I’m answering the call, of the two whole votes, and going to post some of the things you ask for in my paid corner (which is still small).
There was an even divide between wanting exclusive short stories and a behind-the-scenes look at the work I’m doing. So, I’ll start off with a short series on how I PERSONALLY build my world (partly because I was going through the process of plotting out my current Shutdown Syntax serial to get a feel for how long it would be).
How do I start building a world?
There are generally two distinct approaches to worldbuilding that can be applied regardless of the genre. Hard worldbuilding, i.e., building and detailing all the components of a world, including (but not limited to): the planet, ecosystems, cultures, political systems, religion, languages, history, etc. Some authors may do this all up front before they write their novel. It’s incredibly detail-oriented. And then there is soft worldbuilding, i.e., the atmosphere, emotion, and tone of the world are the focus, rather than the minutiae. An example of hard worldbuilding is the intricate worldbuilding in Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings. Tolkien is famous for his Elvish dictionary and for creating two additional Elvish languages. There are numerous books of notes that Tokein’s estate has added as addenda to reprints and even as standalone books. Tolkien truly delved into the minutiae of his world.
Whereas, on the opposite end of the spectrum, you could look at Hayao Miyazaki’s films for soft worldbuilding. A classic example is Spirited Away. While we know that Shinto has nearly infinite deities, Miyazaki’s film depicts them with little known to the viewer about where the spirits originate, what they do to or for the world, or even how the spirits’ society is structured. There are even inconsistencies. Miyazaki has “admitted to being so invested in the aesthetics and emotional quality of his stories that he neglects the internal consistency of the narratives” (Referenced from this article).
And man, I feel that, hardcore.
My personal (current) process has become this: