I'm juggling the idea of writing a book set in the Victorian Era, but I want to do it in a very different way, ex. recreating the entire monarchy, and history of Parts of Europe and the US--(It will be set between England and New York). So I need to basically recreate these two cities under different names, and change some major details to make them my own. But I have absolutely no idea on how to go about this, or where to start. Help? It's going to be alternate an world in the sense that the reader will know what the real-life counterpart is, but tweaked to the author's liking, with his (my) own personal 'twang' to it. It's not going to be one of the alernate-dystopian-type worlds, just something different.
Another WF member and my brother had offered me a suggestion. The WF member (I forgot who it was but thank you for the suggestion) would use powerpoint and create a scrap book with photo examples and detail about each scene, place, building and what characters are doing. On the other hand my brother is old school and has collections of more than 20 sketch books of an alternative universe he is creating based upon science fiction and our universe and the discoveries published by science articles. Creating a universe is like drawing a scene or writing. You have to keep a notebook, sketchbook, ppt or any document and collect your ideas. I personally use a composition notebook and have chapters based upon scenes and what rooms look like. Use it as a guide to telling your story.
However you decide to go about it remember it's still just a setting for your story, thus should be treated as such. Outside of location and time period, what is it that's important about the setting of the story. I think you are looking too broad when all you really have to do is give enough information to get the reader's imagination started to fill in the rest. If you try to describe everything it will most likely put the reader to sleep, even if it's a fasinating universe. What's important are the character's and how the character's are effected by the setting, not how awesome the setting is, oh yeah, here are the characters. Of course, this is just my opinion. If you want to write an encyclopedia about your world, characters, culture, etc. by all means, go for it.
What Indy said, and a little description of the characters' way of dressing, speaking conforming with that era, I for one will start imagining a place like London no matter what you named the place, very little description of the setting will be enough.
