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This week: Create a Map Edited by: Dawn Embers  
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Fantasy Newsletter by Dawn
A bit of a look at the use of maps in working on worlds for speculative fiction and a couple drawbacks as well. |
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World building has many options and outlets. One way to visualize the world is to create a rather visual approach: you can create a map. This can do a number of things to help bolster the use of a world, in particular one that is being created for a story. Some fantasy books even come with the maps when the story gets published. Helps in particular with series that involve travel throughout the world to help keep track of the different locations the characters find themselves. Maps are handy tools for characters and for the writer.
I will admit that for most of my fantasy novels, aside from not doing a lot of world building, I also haven't created a map for said worlds. Not that I have been against the idea. I just haven't put the effort into creating a map before. But I am working on my first now and it's kind of fun.
One web site that I've found useful so far after having researched when considering the challenge of creating a map is a site called Roll for Fantasy. They have a number of tools on the site that can be useful when working on a speculative fiction world, including a map creator. There is an option for having the site generate different options with vary styles for different layouts and a way to pick the way you want the different land masses on the flat surface.
The Link:
http://rollforfantasy.com/tools/map-creator.php
Aside from the land masses, islands and water, there are a few things one can do on the site in order to create a good visual. There are different types of trees, mountain ranges, types of water (river and lakes for example), along with little building structures to show where there might be people living. It's a fun element and one could spend hours creating a map using this web site. The world can be shown well on the two dimensional surface showcased on our computer screens.
The downside to some elements of building a world, including the creation of the map is that it can become a distraction or way to keep from actually writing the story. It can be time consuming in order to make the world visible. It can be a lot of fun but also an easy way to distract from other activities, including the actual writing of the story.
So, while there is a lot of fun involved in creating maps along with other elements of world building, it's just one aspect that could be used in the development of a world for fiction. Have you ever created a map? Are you going to try one in the future? And once you do, what is the story for the world? Get to work and we'll find out.
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Do you create maps for you worlds?
Last time, for the newsletter, I discussed a question in relation to the conflict and main character of the story. Sometimes it's not easy to tell why our characters do what they need in order for the story to work, but it's something to consider. Here is a comment sent in on the topic:
Comment by Osirantinous 
Hmm, I find that question "what is your main character's reason to act?" slightly awkward, because in thinking about it I'm not sure the 'reason' is entirely clear to me let alone them in a large number of my stories! Though... given I tend to write romance, love (finding it, fighting for it, keeping it) is I guess a reason for doing what they do. In thinking a little harder, in my main novel - aside from growing/keeping love, protecting one's loved ones would be the other. All the weird stuff Owen does is to keep him and his siblings alive and well. Well, I'm off to think on this more for my other stories!!!
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Fantasy: October 11, 2017 Issue [#8546]
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