Map Building
A map is a vital piece of any fantasy novel. It sets the scene for the locations and distances between places. But it has another purpose and that iOS story telling before you get to the story its self. It opens the door for new places to explore, for your imagination to grow.
In the video released on 2 July I showed the process and discussed some of the details around the map building process I take.
As this was a the expansion of the map from the original book 1 map I was expanding around the details of map 1. here is the process I take.
When writing the story I always describe things in North, east, South or west directions,. Then when it comes to creating the map around this I use them aas reference points to locate areas in there right orientation to the map.
Use find in the document to locate , North , East South and West
Mark them on the blank page with a simple mark and name the thing I need to draw
If I am drawing mountains , what are the mountains I need to draw, simple, complex and then seek out those details on You tube and learn from teh experts who have done this before.
I then (as I showed in teh video) draw the details using those techniques.
The process can be time consuming but ultimately is very rewarding at the end. Once it is complete I send it to my editor who reviews it to see if the locations align with their understanding. He then converts it to a digital image with all lines darkened from pencil to accurate outlines. This is then sent back for review and added to the book on the appropriate page.
Map drawing seems complex but when you break it down into the simple steps and use the resources available to you it works out just fine.
Copies of the book 1 map are available in the store for purchase (coming soon)
