My inspiration for creative use of language in novels. Nicola McDonagh #OurAuthorGang

Nadsat, Newspeak and Bubchat

This post was originally written several years ago when my book Echoes from the Lost ones was published by Fable Press. I decided to include it after I wrote my previous post about Amazon putting a warning sign on Whisper Gatherers, the prequel to Echoes because someone complained it had too many typos.

You can read the post here:

https://asmallgangofauthors.blogspot.co.uk/2018/04/guilty-until-proven-innocent-nicola.html

There were no typos just my slang-based use of language which sometimes combined words to make one. It seemed appropriate now to include this post as it continues the theme of creating a language that best suits your story, especially if it is set in the future.

I have begun to question why a lot of writers choose not to modify the language they use to create a sense of another time and place. It seems that in the future, vocabulary will remain the same and people will talk to each other exactly the way they do now. Which doesn’t really make sense, does it? The spoken and written word has changed over the years, and most authors have reflected this in their work.

In his novel, 1984, George Orwell introduced words and phrases that were not familiar to readers of that era, to create a futuristic realm where language is used as a weapon to subjugate the masses: duckspeak, thoughtcrime, bellyfeel, doublethink, and speakwrite. Would it have been such a powerful read if the author had not employed the use of such evocative words? Who can forget ‘Newspeak’, or ‘Big Brother’?

In A Clockwork Orange, the use of slang is vital to the narrative to give credibility to this dystopian future. Alex speaks ‘nadsat’ a language that sets him and his friends apart from the rest of society.

“These grahzny sodding veshches that come out of my gulliver and my plott,” I said, “that’s what it is.”

“Quaint,” said Dr. Brodsky, like smiling, “the dialect of the tribe. “

So, bearing this in mind, when I came to write my Sci-Fi/Dystopian series The Song of Forgetfulness, I made sure that I used words that were appropriate for the world I was creating. Since it is written from the viewpoint of a seventeen- year -old, Adara, in the first person, it was imperative that her voice rang true in order for the characters to maintain credibility in this vision of the future. I created ‘Bubchat’.

“I showed respect and bowed, then turned toward the not-right teen. He gave me a tiny smile, and for reasons I know not, I took his hand and said, “Show me where you splosh.” His face went redder than a bub about to plop and everyone, including me, let out a merry guffaw. I hadn’t meant to use such a nursery word, but when I looked at his soft brown eyes and slender arms I went all mumsly. Not like me at all. I began to wonder if the ‘dults had palmed a soother into my stew.”

I went to Lewis Carol for inspiration. I remembered I had a favourite poem from my childhood, The Jabberwoky, from Through the Looking-Glass and What Alice Found. It is a delight in the creative use of vocabulary. The language is rich and full of evocative words that create a unique setting where his story unfolds.

’Twas brillig, and the slithy toves

Did gyre and gimble in the wabe:

All mimsy were the borogoves,

And the mome raths outgrabe.

“Beware the Jabberwock, my son!

The jaws that bite, the claws that catch!

Beware the Jubjub bird, and shun

The frumious Bandersnatch!”

Science fiction and fantasy are the ideal genres for authors to invent new languages, different ways of speaking, and to shake off the confines of correct word usage by playing around with the narrative form. But not everyone warms to such experimentation, and critics often chastise authors for breaking the rules of grammar that ‘The Elements of Style’, by Strunk and White, have branded into the English language. You can download a PDF copy http://www.jlakes.org/ch/web/The-elements-of-style.pdf

So, don’t be put off experimenting with vocabulary. Let your imagination fly and write from your heart, not your head. (Then go back and edit it.)

