think about clothes. Decide how the different creatures will dress and how the clothes will reflect their status in the group or community. For example, all males can wear leather loincloths and swords, and all females can wear trousers and lashes. Clothing can be an indicator of the hero's position in society.
   • Think about how the hero might dress and how his clothes might reflect his status. Perhaps the hero dresses in all black because he belongs to a certain group. Or the heroine always wears long, floral dresses because she belongs to the upper class of society.
4. 4 Think over the daily routine of the main characters. To better understand what the characters are doing in your fictional universe, write down one day in the life of the protagonist. Start from the moment when he wakes up and gathers. Think about how the hero dresses, what he says he eats and whether he prays to higher powers before leaving the house.