Welcome back to my personal blog, "The Aurin Cluster", where today I’m pulling back the curtain in an extensive inside look at the writing process for Merchant of Vision, my space opera universe, and the day-to-day reality of crafting these stories. If you've ever been curious about how I bring these worlds to life—how I go from an idea in my head to a fully realized universe full of characters, starships, and interstellar politics—this post is for you.
The Workspace: My Creative Haven
First, let's start with where the magic happens—my workroom. It's not the most glamorous setup, but it's my creative haven. I’ve always believed that your environment can shape your writing, so I try to keep mine a balance between inspiration and practicality.
The Entry Portal
I am a fan of Star Trek. I am as old as the Original Series. I have been a Gamemaster of the Various Star Trek Roleplaying games since the original Star Trek: The Role Playing Game published by FASA Corporation in 1982. I have run multipe Trek RPG campaigns online, and a solo game using the Modiphius Entertainment Star Trek Adventures Captain’s Log Solo RPG. So my door is decorated with this custom made sign:
My desk is surrounded by momentos, and inspiring things: A picture of my Thai wife in uniform, little knick-knacks (Reminders to Dream Big), my clock on the wall (With a suitable sci-fi style font), and multiple drafts of planned book covers from the Transtellar Series and a stand-alone novel on the wall, as well as ideas, quotes, sketches, and inspiration. It’s a mix of index cards, and sticky notes:
I have maps of space, planetary systems, notes, world-building maps of planets, images of characters, starports, and scenes, that help me keep track of everything going on in the Kars Vandor/TransStellar Series universe. (You can’t keep track of interstellar politics and vast empires without a bit of organization!).
On a nearby shelf. I have my Science Reference, and Writing books:
I’ve got stacks of notebooks, each dedicated to a different aspect of world-building. So many years spent writing and creating, looking at my Wall of Inspiration, figuring out how different pieces of the Kars Vandor Triogy, and the TransStellar series will fit together.
On the right side of my desk is my ever-faithful coffee cup, always filled with something-- tea or coffee to keep me going during those long writing sessions.
I use fancy, elaborate tools for cartography and writing, including roleplaying reference books:
GURPS Fourth Edition Space by Jon F. Ziegler, and James L. Cambias
Jonathan Sherlock's Traveller 5 RPG Mapping and world creation tool:
https://www.travellerworlds.com/ to generate rough system diagrams, and draft icosahedral world maps. I really enjoy using this tool and the author has continued to upgrade it for years.
The Writing Process: Building an Epic Space Opera from Scratch
When I sit down to write, especially for a universe as vast as that I am developing for Merchant of Vision, it’s not just about typing out words. It’s about building—brick by brick, piece by piece—a collection of worlds so immersive that you could lose yourself in them. Here’s a closer look at how I approach my writing process:
1. World-Building First
For me, the worlds of the setiing come before the plot. Before I even know what my characters are going to do, I need to know where they are. What are the rules of this Universe? What’s the political climate? What’s the technological level?
I had a rough idea that I wanted an Empire that had fallen, that had once controlled 3,000 worlds. So many worlds that when the name Terra, or Earth is mentioned, it is the same reaction as someone saying "Rome", or "Ur." People lived there, but it was a long time ago, and most of the people in their daily lives know little to nothing about events of even less than 50 years ago.
I then had the idea that there were going to be many alien races. alien life was everywhere. The Terran First Empire had died of a Religious war, but a Second Empire Replaced it, despite the fact that there were remnants of the first, cut off by accidents of Galactic Geography.
With Merchant of Vision, I spent years developing the universe, long before I even started writing the actual story. It started with star maps. I remember laying out vast subsectors of space, creating mainworlds of star systems, naming them, and thinking about the kinds of societies that would exist on these worlds. What do they trade? What are their rivalries? What kind of technology do they have? I stayed up many nights in bed with the laptop, just generating worlds and naming things.
Once I had a solid sense of the geography and the politics of the universe, including the factions, I could start thinking about how the characters fit into it.
2. Character Development: Giving Life to the Universe
Once the world is set, the next stage is creating characters that feel real and dynamic.
I knew I wanted to explore the theme of ambition, and that’s where the character of Nisa Jax came from. An Esper Scout with a father who is a Billionaire. She rejects the life of Corporate Leadership, and becomes a Scout, going past the borders of known space. But then I saw that I wanted to know her father's story...and the Father's Mother. And thus, Kars Vandor was concieved.
