How do you develop ideas when worldbuilding?

[Tallyfire]

This is somewhat specific to worldbuilding, because what I'm meaning is not about developing plot or characters, but about developing the place where all of that takes place, obviously most relevant to sci-fi and fantasy settings.

I've realised I mostly do worldbuilding to develop my setting (a space station, for example) by living in it. I have to write a scene or a recollection and then all the details that are relevant to that just rise to the surface, and the world in that scene becomes a more rich and detailed place. Afterwards, I extract those parts that are interesting and note them down. The actual scene may serve no purpose later other than, "oh, I figured out what that planet is like."

This routine seems somewhat superfluous since I spend a lot of time writing for few ideas. I do figure out some details about the setting before writing scenes, but those parts tend to be quite dry and often don't apply themselves well to actual characters or plot points. It's like, outside of the scene, the instincts for what fits and what's believable/realistic/interesting just aren't there.

So how do you do worldbuilding? Do you use a guide? Do you just write and build your universe as you go? Does it appear in your head, fully formed?

 

[Madman Starryteller]

Living inside your setting sounds like a good way to make it come alive, nice idea.

So how do you do worldbuilding? Do you use a guide? Do you just write and build your universe as you go? Does it appear in your head, fully formed?

I mostly just write and form the universe around the plot/characters as I go. For example, when I started my story I had no interest in architecture, but in later years I developed a fancy for classical art and architecture, and so I've incorporated that into my main story and my universe. It takes a lot of rewriting sometimes, doing it this way, but I don't mind it that much. And now I think I have settled on all the things I want in my world, somewhat.

It doesn't appear in my head fully, only rough coloured sketches of places and items. And characters faces are always completely blurry for me. I never see my characters' faces.

I don't use any guides, but maybe I should.

 

[Tallyfire]

Living inside your setting sounds like a good way to make it come alive, nice idea.

It's starting to annoy me now. I'm looking for better methods!

For example, when I started my story I had no interest in architecture, but in later years I developed a fancy for classical art and architecture, and so I've incorporated that into my main story and my universe.

That's an interesting way to go about it. I also don't mind rewriting. Maybe that's an option to try. I do also see my world as a slowly evolving entity... it's not all going to be there in the beginning.