How to Write an Expanded Universe
For those of you who haven't been paying attention, I'm the author of an expanded universe. Currently, I have three different "expansions" published: Two take place on Shard (The Terebinth Tree Chronicles and Vengeance Hunter), and the other takes place on an un-named planet (Skies of Dripping Gold). A fourth is currently in production, and a fifth is rolling around in my brain.
I've been publishing this expanded universe (titled the Torn Universe) for the past four years, and have been playing with the idea for a lot longer than that. I've picked up a thing or two.
If you're considering writing an expanded universe of your own (or just want a glimpse into the mind of an insane person a genius), you'll want to read this:
Before we get started, I should probably answer this question:
What is an expanded universe?
Okay, you all may want to take a step back because I'm turning my nerdiness up to 1000.
The definition of "expanded universe" that you will find on the internet is a franchise that has expanded its stories to other media. So, for example: Star Trek is an expanded universe because it has TV shows, movies, comics, novels, and various games. The same can be said for Star Wars.
However, this isn't the definition I'm going off of. Nope. As an author, I define "expanded universe" in this way: Stories that all take place in the same universe, though across different planets, during different times, and possibly even in different realities. These stories do not necessarily all contain the same characters (though there can be crossovers for characters and even cultures, planets, etc).
So yeah. Expanded universe is a broad term with multiple definitions, but this blog post will be mostly dealing with my definition (thought a lot of these tips will work for any definition).
Let's get into it:
How does one write an expanded universe?
With great pleasure, and with great concentration. Writing an expanded universe is a heck of a lot of fun, but it requires a lot of focus and a lot of patient.
Work your core. No, this isn't exercising advice (though, honestly, yes. Do some sit-ups. They're good for you). Your expanded universe should have at least one core element that runs through all of your stories. For Marvel, it's superheroes. For Star Wars, it's the Force. For Doctor Who, it's time travel. For Star Trek, it's....*runs off to ask a Trekkie friend because I know little of Star Trek* The Federation!
That being said, this "core" doesn't have to be an organization or power. It can be a theme: Exploration (Star Trek), compassion (Doctor Who), don't-trust-to-the-government-because-it-will-kill-your-friends-and-all-the-younglings (Star Wars).
Identify the core of your universe. You can have several, but you'll want at least one. This core will help unify all of your stories. It probably shouldn't be glaringly present in all of your stories. Let the core be subtle and layered.
This makes your universe easier to write because there are set rules that act as a tether. It also helps set audience expectations while also keeping you on-brand. Everybody wins.
Ask before you add. This is like a mind-bending game of mother-may-I, except you're both the mother and the child and neither versions of yourself really knows what's going on. Before you add any major characters, powers, worlds, civilizations, or subplots to a story, ask yourself how this will affect the core(s) of your universe. Will it undermine major themes, world-building, or tensions? If so, you're going to have to go back to the drawing board. If not: Go for it!
Give yourself room to play. The last thing you want to do as a writer of an expanded universe is to back yourself into a corner. So here's my rule: For every bridge that I burn, I build at least one more. Don't create too many restrictive rules for your universe, and make sure you leave yourself loopholes.
You need to make sure that your creative choices allow yourself room to play, to grow, and to explore.
Don't get lost. While it's important to think large-scale, it's important that you don't get lost in all the grand concepts. Your universe is important, but so are your characters. Don't let your expanded universe overshadow the characters and plots that you're writing. An expanded universe should make your story more interesting, but it shouldn't leave your readers feeling disconnected or lost. A good way to keep from getting lost is to keep your eyes focused on the core of your story. Use that as your compass and you should be okay.
Leave some questions unanswered. At least at first. If you explain the interworkings and connectedness of your expanded universe from the get-go, not only are you burning a lot of bridges, but you're also setting yourself up for failure. Maybe you get into your stories and realize that you can't do what you had originally planned. Or maybe you get multiple reviews from fans that make you wish you'd taken the story in a different direction.
Plus, explaining your expanded universe is basically the equivalent of a spoiler. Don't do that to your readers. Part of the fun of reading an expanded universe is getting to piece together all the easter eggs.
Leave clues. It's not cool to leave your readers in the dark. While it's important not to spoil everything at once, it's also important to give readers the fun of discovering new facts about your universe. These clues can come in the form of histories, of small snippets of dialogue, of recurring symbols, and much more. Identify the information you think your readers would get a kick out of, then decide on ways to weave that information through your stories. Be subtle about it, but don't be absurdly impossible, either.
Be patient. One of the hardest parts of writing an expanded universe is that you want to tell everyone about all of the awesome plans you have. Fight this urge. Yeah, you can tell some close friends, critique partners, that person you're holding hostage because they're the only person who will listen to your ideas (I'm kidding. Don't do that last one). However, aside from a select few, just be patient.
It'll make for a better experience for your readers.
Keep notes. Do I do this? No. Should I? Probably. Consider building some kind of note-taking system that keeps track of how your stories interconnect...or what needs to happen to connect them if they're currently disconnected. Organizing by story, by time period, by planet, or by civilization are all good jumping-off points.
And there you have it. While the idea of writing an expanded universe may seem overwhelming, in reality it's actually a lot of fun.
What are your favorite expanded universes? Do you know of any authors who are writing expanded universes? Off the top of my head, I know of myself (duh), Kyle Robert Shultz, C. Scott Frank, and Beth Wangler.
You know what else Kyle, Cameron, Beth, and I all have in common? We're Phoenix Fiction Writers. Speaking of PFW (I'm so smooth), we just launched our merch shop today!!!!
How amazing is that? Check it out here.
Related article:
Torn Universe Facebook Group Launch + Livestream#ChatWithHannah Ep 16: All About Worldbuilding
Enjoy this post? Take a look around. If you like what you see, please don't forget to subscribe by email for a new post every week!