Kars Vandor came from—a man whose personal journey is one of rags to riches. Not unlike my own story. Then came the Duchess Zhōu Yuèguāng, and her Esper Spy, Tannika Na'ir. Then Captain Alanya Darrin, commanding the starship Terran Starfire, navigating not just the dangers of space but also the shifting allegiances of her allies...so many other characters, either born from a name, or something from my intuition.
I spend a lot of time developing my characters, not just in terms of what they do in the story, but who they are at their core. What drives them? What fears do they carry? What do they want, and what’s stopping them from getting it?
For example, Captain Alanya Darrin’s character evolved from my desire to explore the weight of command. She’s a leader who bears responsibility not only for the lives of her crew but for the fate of entire star systems. Yet she is bound by her utter loyalty to the Duchess. I wanted her to be someone who wrestles with moral decisions, who struggles with the line between doing what’s right and what’s necessary for survival. Every choice she makes has ripple effects in the larger universe.
And then there’s Duchess Zhōu Yuèguāng, a figure whose ambition and power cast a shadow over the entire narrative. She’s complex, and I wanted her to feel as nuanced as the world she’s part of—a character whose motivations are deeply personal, yet whose actions affect the entire Subsector that she is the Leader of: The Varala Drift.
When developing characters, I always ask: What do they want, and what will they sacrifice to get it? That helps drive the plot forward and creates tension within the story.
3. The Writing Routine
Now, onto the nuts and bolts of how I actually get the words on the page. My writing process is pretty structured, especially when I’m deep into a project. Here’s what a typical writing day looks like:
Morning: I start early—usually around 6 AM—Wake up and take the kids to school, with a cup of coffee and a small snack. I get home around 9 am. I spend the first few hours of the morning writing new content. This is when I try to tackle the heavy lifting, whether it’s drafting a new chapter or diving deep into a specific character’s arc.
Afternoon: After lunch, I switch gears. I’ll either work on editing what I’ve written in the morning or do research for world-building. This is where I fine-tune details, double-check timelines, or revisit earlier chapters to make sure everything lines up. I might also dive into the more technical aspects, like making sure the logistics of a space battle are believable.
Evening: I use the evenings for reflection and brainstorming. Sometimes I’ll map out upcoming scenes, but more often, I spend this time thinking through plot points while taking a break from the actual writing.
One of the biggest challenges is balancing creative flow with discipline. Writing is a grind, even when you love the story you’re telling. Some days, the words come easily. Other days, they don’t, and that’s when I remind myself that progress, however slow, is still progress.
Behind the World-Building: The Notes and Details That Hold It Together
World-building is where I get to be obsessive. I have notebooks filled with sketches of alien worlds, trade routes between planets, political structures, and military hierarchies. Here's a glimpse into how I organize all of this:
Maps: One of the most important tools in my world-building kit is a detailed star map. most of my main story worlds are tracked, with the planet, downports or space stations, and trading hubs plotted out, with notes on who controls what, which factions are at war, and which systems remain neutral.
Culture Notes: Each faction in Merchant of Vision has its own unique culture. Some are heavily militarized, while others thrive on trade and diplomacy. I keep notes on how these cultures view themselves, how they interact with outsiders, and what their goals are. This helps me maintain consistency and make sure the universe feels diverse and alive.
Technology Logs: Space opera often includes advanced technology, and I’ve made sure to keep detailed logs on how different technologies work within the universe—how starships travel, what weapons are available, and what technological advantages one faction might have over another. THere are multiple methods for ships to get from one system to the other.
The Evolution of Merchant of Vision
Looking back, it’s amazing to see how far Merchant of Vision has come. What started as a loose collection of ideas in my early years as an 11 year old kid in 1977, has evolved into this massive universe—full of starships, characters, and political intrigue that spans whole sectors.
It’s taken years to build this paracosm, and there’s still so much more to explore. This is just the beginning, and I’m incredibly excited to see where the story goes from here. The most rewarding part? Knowing that soon, you’ll get to dive into this universe and experience it for yourself.
I hope this behind-the-scenes look gives you a better sense of the work, the passion, and the complexity that goes into creating a space opera like Merchant of Vision. Thanks for coming along on this journey with me, and I can’t wait to share more updates soon.
Until next time,
James H. Jenkins
#WritingProcess #BehindTheScenes #MerchantOfVision #SpaceOpera #WorldBuilding #AuthorLife #SciFiWriting #StarshipsAndPlanets
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