JimMills:
Ok... hi, everyone and welcome to World Building... tonight we're going to talk about maps.
BklynWriter:
kewl
Zephrene:
neat.
JimMills:
I've prepped a couple examples that I'll link for you in a minute...
JimMills:
You need a map for your story, whether you span multiple worlds or just one room.
JimMills:
Why? Even if you're in one room for your whole story (short or epic), you need consistency. The kitchen window should always face the same direction unless your room really does turn.
JimMills:
The kitchen door should stay beside the refrigerator, not move across the room from scene to scene. You need a picture. Get the picture?
JimMills:
The larger you story's area, the more you need the maps. If you start in Abberdale in chapter one, go across the land and, at the end, return to Aberdale, then it should be relatively the same unless a war passed through. Even then, there will be something the same to tell your characters that this is, indeed, Abberdale.
JimMills:
So, how do you do maps?
JimMills:
There are a number of answers. You could sit down with a pad of paper and sketch. But it's nice to have things like distances, so graph paper is better than plain paper.
JimMills:
Or you can get mapping software and do it on your PC. But not all mapping software is created equal.
JimMills:
In one of her articles, Holly had recommended VistaPro 4. I bought a copy and haven't spent enough time with it to tell you how to use it properly.
JimMills:
I have asked Holly to run a class on it... maybe sometime next year.
JimMills:
I've used a product called nbos with some success. You can see an example in my post on the sign-up board:
http://network54.com/Hide/Forum/message?forumid=69772&messageid=1004923565
JimMills:
(open in a separate window)
JimMills:
There are two maps there from my most recent WIP. The top one is a printout of Pangaea that I generated online, marked up by hand and scanned.
JimMills:
The second map was generated with nbos (available from
http://www.nbos.com)
robertsloan2:
It didn't come up in a separate window. I lost everything from after you said "open in a separate window"
JimMills:
One of the nice things about nbos is that you can outline your land masses and then zoom in and get closer detail on areas around cities, towns, etc.
JimMills:
When you zoom in, you can place various objects on different layers and tell the software that you only want to see certain layers, in order to avoid clutter.
JimMills:
The point is to make it easier for you to draw and manipulate your maps.
JimMills:
Whether you draw them by hand or with a computer, you need to refer to them now and then in order to keep little details consistent in your stories. You don't want readers writing you or getting in your face at a convention and telling you that your details are in conflict.
JimMills:
Some mapping software packages have features to allow you to map and display 3D images for terrain effects like cliffs, hills and mountains. Those are nice, but I've found that just having a 2D map with some notes where there are hills and mountains... that's good enough for me.
JimMills:
You don't usually need to worry about maps for publication in your books... they'll probably have an artist redo them anyway... I'm not sure whether Holly's maps of Matrin are from her drawings or redone by an artist. That'd be an interesting question to ask her sometime.
JimMills:
The point of maps (to drive the point into the ground) is consistency of detail in your stories.
JimMills:
Any questions?
BklynWriter:
i find i'm intimidated by the idea of maps, simply because i can't draw
robertsloan2:
I'm doing a story that starts in a world like this one, it is currenlty at their vacation cabin and will probably center there. I'm not an architect.
robertsloan2:
Sorta similar question. I can visualize where the cabin faces in relation to sunset but don't have a 'map' idea of it.
BklynWriter:
i guess what i'm driving at, is...how to begin?
JimMills:
Well, you don't have to be a cartographer or an architect. A simple floorplan is all you need. Or a simple terrain map. I wish I had some prepared to show you, but I don't. Basically, put north at the top and draw in where the house is, maybe some features of the landscape around it, and the floorplan inside. If doing multiple stories, make sure things like stairs line up.
JimMills:
For terrain maps, start with large things, like the land masses. Then draw in somewhat smaller but major things like mountains, lakes, rivers, major forests, plains, etc.
JimMills:
Put cities, towns, farmlands last.
robertsloan2:
So for me on my scale it would be the main road, the lake, the drive, where neighbors are.