Some links are Amazon affiliate links. Thank you for your support.
I've been publishing this expanded universe (titled the Torn Universe) for the past four years, and have been playing with the idea for a lot longer than that. I've picked up a thing or two.
If you're considering writing an expanded universe of your own (or just want a glimpse into the mind of an insane person a genius), you'll want to read this:
Before we get started, I should probably answer this question:
What is an expanded universe?
Okay, you all may want to take a step back because I'm turning my nerdiness up to 1000.
The definition of "expanded universe" that you will find on the internet is a franchise that has expanded its stories to other media. So, for example: Star Trek is an expanded universe because it has TV shows, movies, comics, novels, and various games. The same can be said for Star Wars.
However, this isn't the definition I'm going off of. Nope. As an author, I define "expanded universe" in this way: Stories that all take place in the same universe, though across different planets, during different times, and possibly even in different realities. These stories do not necessarily all contain the same characters (though there can be crossovers for characters and even cultures, planets, etc).
So yeah. Expanded universe is a broad term with multiple definitions, but this blog post will be mostly dealing with my definition (thought a lot of these tips will work for any definition).
Let's get into it:
How does one write an expanded universe?
With great pleasure, and with great concentration. Writing an expanded universe is a heck of a lot of fun, but it requires a lot of focus and a lot of patient.
Work your core. No, this isn't exercising advice (though, honestly, yes. Do some sit-ups. They're good for you). Your expanded universe should have at least one core element that runs through all of your stories. For Marvel, it's superheroes. For Star Wars, it's the Force. For Doctor Who, it's time travel. For Star Trek, it's....*runs off to ask a Trekkie friend because I know little of Star Trek* The Federation!
That being said, this "core" doesn't have to be an organization or power. It can be a theme: Exploration (Star Trek), compassion (Doctor Who), don't-trust-to-the-government-because-it-will-kill-your-friends-and-all-the-younglings (Star Wars).
Identify the core of your universe. You can have several, but you'll want at least one. This core will help unify all of your stories. It probably shouldn't be glaringly present in all of your stories. Let the core be subtle and layered.
This makes your universe easier to write because there are set rules that act as a tether. It also helps set audience expectations while also keeping you on-brand. Everybody wins.
Ask before you add. This is like a mind-bending game of mother-may-I, except you're both the mother and the child and neither versions of yourself really knows what's going on. Before you add any major characters, powers, worlds, civilizations, or subplots to a story, ask yourself how this will affect the core(s) of your universe. Will it undermine major themes, world-building, or tensions? If so, you're going to have to go back to the drawing board. If not: Go for it!
Give yourself room to play. The last thing you want to do as a writer of an expanded universe is to back yourself into a corner. So here's my rule: For every bridge that I burn, I build at least one more. Don't create too many restrictive rules for your universe, and make sure you leave yourself loopholes.
You need to make sure that your creative choices allow yourself room to play, to grow, and to explore.
Don't get lost. While it's important to think large-scale, it's important that you don't get lost in all the grand concepts. Your universe is important, but so are your characters. Don't let your expanded universe overshadow the characters and plots that you're writing. An expanded universe should make your story more interesting, but it shouldn't leave your readers feeling disconnected or lost. A good way to keep from getting lost is to keep your eyes focused on the core of your story. Use that as your compass and you should be okay.
Leave some questions unanswered. At least at first. If you explain the interworkings and connectedness of your expanded universe from the get-go, not only are you burning a lot of bridges, but you're also setting yourself up for failure. Maybe you get into your stories and realize that you can't do what you had originally planned. Or maybe you get multiple reviews from fans that make you wish you'd taken the story in a different direction.
Plus, explaining your expanded universe is basically the equivalent of a spoiler. Don't do that to your readers. Part of the fun of reading an expanded universe is getting to piece together all the easter eggs.
Leave clues. It's not cool to leave your readers in the dark. While it's important not to spoil everything at once, it's also important to give readers the fun of discovering new facts about your universe. These clues can come in the form of histories, of small snippets of dialogue, of recurring symbols, and much more. Identify the information you think your readers would get a kick out of, then decide on ways to weave that information through your stories. Be subtle about it, but don't be absurdly impossible, either.
Be patient. One of the hardest parts of writing an expanded universe is that you want to tell everyone about all of the awesome plans you have. Fight this urge. Yeah, you can tell some close friends, critique partners, that person you're holding hostage because they're the only person who will listen to your ideas (I'm kidding. Don't do that last one). However, aside from a select few, just be patient.
It'll make for a better experience for your readers.
Keep notes. Do I do this? No. Should I? Probably. Consider building some kind of note-taking system that keeps track of how your stories interconnect...or what needs to happen to connect them if they're currently disconnected. Organizing by story, by time period, by planet, or by civilization are all good jumping-off points.
And there you have it. While the idea of writing an expanded universe may seem overwhelming, in reality it's actually a lot of fun.
What are your favorite expanded universes? Do you know of any authors who are writing expanded universes? Off the top of my head, I know of myself (duh), Kyle Robert Shultz, C. Scott Frank, and Beth Wangler.
You know what else Kyle, Cameron, Beth, and I all have in common? We're Phoenix Fiction Writers. Speaking of PFW (I'm so smooth), we just launched our merch shop today!!!!
How amazing is that? Check it out here.
Related article:
Torn Universe Facebook Group Launch + Livestream#ChatWithHannah Ep 16: All About Worldbuilding
Enjoy this post? Take a look around. If you like what you see, please don't forget to subscribe by email for a new post every week!
Some links are Amazon affiliate links. Thank you for your support.
No comments have been added yet.
