Creating a Multiverse:

          Before we get into this topic, there is a question we must ask ourselves. What is a Multiverse?: By googles definition: "an infinite realm of being or potential being of which the universe is regarded as a part or instance".

          Lets put this in English. Simply put, a multiverse is a universe that consists of an infinite number of realities, each coexisting alongside each other. To be clear, in no way does this definition state what exists within each reality, only that they co-exist.

          Which brings us to the meat and bones of this topic. Let's assume you want to write a multiverse or present this multiverse as reality inside your fiction. Well, how do you do this? To answer this question, we are going to call out some already existing fictions that have done this for us. We will talk a little about each, and then discuss how we can do the same thing or add our own twist. Let's begin.

Example 1: Marvel/(MCU)

          This example has only been recently established in the films, but from my limited knowledge, it has been long established in the comics. In their work, it is clearly indicated the universe exists in a multidimensional state. To summarize, from what I see in the movies, each alternate reality is a copy of the original, with differences existing based on either the effects of timetravel or some other thing that happens that I really can't name because I have not seen it happen by other means. The point is though, each dimension is, at its core, no different than the other with the only changes being in how the universe develops over time.

          So, while the worlds, characters, and locations may appear the same, changes would exist in its history or future or X reason. Whatever X is. You decide.

          This offers you, the writer, an opportunity to mess around with the "what if" question you may have asked yourself countless times. It can be an effective means of resurrecting dead characters (even if a little cheep?) or a centerpiece of conflict between characters. It has the potential for you to mess with a lot of things in your writing.

          An example I would like to give from my writing (WARNING: COPYWRITED CONTENT FOLLOWING) is a group of people I have named "Planeswalkers" who travel the multiverse to gather knowledge. Please, do not confuse these with the Planeswalkers from MTG, while they are called the same thing, they are entirely two different kinds of beings. In any case, I built a race on the idea they could travel the multiverse at will, though a means they discovered and harnessed. They use it to study other worlds and civilizations, collecting knowledge they then use in the choices they make to build their own civilization.

Example 2: Magic the Gathering

          While it is focused on being a Card Game (and a good one at that MTG is riddled with extensive lore and story content that form the theme of each new set released in the game. MTG refers to each new world as a "Plane of Existence" or dimension. Unlike the MCU, each is its own unique world with its own thing going on. It is not made clear in the MTG lore if these are planets or not (if this is ever made clear, someone please tell me.) The point here is that dimensions do not have to be copies of each other. It just depends on what you are looking for.

Example 3: Minecraft

          The Minecraft tackle on dimensions is that each one, with the exception being the END so far, is an infinite expansive world with no real end. Both the Overworld (where you spawn) and the Nether are set up to generate nearly infinitely. Such a system could be used to replace planets, and travel could either be limited to a few like in MTG, or vastly used by portals or some other technology/magic.

          The three examples I have presented above are, to me, the most prominent examples of how wild you can get with how you establish your multiverse. Each offers a boatload of potential in telling stories, character revival, and so forth. But how do you decide what it is you want to do?

          To use myself as an example, and I will keep details limited so this is not Copywrite, I use a mix of all three. There are planes of existence that like Minecraft, are singular never-ending worlds, but also have dimensions that are replicas of the first. In a few cases, some are utterly different from the Original Universe. This has given me the liberty to adjust each dimension to fit my own needs. From providing origins to characters and races to expanding the potential of story content, and so on, it all comes down to what role you want your dimensions to play.

          How you use this in your narrative is up to you, but I will caution you to try to refrain from using it as cheap excuses to revive characters or do something else that would otherwise be seen as cheap. A multiverse opens a lot of native possibilities, but it can also be detrimental to the story of character deaths and such lose their pay off.

          If you are looking for more ideas on how to approach this topic, let me know in the comments below and we can discuss.

REMEMBER:

          Save your work and keep extra copies on hand. My recommendation is to keep a printed copy, a copy saved to your PC, a copy in your email, and a copy on an external drive such as a flash drive. Also, be advised that all information above is just advice by me, you are not required to follow any of it.