And How to Make Them
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- Опубліковано 10 лип 2024
- Writing a novel? Running a role playing game? Building a world?
Wonder WHY you need a map?
Wonder HOW to make one?
Curious WHAT tools are available to help you?
I'll explain all of this and a bit more in this exciting and action packed video. Marketing made me add the exciting and action packed bit. It's interesting, stimulating and informative, but honestly not very action packed unless you consider drawing continents and clicking a mouse to be 'action'. Your call.
Looking at tools, I'll share a few thoughts on Inkarnate, Wonderdraw, Campaign Cartographer and Dungeon fog.
00:00 WHY You Need a Map
02:12 HOW to make a map
04:02 Suggestions for Starting a Map
05:59 Filling in the Details
08:09 Example: My Map of Ahldarahd
09:33 Map Making Tools
09:49 Inkarnate
10:19 Campaign Cartographer
11:12 Wonderdraft
12:09 Dungeonfog
13:04 Tools for Contemporary Maps and Cities
13:28 Drawing Your Own Map / Hand Drawn
14:28 Summary and Final Thoughts
Fast and loose, but some real science included. The bits I can get my head around 😂
Sounds fun. I'm in that camp as well. My current project is grand and dramatic but not grounded in hard science.
Yes I agree. I started watching the expanse but got distracted with another series. I might go back to it and take another look though. It’s one of those series where you have to pay close attention. I could read the books but I’ve got quite a short attention span and something needs to grab me from the start. This is probably why I like to write ya fiction 😂
That happens to me often. My hack is audiobooks, so I can listen during time I can’t have a book in my hands.
Thanks for another great video. I love that you developed and expanded on a map you drew as a kid. The novel I am currently working on is set in Earth orbit so it’s pretty easy to visualise. But, if I ever decide to write book 2, I will need land maps and star maps. The land map is easy to visualise, but the star map is complicated. How do you visualise a 3d area with no surface area or boundary? 😂
My monkey brain puts it all in 2D, but there are some great star maps that let you move through it in 3D, pivoting, rotating, zooming in and out. It’s wild to see.
Is your novel hard SF, or do you play fast and loose with the science and technology?
Like you say, it’s the story that counts and in the end, most soft science fiction fans don’t want to be smashed over the head with hard facts. Unless you enjoy Andy Weir, who I haven’t read but respect 100% 😁
Yep. I enjoyed The Martian, but haven't ready any of Andy's other books yet. The Expanse is another great hard SF series (for about the first 4 books, then it gets weird IMO). For something taking place near Earth this might be inspiring. But a good story and memorable characters stick with me longer than getting some obscure scientific or engineering detail correct.