Map Making

I am not what you would call a master cartographer. Topography and scale are usually absent from my maps yet sometimes, a map is almost a necessity. In cases where location and direction are mentioned, or if you make it a point to mention which direction sunlight comes in through a window, you'll need some way of tracking these details.

In some cases, style sheets work great. If you're great at spreadsheets or itemized lists and just as good at finding this info quickly, then words, words, and more words can be the way to go! Other times, a visual element is quicker or more effective. Let's say you happen to have five provinces on wiggly bit of a peninsula. A good map can be a much quicker way to figure out where the character will go if they travel east or west.

Really, I use a little of both. Since I'm a freak for cooking shows these days, you're going to see a theme in this example:

Continent: MASCARPONE 

     Province: TARTAR

          Cities (capital first): SHORTCAKE, SALAD, BISCUIT, WAFFLE

     Province: MARSHMALLOW

          Cities (capital first): CREMA, CUCUMBER, BROTH, SIZZLE

This is usually where my planning starts. Determine land masses, determine natural obstacles. How are continents divided? States, countries, counties, provinces, townships, etc. Do the mountains and rivers determine borders? How does the geography affect how cities run and thrive? How does greed and stubbornness factor into nonsensical choices for domains (I have everything inside this mountain range... oh, and that little island I can't govern, but can't part with precious resources...).

If you think every fantasy story needs this, relax-- a great deal do not. Even if it grows to the point that you do think you might, it's very simple to use whatever crude map you come up with to sort out your draft. Sticks, circles and that questionable handwriting, have at it! As much as I admire people who are amazing at making maps, this is absolutely optional. If you want to focus solely on writing, do that. This is just an aid for those who might be overwhelmed with specific directional concerns. Much like my post on floor plans, I'm not showing off some advanced level skill here. 

Now, the verbal list, it's plenty clean and works well, but the more details you add, the more cluttered that tidy list gets. It makes no mention of whether you're ordering them from left to right, top to bottom or whether they're wrapping around a mountain. Add in rivers or landmarks or elevations and at some point, it's better to refer to some visual aids than clutter your short lists.

Remember that not every map needs every detail. You can do a world overview that just has land and oceans. Zoom in for a continent map that may include rivers, mountains, forest, cities. Zoom in for roads, ponds, landmarks, cave entrances. You can even go underground, above ground-- do some layered maps! What makes a map effective is how well you can find everything. A map is only as useful as your ability to read it.

Want a free and easy cheat? Sign up for a free Inkarnate account and you can render simple maps with nice graphics. If you're just looking for a visual aid that doesn't hold up the writing process, it's one of the best quick fixes you can aim for. If you do want to shell out for a great personalized map, writing groups are FULL of people you can commission for this. There are a ton of great options for turning descriptions into helpful visuals.

Well, back to mine... I'm currently using Illustrator (vector drawing is a skill you might want to consider). Happy mapping, or not mapping. It's all good.