You can view all of my books on my Amazon Author Page: https://www.amazon.com/Nicola-McDonagh/e/B00D4NAH0S/ref=dp_byline_cont_ebooks_1

Want to know more about my books? Go to my website and have a look around.

http://www.oddlybooks.com

Or visit my Amazon page:

https://www.amazon.com/Nicola-McDonagh/e/B00D4NAH0S/

Sign up to my newsletter and get a free download of Changeling Fog – a short story from The Song of Forgetfulness series:

http://eepurl.com/buH8qH

Book Stuffing - Amazon hits back. #OurAuthorGang

It has never been easier to self-publish, thanks to sites such as Amazon, Kobo and Draft 2 Digital. All you have to do is write something, get it into a suitable file, and upload. Within minutes you are a published author. However, whether self-published or not, selling your book is not so easy.

The market is flooded with fiction and non-fiction titles, now authors must find ways to get their book noticed and create revenue from sales. Most authors do this legitimately through intensive marketing, but others, resort to underhand measures to make a quick buck. The latest scam is book stuffing.

This is when authors cram all of their books into one file at the back of one of their books but market it as a single book. The reason? To artificially bump up their page count when they opt into KU or Koll options on Amazon and so receive more royalty payments as a result.

 (The number of Kindle Edition Normalized Pages (KENP) read determines the royalties you earn from KU (Kindle Unlimited) and KOLL (Kindle Owners’ Lending Library). 

These ‘authors’ aim to get all of their income from these KU reads. They can do this because of how the system operates. The page read algorithm works by taking data from the farthest page read. Most people skip to the back of a book to see if there are any offers, to look at other books in a series, or get additional information. So, a book that has at least five other books stuffed into the back, will get a ton of ‘page reads’ and a lot of revenue.

This is wrong because the KU fund is a fixed sum. When these scammers take all the funds available in KU, they can earn up to $100,00 a month, there is nothing left for genuine authors.

Thankfully, Amazon has taken action against these unscrupulous writers, and have issued this statement:

“Authors are not permitted to publish the same work multiple times with only minor changes or a reordering of content, regardless of whether the book includes bonus content. When we determine authors are publishing undifferentiated titles like this, the titles are subject to removal from the Kindle store and the author is subject to potential account-level action.”

They have also closed down over 3,000 accounts suspected of using this method, and filed suit against one author. You can read an in-depth article about it here:

https://www.forbes.com/sites/adamrowe1/2018/04/07/amazon-has-filed-suit-to-stop-the-six-figure-book-stuffing-kindle-scam/#320095bc7344

Let’s hope that Amazon’s stance on this will help to protect honest authors trying to make a living legitimately. 

Don't worry if you have a Box Set of your books with a bonus title inside, I do, it doesn't apply. If you want to take a look at my Box Set for The Song of Forgetfulness, click below:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B079LFH4KT

For more information about me and my books, please visit my website: www.oddlybooks.com

Guilty until proven innocent - Nicola McDonagh

Recently, Amazon put a warning on my book Whisper Gatherers. A Dystopian/sci-fi novel set some 350 years in the future.

They emailed me to say that they have received complaints that the book has an excessive amount of typos. Now, I use a slang-based language that often combines words to make one long one, much the same as George Orwell does in 1984 - Newspeak, crimestop, thoughtcrime, goodthink, oldspeak, pornosec, unperson, and so on.

Don't get me wrong, I think it is a good thing to have quality checks on books, but it needs to be managed correctly so that the author can make necessary changes before their book is published, not after.

I emailed Amazon to tell them that the 'Errors' they cited are not typos but are in fact intentional, and add to the futuristic tone of the book. They told me that I must make the changes they specify or they would keep the warning sign up. What gives Amazon the right to edit, and, re-write my work? If they think the book is substandard, they should not allow it to be published on their platform, yet they are happy to let me use their site to sell my book regardless of the quality.

Here is an example from the email Amazon sent me:

Error Category: Typo; Kindle Location: 1580; Errored text: nanorope,; Context: It was as light as a bub’s eyelash, as strong as nanorope, and as see-through as a raindrop when it came into contact with its owners heartbeat. ; Comments:  "strong as nanorope" should be  "strong as nano rope"

So, using their logic regarding grammar, my ‘nanorope’ is incorrect, yet words such as ‘raindrop’ and ‘heartbeat’ clearly two different words stuck together to make one, are acceptable?

