Creating my own world... Options

[redsrock]

I was trying to decide on what NON-TES story I wanted to write next, and it donned on me that I have never actually tried to create my own personal world. So that is what I am going to do, but I need your help. Right now I am clueless as to where I want to go with story. I have the map already drawn out in "Paint", but I don't have a name for the 'world', nor do I have any idea on what the plot should be, or what creatures/species I should have.

Can anyone out there help a writer out? Have any of you all tried to create your own world? If so, what are the DOs and DONTs? What caused you to succeed/fail? I don't mean to sound offensive with the 'fail' part, but obviously there's a reason if you failed, and I want to know what it was so that I don't make the same mistake.

This project is pretty high on my list of things to accomplish right now, so I want to get things right. And even if you haven't tried to create your own world, I would still love to hear your opinions.

[Olen]

Ok map design: a couple of hints (see the first link I posted too).

To get something realistic look at the real world. Look for interesting features etc. A trick I often use is to zoom in on a small section of land then blow it up so its actually the world (a few changes are needed to make small islands look like continents but it's remarkably simple). Use google maps ( http://maps.google.co.uk ) then have a look for cool bits. Some good areas to start are the Lofoten islands (north Norway), west Scotland and south Japan: all these areas have wild coasts well suited to enlargment which will produce interesting maps.

Once you have a few bits you like mix and match a bit.

Now features: in any world like ours (same physics, situation etc) there will tend to be rainforest round the equator (think congo) with deserts to the north (sahara in this example) and south (kalahari) then a temperate zone (europe) going to tundra in the polar extrmities. It is worth noting that in fantasy it is common to try to imitate the 'old world' (ie. euraisa) so it often is cold in the north and warm in the south and ignores the spherical nature of the world, this is also a lot easier to draw.

As for individual features, inland seas are very rare and look a bit odd, lochs are more common. Both will always have rivers into them and almost always one river out too (more is rare as there will tend to be a single lowest point which thus erodes fastest giving rise to a single river). Smaller rivers tend to meet to form one but one river almost never splits into two without human intervention. Rivers tend to run from hills to the sea.

Mountain placement is more subtle and is due to plate tectonics. Find something which looks right. As a rought rule they tend to run in long straight lines (the andes/ rockies is an extreme example). Older ranges are more rounded, newer ones higher and pointier. Rangles tend not it intersect on another at large angles (though there are pleanty of exception to this). But honestly just do what you want, tolkeins middle earth had wild mountains and he got away with it.

Forests crop up everywhere where there is sufficent water, its not too cold and there's not to much wind.

People destroy forests. Settlements tend to appear by bridges over rivers, especially where they meet. They also appear at good harbour sites on the coast. In farming area it depends on the history, if it has been peaceful the land will be dotted with tiny hamlet with only a few towns to serivce them, if it is troubled people will gather in towns for protecton. In mountains settlements are in the lower sections of passes and where major routes go. There tend to be small villages along most low valleys and in any farmable land. Sometimes settlement appear for no reason, they also appear whereever any resource is abundant, sometimes these resources run out but the people will stay.

Well thats more than I intended to write. Hopefully it wasn't too much like a geography lesson but if you normally follow these rules your map should avoid having anything wierd on it. Breaking them at the right times gives rise to interesting features.

Hope that helps and didn't put you to sleep.