BklynWriter:
I've got the exterior pictured...a series of domes in a honeycomb pattern, but the interior is what i need to map out.
JimMills:
If you're not good at drawing maps, it doesn't matter -- you needn't show them to anyone. They are for your reference.
BklynWriter:
this god-like power of worldbuilding can be daunting...whew!
Deedlit:
but what about geography? I mean, if we don't know what were doing - we could end up have impossible rivers etc
JimMills:
BW, your domes will probably have interconnecting tubes? With airlocks? Inside the domes, the cities will be divided into certain areas. You have to think about functionality. Are you writing SF?
BklynWriter:
yes
JimMills:
That's always a possibility, Deed... as far as water flow, remember that water usually flows downhill, so your rivers almost always go from mountains or highlands to lakes and seas.
BklynWriter:
and it is on the moon, so I need to look at the moon terrain as well
JimMills:
There are other considerations on the moon. Most likely, they wouldn't build domes because of meteor hazard. They'd dig caves and go underground.
JimMills:
D: A study of some terrain maps of Earth might be of help in realizing how nature behaves. You can change things, of course, but unless there are outside forces at work, water flows downhill, plate tectonics tend to make hills and mountains, etc.
Deedlit:
thanks Jim.
JimMills:
Life adapts to the surrounding environment and will flourish in whatever way it can (forests, plains, etc.).
robertsloan2:
BK - when I was heavily into gaming on paper there were game companies that sold hex grid paper, you could use that for rough dome planning. Most wargames have it.
JimMills:
Yw.
BklynWriter:
okay. back to the drawing board
BklynWriter:
thanks jim, robert
JimMills:
Or you can use square grids and a compass.
JimMills:
you're welcome... more questions?
robertsloan2:
I was concerned about architectural impossibilities - and if I draw up the cabin's floor plan I'll wind up having something that has an architectural style that might not be consistent with the area.
robertsloan2:
I could be opening up a different level of critical fact checking fen.
JimMills:
I got disconnected... did you get my last send, Robert?
robertsloan2:
No, don't think I did if it was to my architectural impossibilities question.
robertsloan2:
No, don't think I did and Cato just ate my post.
JimMills:
You can do research if you feel you need it. Check for architectural plan books at the library or at a home depot.
JimMills:
Find something you can use, modify it if needed and go with it.
BklynWriter:
i think i've seen something like colorforms, where you can "design" your home....i just need to remember just where i saw it
robertsloan2:
Hmm. Realtors. I need it to be old, maybe 80 or 100 years old, so maybe looking at real estate guides could help.
JimMills:
Here's a resource you may want to check out:
http://network54.com/Hide/Forum/81972?it=1 It's the Research Board...
robertsloan2:
Thanks!
JimMills:
It has all kinds of information... maybe it'll be of help. Bookmark it... I'm not sure if it's linked into the main menus.
JimMills:
More questions?
JimMills:
Ok... next week we'll talk about: Your world's inhabitants. Do you have dwarves and elves? What about characters of other races? What about creatures? How to define physical form, advantages and weaknesses, how the creature reproduces its own kind, how the creature works, what it does and a history of the form.
Deedlit:
how much detail do you reckon you should go into with world maps?
JimMills:
As little or as much as needed. You have to make that call for your stories, Clare.
JimMills:
You can always leave gaps and fill it in as you go, too.
Deedlit:
ok
robertsloan2:
Oh thank you. That last comment helped me too. <G>
BklynWriter:
well jim i'm going to try to make my domes feasible; see what i can come up with <g>
BklynWriter:
thanks for all your help! class is next sunday? what time?
JimMills:
Okay. You're welcome. See you all next week. Thanks for coming. Good luck and keep writing!
http://www.jameskmills.com
Some of my work may be read at my forum: http://network54.com/Hide/Forum/74198)
Mail to: Jim@HollyLisle.com