 Hickman developed his world creation technique by writing and self @-@ publishing with his wife Laura the adventure modules Rahasia ( 1979 ) and Pharaoh ( 1980 ) , and writing TSR 's Ravenloft module ( 1983 ) . He was unemployed in 1982 , and TSR offered him a job based on his submission of several modules . That year , while driving from Utah to Wisconsin to start a job with TSR , Hickman and his wife created the Dragonlance universe concept . During the trip , Hickman and his wife discussed two ideas they had had for several years : an entire world used to support a storyline , and a world dominated by dragons . 