Error Category: Typo; Kindle Location: 1632; Errored text: comtext; Context: A whole load of comtext appeared. ; Comments: "A whole load of comtext appeared." should be"A whole load of context appeared."
This change does not even make sense, especially since the character is talking about some text written on a computer screen, hence the word 'comtext'.

This book, Whisper Gatherers has been for sale on Amazon since 2015 without any complaints. In fact, I have received many 4 and 5 star reviews that enjoyed and recognised the quirky use of language. Here is a snippet from one such review:

5.0 out of 5 stars What a great language!

ByKata Mlekon December 6, 2016

Format: Kindle Edition|Verified Purchase

Dystopian is one of my favorite genres and I try to stay up-to-date with the latest novels. How come I missed this one so late? I don't know!

The author created a very complex and appealing world I traveled with Adara with great pleasure. I must say the experimental English was at first hard to understand (English is my second language) but as I got used to it, I found it stunning. It helped develop the feeling of being there with the main character who narrates the story.

You can see more here: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00YMSP1UA

Anyway, after a week of correspondence explaining my deliberate use of language to Amazon, they emailed me to say that they have taken down the warning sign.

Maybe if they had consulted me before condemning my book, this issue would never have arisen. But it seems Amazon’s policy is to find authors guilty until proven innocent.

For more information on my books, please go to: www.thesongofforgetfulness.com

Inspiration - part two - Nature #OurAuthorGang

When I struggle to find something to write about, my inspiration often comes from the visual side of life. As a photographer, I suppose that is only natural. Nature has always inspired me. I live in the Suffolk countryside and am surrounded by fields and wildlife. I only need to look out of a window to see or hear something fascinating and beautiful.

One of my short stories, Scarecrow, from the anthology, Glimmer, was based on a rundown smallholding I went to look at when searching for a new house. The dilapidated interior, weathered outbuildings, and surrounding fields gave me an idea for what became a tale of a runaway girl and a lonely old man.

“Stumbling and falling, she headed towards a low privet hedge at the end of an overgrown meadow. When she reached it, she stopped and peered over the picket fence. The girl saw a house half hidden behind two large fir trees. The garden was overgrown, and the lawn strewn with rusty barrels, ripped tarpaulins, and dented oil drums. She climbed over the fence and looked around. There was a dilapidated outbuilding a few feet away with a large stack of wood propped up against it. The girl ran towards the building and ducked down behind a water butt attached to a cracked drainpipe.
When her breathing slowed and the pounding in her chest eased, she tilted her head to one side and listened. A strange shuffling noise like someone brushing up dead leaves made the girl hold her breath. It was not leaves, though, but footsteps heading her way.”

Once, I found a complete skeleton of a bird. I took a picture of it and the skull became the cover for my second anthology of short stories - Crow Bones. It didn’t inspire a poem or a piece of prose, but it did give me an eye-catching book cover.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01M6CT8PZ

The moon has been a favourite with writers for years. Whether in poetry or prose, it has a special meaning and been the subject of folklore, superstitions, and female empowerment. Apparently, it can even drive you mad or turn you into a werewolf. Not surprising it is used frequently in literature. Indeed, our beautiful celestial orb has given  authors something to write about for thousands of years.  One of my favourite moon quotes is by the 17th Century Japanese poet, Matsuo Basho: 

"The moon lives in the lining of your skin."   

It has a strange face that seems to stare at us in wonder at what the heck we humans will do next. Does she judge us from afar? Or merely condemn us with her round-mouthed, wide-eyed look?

In my Dystopian novel, A Silence Heard, the moon is a source of inspiration for the heroine, guiding her with its light, and giving her hope that she will win the battle ahead:

“The moon shone bright. A shock-faced ball in the black sky that looked down on the three of us as if to shout, “Prevail. Stand steady.” The wind whipped around our feet and legs and a swirl of ash and dry earth spiralled up before us. I coughed and spat out the filthy soil that bore the taste of Agro boot.”

