I mean, I’m not really an expert in universe building. I’ve done it… 5 times so far? Each universe has elements in common with the others, but I try to make them distinct (otherwise I wouldn’t be able to keep them straight!).
In this case I started with very broad brushstrokes: how big is the “galaxy”? In this case, the galaxy just includes the subset of stars of interest (the good guy government has about a dozen stars, the bad guys about three times that number, and the “Old Roman-esque Empire” that came before had about fifty times that number.
Yes, I’m doing the fallen empire thing. I’m considering how to give it a post-colonial spin… something that differentiates it from your stock-standard Everything Was Better Before Empire that so often is the staple of sci-fi. Although I might not? I don’t know at this point. Like I said, big brushstrokes.
I’ve also named the captain of the starship that will be the focus of the adventure, and the starship itself. Tentatively in both cases… I’m not married to the names at this point, but I think it does give me an interesting starting point.
And I’ve started naming the significant crew on the ship. It’s an exploration vessel in a post-scarcity government (although their enemies are not post-scarcity), but it is attempting to explore, forge new diplomatic ties, and layout the groundwork for new trade as well… so it needs a crew of significant scientists, diplomats, traders, and military staff, plus enough conflict to keep things interesting while also having them work together.
I’ve done a half-dozen already. I think I’ll name a few other “secondary” characters just to make sure everything feels fleshed out, and then I’ll start mapping out the novel itself. Might even get to starting that tonight! Dare I dream!?
Hope everyone out there is staying safe and healthy!