What do you do about geography?

[Fantastyfan]

I would like to know everybody's techniques in making the landscape where your stories take place. How do you keep track of where everything is? Do you make maps? I have a few things I know I want like an ocean, a canyon, some mountains, and cities and towns but I'm having a hard time trying to visualize where everything will be.

 

[Montero]

How much of it do you need?

That is not a facetious question. It is very easy to put in a lot of details the story doesn't need.

I vary as to the order I do things depending on how important the geography is in the plot.

When I am recording geography I do rough sketches in a drawing package - and I mean rough - I use the squares and circles and squiggly lines tools and plenty of labels. I may do several versions of the basic map for different sets of labels - distances in one, more description in another.

Its here be castle on cliff, here is river, here is town on river, here is lush farmland, here is desert, here is town on other side of ocean where lovely goods come from that one day the hero hopes to visit etc etc

My preference is to start story with absolute minimum on map and add bits as they appear in the action, rather than tie the action to pre-determined locations unless that is really, really essential to the plot.

 

[kaal]

As of the now, I've only had to create one entire world, geographically speaking.
With that one, it started out as a gaming world, so we created bits as we needed them: dungeons, towns, rivers, forests, mountains, etc. As we started to run more stories/campaigns in that world and as they became larger in scope I eventually had to hook them all up, building larger maps. In the end, we needed a world map, so I just scaled from those maps we had and simply drew two circular maps which contained what we already had, adding interesting bits until I had a world.

These days, if I knew I was going to tell a story that spanned an entire world, I'd probably start with at least a rough paper sketch of the world maps and either fit the story in to that or modify it as necessary. So long as it's basically OK (no impossible geography), that'll do.

K

 

[Boneman]

I would like to know everybody's techniques in making the landscape where your stories take place. How do you keep track of where everything is? Do you make maps? I have a few things I know I want like an ocean, a canyon, some mountains, and cities and towns but I'm having a hard time trying to visualize where everything will be.

I'm with you - why let some geographical non-sequiters get in the way of a good story...? I know roughly where everything goes, but couldn't exactly say where... eek. BUT, I saw that a fan of one of Joe Abercrombie's book had drawn up a really detailed map for one of his books (as a fanfic thing, really) and it looked fantastic. 'Twas on DeviantArt somewhere...

Seriously I wouldn't get too bogged down in detail, unless you make some really basic errors (or you are so into worldbuidling at the expense of the story) that render the reader speechless. Personally, I toyed with the idea of software packages, but was put off by the price.

 

[allmywires]

I have to make maps. Like very detailed maps. Or else my poor wee brain gets a tad scrambled trying to remember details.

I draw them by hand, too, which is a bit depressing when you create a perfect map of your world on a piece of stained scrap paper...

 

[Mouse]

I'm lucky* in that my WiP's set in the real world. All my maps are on Google. Means that I spend ages walking my little Google man up and down London streets though.

My YA stuff was set in a fantasy world though and I did draw maps for those. Not geographically correct, I suspect, but I did it.



*I say lucky, it's actually a pain in the arse.

 

[Karn Maeshalanadae]

As I have no artistic ability, I find it easier to keep simple notes about what a planet's spread out might look like. For instance, my old world Morcalia was heavily forested and underdeveloped, as humans made only about one percent of the world's population and other intelligent races weren't of nearly so big an expansionist mindset. (At that one percent, perhaps ten million, it was very underpopulated as it was.) There weren't many mountain ranges in the region of heaviest use, and most of the population laid to the northern hemisphere.

 

[Ursa major]

For me, maps are always the way to go. But then I like maps for themselves: old, new, imaginary, it doesn't matter.

 

[Grimbear]

Where they are in relation to each other I think, is what matters. You can describe a canyon, an ocean...

How do the characters travel - is time and distance important in the plot (usually at some point)? Do they walk from the canyon to the ocean for instance? Look at real maps and check up on facts like how long it would take a person to walk/ride/fly (however they get about) so many miles etc - three days? four days?

It will help to 'draw' it so it's clear to you as you write - even if all you have is a sheet of mostly empty paper with small icons that represent the different geographical features etc. You could open a word document and just type in the locations where you want them on the page - make that your map.

This is where I begin usually. I can write for so long then I start getting mixed up and have to get something down, or I'll end up with someone travelling East to somewhere I've previously said is to the West or going uphill to a valley or down to a mountain. If you're writing something where people travel a lot, or in multiple POVs in multiple locations, then you need to have it clear in your own mind at least.

Plus - most people like maps in fantasy books.

Hope that helps.

 

[David Evil Overlord]

I'm in favour of geography, as long as it doesn't get in the way of my Epic Quest.

So far, most of the stuff I've written takes place in a variation of Our World (e.g. with added super heroes). So geography is easy.

The one fantasy story I've written so far all takes place in a tavern, far, far away from where Our Hero was born. And to where he will have to return if I turn the short story into an Epic Quest. All that's established so far is that he is far to the south of his homeland. I'll probably have to draw some sort of map, so his adventures have a place to happen.

 

[Fantastyfan]

Where they are in relation to each other I think, is what matters. You can describe a canyon, an ocean...

How do the characters travel - is time and distance important in the plot (usually at some point)? Do they walk from the canyon to the ocean for instance? Look at real maps and check up on facts like how long it would take a person to walk/ride/fly (however they get about) so many miles etc - three days? four days?

It will help to 'draw' it so it's clear to you as you write - even if all you have is a sheet of mostly empty paper with small icons that represent the different geographical features etc. You could open a word document and just type in the locations where you want them on the page - make that your map.

