Universe: The Bigger Setting of Your Story

If you are here for the Christian Science Fiction & Fantasy blog tour, that post is here.

Stopping by for the first time for the A-Z Challenge? Read a short intro to the A-Zs of Worldbuilding here!

U is for Universe...
U is for Universe…

In fiction, ‘universe’ has typically come to mean the setting of a certain story with a certain set of rules. That is still applicable to your worldbuilding, because you must stay within the set of rules you’ve established so far, but that’s not quite the type of universe we’re talking about today.

Today, we’re talking universe in the literal sense.

Don’t forget about the rules you’ve already established when you complete these steps.

  • Step back from the tiny area of your story, and look around at the world you’ve been creating.

Look at the countries, then the continents, and then step back further.

  • Look at the entirety of your world.

Is it like ours, set in space, a familiar globe full of life? Or is it different, perhaps flat or even carried on the back of a turtle? 😉

  • Are there stars, other planets, or galaxies orbiting nearby?

Nearby being a relative term, of course.

How many suns or moons? What color is the sky during the day? What are the most well-known star constellations?

If there are no stars, is there still a moon? Or is it completely dark at night?

  • How much of the universe have your characters explored?

Are they still earthbound and can only speculate about the universe outside their immediate vicinity, or are they experienced travelers both around the world, and possibly into space?

  • Is there life on other worlds, whether your characters know it or not?
Original image used in header is by WikiImages, public domain.

My intention is to turn the A-Zs of Worldbuilding into a workbook after the Challenge is finished. If you’d like to stay notified about that, you can subscribe to my newsletter here. Please make sure and select the A-Zs of Worldbuilding option!

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About Rebekah

Rebekah Loper writes character-driven epic fantasy featuring resilient women in trying and impossible circumstances who just want to save themselves but usually end up saving the world, often while falling in love.
She lives in Tulsa, OK with her husband, dog, two formerly feral cats, a small flock of feathered dragons (...chickens. They're chickens), and an extensive tea collection. When she's not writing, she battles the Oklahoma elements in an effort to create a productive, permaculture urban homestead.