But it’s not just the moon that inspires me. Recently, a herd of red deer stumbled into the field opposite my house. They stayed there for about an hour just staring at the cars that went past. They didn’t move until the alpha stag raised his head and let out a hoarse-like moo sound, and as quick as a blink, they were gone leaving heart-shaped indents in the churned up earth. Now, there has to be a story in that.

To end this post on Inspiration, a photograph of my cat Storm, because his beauty, grace, and quirky face will always give me pause for thought.

If you want to know more about my work, please visit my Amazon page:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Nicola-McDonagh/e/B00D4NAH0S/

All photographs are by Nicola McDonagh.

Research is Essential #OurAuthorGang

In my last two posts, I discussed things I discovered while researching topics for my novels or short stories. When I started writing, I never thought I would have to research anything. I thought if I wrote fantasy I wouldn’t have to. Unfortunately, this isn’t the case. Even in the fantasy realm, you have to know the basics to be credible. You have to know the different types of swords and how they are used. The basics of fighting with a staff or axes or even shooting a bow are all required if they are put in your novel. Poorly written battle scenes are usually a sign of someone who hasn’t done their research. Depending on what type of book you’re writing military strategy could be helpful as well.

If you are writing anything based in the real world even if it is a fantasy the

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details become even more important. I started writing For Their Sins as a vampire fantasy and never gave a second thought to its historical accuracy. At least I didn’t until I was preparing it for publication. Suddenly I had a complete work of fiction with characters who didn’t even have names from the countries they were born in.

To allow the reader to completely lose themselves in the fantasy of that world, everything had to be accurate. I had to research names, places, dates, clothing and yes even sailing times from the early 18^th century.

I’m not the only author to do so. The detail is what separates good novels from great ones. Think about best-selling novels. In books ranging from the Da Vinci Code to The Silence of the Lambs, there is always well-researched details from the real world. Everything is believable. You don’t spend half your time wondering: is that right?

If you as a writer are tripped up wondering is this accurate; so, will your reader. It will detract from your story. A few days ago I read a couple pages from a book’s “look inside” on Amazon, and it left me wondering. Why is the main character speaking Spanish when the orator told me they are speaking Portuguese? They are in Africa. Do they speak Portuguese there? Two simple questions in the first two pages already detracted from the story they were trying to tell me. The reader was lost.

No matter how tedious research is always worth the effort. You never know when you may have a local reader pick up your book or an expert in that field. You may not claim to be an expert or a local, but you don’t want to look like an idiot either. You want the reader to focus on the story, not your facts.

Let there be light- part two - Foxfire

Foxfire is the stuff of magic. A strange eerie glow found in forests in the depth of night has both enchanted and baffled people who saw the colourful illuminations on dead trees, or in caves, for centuries. From an article in PhysOrg where they describe what Foxfire is,  "...nutrient-sipping threads of the honey mushroom give off a faint but eerie glow in rotten logs…Desjardin said. "People are mostly afraid of them, calling them 'ghost mushrooms.'"

Read more at:
https://phys.org/news/2011-07-mushroom-night-brazil-bioluminescent-fungus.html#jCp

When I saw images of these spooky lights I knew I had to use them in the apocalyptic prequel to my sci-fi/dystopian series The Song of Forgetfulness. I wanted a way for survivors to be able to have light other than just burning wood. But I needed to know about this wondrous spectacle. I do love research.

It wasn’t until the 19th century that biologists were able to identify the strange light as a fungal growth on rotting wood. Now more commonly known as Bioluminescence, this light source can be found throughout the animal kingdom. Fireflies use it, fish use it as do many forms of mollusc and plankton.

Click on the link to view some glowing organisms.
https://www.nationalgeographic.org/encyclopedia/bioluminescence/

In my prequel, The Chronicles of Mayer, survivors of an ecological disaster need to find ways to lighten their gloomy world. It was not my intention to recreate the shining forests in the film ‘Avatar’ just to somehow use actual scientific research to give credibility to my narrative. Some scientists in my story, stumble across glowing mushroom type organisms in the rotting bark of a tree. They inject it into living trees and when it is dark they glow. In the passage below, Janet, one of the scientists, attempts to explain how they did it.

