It takes more than just moxie to write good space opera these days. Readers have grown sophisticated (read: jaded) and will pick things apart for the slightest things.
Further, as my mentors remind me, your science fiction requires setting more than any other genre.
Depth, richness, consistency.
To get there, I routinely walk through a complicated process that touches on all the ways I want THIS space opera universe to be different from the others I have written, as well as unique aspects that will drive the story.
What kind of star drive will you use to get around? What will you call your hand-held weapon? What will you call your currency?
All these questions serve to enrich your universe, and drag the readers back for more, so take a look at my process and see what it can do for yours.
This is a 201-level book, taking you from writing merely good novels to that place where you are turning a quarter of a million or more words into one long, engaging story that your fans just can't put down.
Be sure to read the entire Business For Breakfast books and see how it can help you improve your writing craft and up your publishing game.

Blaze Ward writes science fiction in the Alexandria Station universe (Jessica Keller, The Science Officer, The Story Road, etc.) as well as several other science fiction universes, such as Star Dragon, the Dominion, and more. He also writes odd bits of high fantasy with swords and orcs. In addition, he is the Editor and Publisher of Boundary Shock Quarterly Magazine. You can find out more at his website www.blazeward.com, as well as Facebook, Goodreads, and other places.
Blaze's works are available as ebooks, paper, and audio, and can be found at a variety of online vendors. His newsletter comes out regularly, and you can also follow his blog on his website. He really enjoys interacting with fans, and looks forward to any and all questions-even ones about his books!