Maps

[Gumboot]

I like maps but find that they usually try to put in too much detail and I hunt round for places that sometimes I never find. Keep it simple, use color and remember that the reader may be looking at a much smaller map, in the book, than you drew. Also, if the map in the book is to be printed over two opposing pages, don't put important places right in the middle where they will disappear into the inner edges of the pages.

Use colour?

How many novels have you seen with colour ink?

 

[thaddeus6th]

Incidentally, for those who are wondering, the maps are finished.

I did stick to my original idea, which was to draw individual bits with a pencil and paper and then transfer it to the computer and put everything together. So, all the mountains, trees, lettering, city crests and so on were hand-drawn. My artist very helpfully offered to add a paper texture, which makes them look much better.

I doubt they'll win any art awards but they're pretty clear, and I just need to test to see whether the larger map works on a Kindle or whether the smaller one would be best (I'll post both on my site a few weeks prior to publication).

 

[Glisterspeck]

Here's one. I've removed nearly all the names, because at their font size, they're not very readable.

This is the only map I have highlighting the physical features of the landscape. Most of my maps are road maps and city maps (showing the name of city districts). I'm displaying this one because it shows what can be done with the Curve and Edit Points tools. (The orientation, with east at the top, was based on a book format; obviously this sort of map would be best stored on a website, which would allow (and be better displayed) in landscape format, with North at the top.)

Wow! You did that in PowerPoint? I loathe that app. Can't imagine what you could do with Illustrator.

 

[Glisterspeck]

The first novel I started was a vampire story set in medieval Europe. I used any period maps I could find, particularly to nail down travel distances, place names and geographical features. The ORBIS project (http://orbis.stanford.edu) surely would have helped with travel times, even though it is about Rome. I ended up abandoning that project for the time being exactly because I was being to exacting with research. Felt pretty miserable about it, until I read that Howard invented the Hyborian age for the same reason.

My current WIP is set in a cordillera, and the world outside of the mountains is unknown. So, basically, a giant mountain box. ;-)

I'm basing it more on the high plateaus in the Andes and the plateau of Tibet than I am on Mordor though. I have a map, but including it in the book would be an instant spoiler, so, no go diggy die.

My very first post on here was, I believe, a question about mountain boxes!

 

[Ursa major]

Wow! You did that in PowerPoint? I loathe that app. Can't imagine what you could do with Illustrator.

Thank you.

The truth is, though, that I wouldn't know where to start with Illustrator. (I could learn, I suppose, if I ever bought it.) However, having produced 1000s of PowerPoint slides over the years, I just find the application easy** to use.


** - A former colleague of mine was adept at producing 3D images of switching architectures using the so-called drawing features of All-in-1, all using characters such as + - / and the vertical line. What was more, they were easy to read.

 

[Glisterspeck]

Thank you.

The truth is, though, that I wouldn't know where to start with Illustrator. (I could learn, I suppose, if I ever bought it.) However, having produced 1000s of PowerPoint slides over the years, I just find the application easy** to use.

Well, I'm right with you on PP slides, unfortunately, but all for work. They never told us in design school that as you progress in your career, you have to trade in the design apps for Outlook Express, Excel and Powerpoint. Ugh.

I totally get sticking with what you know, but my reaction, I suppose, would be similar to some renaissance craftsman finding Michelangelo finger painting and wondering, what if this guy took up brushes and tempera? That'd make one hell of a fresco!

 

[thaddeus6th]

The maps (very similar, one's a very slightly larger scale) are now up: http://thaddeuswhite.weebly.com/artwork.html

 

[oddhero]

I think as a way of cementing our own self-created worlds in place, maps are invaluable. I used to pore over them as a young lad reading LOTR, but less so now. Oddly, watching Game of Thrones on HBO, I could have used one when they were talking about strategy and armies moving, just for some context. I heard on BBC Radio4 that Robert Louis Stevenson drew a fantastically detailed map for Treasure Island, then mailed it to his London publisher, and it went missing, never to be found. He then had to go back and redo it, using the book as source material, and hated the process...

 

[Astner]

When I crack open a new book and the first I see is a map I usually take a minute or a few (depending on the map) to soak it in and to get a basic sense of the world as depicted.

Do I think it's important? Definitely. It really shows that the author has put a lot of thought into designing the world, and even if he himself didn't design it it will stand as a point of reference for future writing keeping the geographical aspect of the setting consistent.