Whether your characters live and work in a world that looks like ours, or they enter a portal to someplace virtually unrecognizable to us, finding new ways to enter your story universe will help you craft a setting that better supports the story you want to tell.
Deepen Your Setting Part 2
There must be a million ways to dream up your story’s setting and make it come alive. It’s useful to ask straightforward and direct questions about the climate and technology your characters deal with. But sometimes it’s better—and fun—to sneak up on your mind and approach it from a different angle.