This is where I begin usually. I can write for so long then I start getting mixed up and have to get something down, or I'll end up with someone travelling East to somewhere I've previously said is to the West or going uphill to a valley or down to a mountain. If you're writing something where people travel a lot, or in multiple POVs in multiple locations, then you need to have it clear in your own mind at least.

Plus - most people like maps in fantasy books.

Hope that helps.

Exactly, I want to make sure I don't get things mixed up in relation to other things. Most of my characters' traveling will be by flying on dragons, so they can travel more distance in less time than on horseback or walking. The setting will be big.

I am considering getting Fractal Terrains 3. It is $40. It looks like it could be really helpful in drawing up maps, because I can tweak the world in just the way the plot demands. The plot could also partially conform to the geography of the world to give it a realistic feel instead of having a conveniently placed cliff and then the characters have to "think for themselves" to solve their problem.

 

[Brian G Turner]

Map as much as you can. That way, you really do have an idea of the relative place of everything, as opposed to relying on a fallible and forgetful memory.

And determine the geology and ecology of the areas you're mapping when out in the open, so you have some idea of some of the little details to add in.

 

[Appello]

I found this website really useful in fantasy world-building. It's a lot more detailed than simply geography, but it's good for that as well.

 

[MstrTal]

A company named Profantasy has a whole slue of software just for creating worlds, cities, buildings, dungeons, tombs and just about anything else you can conceive of. The software varies in price depending on what version you get but it's pretty good. I will warn you the interface takes some getting used to and it is designed for table top RPGers but it may prove useful.

 

[kaal]

I have never used them, but, there are several free terrain generators/editors which can be downloaded from sourceforge.net. Search for "terrain" (or similar), filter by your OS and a stability of "Mature" or "Production/Stable", that should give you a decent selection.

K

 

[Gumboot]

I am pretty geographically obsessed. I have maps. Tonnes of maps. In fact I basically can't write about anywhere in any great detail until it's mapped.

Here's some examples of what I am talking about:

http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.340484089315805.84020.340194722678075&type=3

I'm pretty well studied in geography, and obsessed with making the world of my WiP realistic, so laying out all of the geography and establishing climates and microclimates is pretty important.

My argument is that good stories resonate with people, and to resonate they have to be believable, which is why history is so eagerly pillaged for storytelling. These stories don't happen in isolation; they're a natural product of the circumstances, and the base layer that influences everything else is geography, so I have to get that right first.

But that's just me. My advice is not to worry too much about it, unless you find yourself needing to keep track of it all. In that case draw a map. It doesn't have to be fancy. My current world map is a vast monster of a thing with insane levels of detail, but my first ever "world" map was a simple A4 line drawing in pencil and took about 5 minutes.

 

[Venusian Broon]

I am pretty geographically obsessed. I have maps. Tonnes of maps. In fact I basically can't write about anywhere in any great detail until it's mapped.

Love the maps and detail Gumboot, not my cup of tea when it comes to writing, but I definitely can see the allure of doing them. I wonder if you've gone even further down the road and having them geologically correct, so that mountains, volcanos and earthquake zones are in the correct place too

Also is it your story that suggests the geography, or is a geography able to inspire a completely new story?

As for myself, I've just used a simple pencil sketch of the important area that I needed to have a rough idea on what is where. Compared to Gumboots it looks like a prehistoric rock map attempted by a four year old (drawing is definitely not one of my talents, by a long shot), but it has the locations with how they relate geographically, enough for me to fill in the rest with my imagination.

If a view (or scene) is important enough, I will also attempt to sketch out approximately what the characters are roughly seeing, as if it is a movie set. Helps to place characters and where they are in relation to each other too, I find.

 

[Gumboot]

Love the maps and detail Gumboot, not my cup of tea when it comes to writing, but I definitely can see the allure of doing them. I wonder if you've gone even further down the road and having them geologically correct, so that mountains, volcanos and earthquake zones are in the correct place too

At the simple level, yes; I have tectonic maps as well, with the movement of plates and the types of boundaries, which informs subduction zones and so on, but I haven't gone as far as local geology with rock and soil types etc, although I know of writers who have (Russell Kirkpatrick, who wrote the "Fire of Heaven" trilogy is a professional geographer).

Also is it your story that suggests the geography, or is a geography able to inspire a completely new story?

The original story I've nearly completed was relatively independent of the geography at first, with details being informed by it since, but rather what has happened is the geography has informed the world building (cultures, climates, etc) which have then collectively offered up their own new stories, often unexpectedly. It all comes back to the WiP of course as these new stories are often historic, so inform the history behind the current story.

As for myself, I've just used a simple pencil sketch of the important area that I needed to have a rough idea on what is where. Compared to Gumboots it looks like a prehistoric rock map attempted by a four year old (drawing is definitely not one of my talents, by a long shot), but it has the locations with how they relate geographically, enough for me to fill in the rest with my imagination.

That's all you really need for most works, and that's certainly where I started (and where I still start with every new map).

If a view (or scene) is important enough, I will also attempt to sketch out approximately what the characters are roughly seeing, as if it is a movie set. Helps to place characters and where they are in relation to each other too, I find.

I've found Google Sketchup actually invaluable for building up "models" of important places such as buildings, so I can get a better feel for how they look; even a plan drawing just doesn't quite capture the right feel, and ultimately I create these things to make it easier for me to envisage "being" there.

 

[Boneman]

Do you take commissions?

 

[Hex]

I write stories in which the characters don't move about very much.