World Maps for your story

[Legendofgenii]

Hey everyone. I’m thinking I should probably draw out a world map for my story, to remind me where everything is but also for world building purposes.

I’m looking for inspiration, so if you’ve made a map for your story please show me.

I’m thinking along the lines of old school fantasy, so illustrated cities and key landmarks maybe.

[migxmeg]

Have you played Banner Saga? I love their maps!

[Legendofgenii]

I haven’t but I’ll Google it.

Edit: oh yeah! Those are beautiful- I love the colours too.

[DelythThomasArt]

This is a rough one I did for my novel, minus the place names. More just for my reference but has helped me keep track of things.

[HGohwell]

Made In Abyss has this absolutely gorgeous map for The Abyss that exists in universe and is full of notes from explorers and key landmarks. It's one of the most beautiful examples I can think of.

Unfortunately my own maps tend to be a page with dots for cities at a roughly relative distance and size, so nothing really spectacular. If you're lucky there's a road or a river.

This series on fantasy map making is a pretty good guide though for back when I did try to make proper maps.

[Legendofgenii]

That’s fantastic and yes, very useful I’m sure.

Did you find you moved things around when actually plotting things down on paper?

[Legendofgenii]

Wow! That is a work of art! And thank you so much for the video link. I’ll have a look.

[DelythThomasArt]

Yeah I did move a few things and tried to sorta bring in some geography like how deserts or tundra are more likely to form in certain areas and most places tend to be by rivers for water ect.

[Kelheor]

I don't have any, but! Check out maps from Francesca Baerald's Artstation!

Francesca Baerald

Also this one is still one of my faves

[rumpenstiltzkin]

i want to make maps too but im sooo awful at it lol
but i have had this link saved for a while now but yet to download and try it but it looks promising to build some maps and use for own references, use as is or maybe draw over to get your own style of https://www.otherworldmapper.com/index.html

[migxmeg]

Wow. Those are some unbelievable maps! Her other work is also fantastic - if anyone needs it:

https://instagram.com/francesca.baerald?igshid=1liqycb91ry6

[allenT]

Made in Abyss's sense of mystery and wonder is incredible! Had me most excited than other animes for it's unknown and dangerous world.

I don't have world map for my story. Mine's very small scale and not yet to reveal.

[allenT]

I like the twelve kingdoms' map. So unrealistic but so enchanting and divine.

[sevenstarsofeightIam]

I downloaded an app from Inkarnate.com and managed to make this map for my novel:

[Prisim]

I made this with the help of Inkarnate which is a site that you can make some basic maps for free. They also have a paid version but I've never used it. I did it mostly so I could remember where everything is located at in the world.

[Legendofgenii]

These are all fantastic! Thank you everyone.

I spotted this one on Facebook (Skyrim group). This guy drew lots of teeny tiny buildings - it’s incredible, but I’m more sure if I can post it here without permission.

[krissyhalo]

All of these maps look incredible! I would love to find a way to make my world map, even though I do a bunch of comic strips. XD

[mcarrowolga]

Oh, I love seeing other people's maps!

Here's my map of Omnis for Cold Obsidian fantasy novel.

Alas, it's not possible to publish extra materials like maps on Tapas, so I have to link to my ComicFury site for this.

[linaket]

A friend made mine for me because when she'd ask where things were I was like "that way" and that was apparently not a proper answer. I looooove it and we have plans to update more landmarks as the story progresses re: locations of events and such. pretty bare at the moment 'cause they didn't really go anywhere in the first part haha

[MoseyP]

That's honestly a good idea. At the moment I've got a vague idea of how Ardour is planned out and I'm so worried that I've made a spatial error does anyone know a map making app/website that's good for more modern maps?