Most writers are familiar with the term “Worldbuilding”. It’s the creation of a world, the establishment of population, history, culture, and any other rules that go along with the world/universe. When creating a world, the writer has to know what drives the people, their beliefs and backgrounds, and the history that shaped the world as it is when the reader finally enters the world when they open that book. Some of the worlds and universes I can think of where this all plays a part are: Shannara, Discworld, Temerant, and Star Wars.
Star Wars is an excellent example of ongoing worldbuilding. The universe exists, but now as it grows, new cultures are developed, new planets and races. A lot of world building still takes place for each new planet and their history gets added to the database of galactic history.
Michael Leaich 