How Do I Start a Shared Universe?

One of my goals in life is to create a shared universe of stories. One where people can get lost in and enjoy. I’m only at the first step so I have to ask this question a lot recently.

How do I even start a shared universe?

I imagine I’m not the only one that wants to build a world like this. So this post so to help organize my thoughts and help those in my position.

So take a short journey with me to learn how to start a shared universe.

What’s the Focus on the Shared Universe

Looking at successful shared universes, I found that they focus on 1 of 3 things.

• Character (MCU and Monsterverse)
• Lore and Worldbuilding (Gravity Owlphibia and League of Legends)
• One-Shots (Final Fantasy)

The examples do touch on more than one but when looking at them overall the focus becomes clear.

The MCU does have background lore but the focus is on character development overall.

Amphibia focuses on character but that show is one part of the whole. As a whole, the focus is on building the overall universe. The stories being mostly isolated helps with that.