5 Comments

I found making a map helpful, but I did it after already coming up with multiple full drafts of stories in my secondary world setting, Hybridis. Definitely not a pre first draft or planning thing, I'm more of a working out details as I write guy, the map was shaped by the stories. The map did inspire additions to the setting, but part of that was also 'what kind of environments would be cool to write about that I haven't covered yet.'

I like place-lore from what's said here, it's something that I think will help add some texture to some stories I'm working on, especially since a mythical feel is what I'm going for.

Also now I'm thinking about an open world game where the point is to draw a map of it.

Expand full comment
Aug 31, 2023Liked by Ethan Sabatella

Now that you mentioned it, I never realized that there was no map of the Underland! I guess the story was so compelling that I didn’t need it.

I really like what you said about place-lore and how that provides so much more color and depth to a world and it’s inhabitants.

Expand full comment

Oh, and I too would like to see a future post about epic casts. Some early writing attempts in my younger years failed miserably when I tried to incorporate characters based on all nine members of our D&D adventuring party 😁

Expand full comment
Comment deleted
Expand full comment
author

Now that you mention it, there may be something to be said about inconsistencies in mapmaking or worldbuilding as a way you can evolve your story! Maps of the known world looked very different even just a few centuries ago; they changed as explorers gained information and thus changed how everyone with access to maps sees the world.

Hard agree on the getting the plot to paper. It's okay to have inconsistencies on the first go, and details will increase along the way.

I'll definitely bring up epic casts in a later post. Thanks for reading!

Expand full comment
Aug 31, 2023Liked by Ethan Sabatella

Yes, we take cartography and hyper-accurate maps for granted. It certainly makes sense that maps in “ancient” or medieval worlds would be inaccurate or incomplete. “There be dragons here.”

Expand full comment