“Maps don’t simply show us where we’re going– they tell us who we are.”
If you compose dream, sooner or later, you’re mosting likely to face The Map Inquiry : do you make one? And if you do, exactly how in-depth should it be? Do you go complete Tolkien with chain of mountains, rivers, and old profession paths, or do you sketch out a vague coast and hope no one asks for how long it takes your characters to cross the continent?
Below’s the important things: maps aren’t simply pretty bonus you embed the front of your book to look clever. They shape your story. Location determines culture, politics, economic situation, even personality. A desert kingdom has to be various from a port city carved into the high cliffs. A mountain pass modifications army approach. A river delta develops profession hubs. And as quickly as you begin considering that, your world begins breathing.
So let’s discuss how to craft fantasy maps that do not simply look excellent– they job
Begin with Function, Not Looks
Before you also attract your very first wiggly coast, ask yourself: why are you making this map?
Is it to keep track of where your characters are going? To give readers a feeling of scale? To develop societies shaped by their environment? The function will certainly direct how much information you …