“Using a design reproducing transform cycle we created the light emitting DNA on a laser printer. Then injected the trees with the DNA of the luminous mould. As it spreads throughout the sap, it causes them to light up at night. Although it’s found mostly on dead trees, with a few tweaks at a molecular level, we managed to make the fungus work symbiotically.”

www.thesongofforgetfulness.com

I’m not the only author to use this Foxfire in literature, Aristotle, Pliny the Elder, and Mark Twain were familiar with it. In The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, Tom Sawyer uses the fungal phenomenon to bring light to a dark tunnel.

My representation of what Foxfire mushrooms look like, I couldn’t find any royalty free images.

The concept of being able to light our world without the use of fossil fuels, exciting and would benefit third world countries too. From an article in The Guardian: “This would be a key breakthrough in, for instance, designing a genetically modified tree that could glow in the dark and act as a sustainable source of street lighting.”

You can read the full piece here: https://www.theguardian.com/science/2016/jul/03/fungi-glow-dark-luminscent-mushrooms-conservation-enviroment-bioscience

I researched different types of naturally occurring brightness in organisms and not only discovered some amazing creatures, but some amazing scientists working on creating ‘night-light’ type small trees that have this bioluminescence fungus placed into their DNA. The company called their research The Glowing Plant Project and back in 2013, the idea of self-illuminating trees caught the imagination. https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/antonyevans/glowing-plants-natural-lighting-with-no-electricit

Although The Glowing Plant Project gained sufficient funding for their research development, they were unable to deliver the plants and are now working on glowing moss.

Such a shame, I was half hoping they would manufacture self-lighting Christmas trees. Wouldn’t that be wonderful to have a living tree in your room that sparkles without the need to unravel all of those annoying fairy lights that become inexorably entangled when put away after the holiday festivities. Until that day arrives I’ll do my best to reduce the hacking down of fir trees to adorn our homes by using a twig tree. First steps in having an environmentally friendly Christmas.

More tips here: Ethical Xmas trees Friends of the Earth: https://www.foe.co.uk/natural-resources/21-ecofriendly-christmas-tips

All photos copyright of the author.

What Makes You Open a Book? #OurAuthorGang

WHAT MAKES YOU OPEN A BOOK?  

There are so many books written in so many genres that the choice for readers is bewildering. I’m an author, and a reader, and like you, I make choices about what books I want to read.

Thus I asked myself a question. What grabs my attention to make my hand reach out and take a particular paperback from the shelf in the bookstore?

The author? Possibly. I have my favourites but I’m not averse to trying out an unknown face.
The cover? Yes, that helps if it stands out.

The Genre? Mostly yes. I love epic fantasy but I’ve read thrillers, sci-fi and biographies and a few books from other genres as well.

It all sounds so easy to choose, but in reality the task can be a little tricky, so I decided to look at the problem from a wider perspective. I visited my local library, randomly chose a large collection of hardbacks from the shelves, sat down, and read several pages from each one before making notes.
Each author has their own voice, and it didn’t take me long to decide which ones jumped out of the page and grabbed me by the throat, and those, let’s say, that I put on the discard pile.

We are all unique and your favourites would surely be different to mine, but here are my findings. Naturally I’m not naming any of the books.

1. The quality of writing was generally good, but every book had errors. All were professionally published, yet all had spelling mistakes – some that made me wince.

2. One book, a fast paced best-selling thriller, had pages of dialogue, which made me want to turn each page. Alas, the writer annoyed me. Using, ‘he said,’ ‘she said,’ after every comment was lazy writing indeed and I gave up.

3. Girly books aren’t for me and the one I’d picked up didn’t have a brilliant cover. However the dialogue was excellent and I warmed to the main protagonist as she suffered one misfortune after another.

4. The blurb on the back covers was generally good. Yet, even with the might of the publishing company behind them, some authors must be losing sleep, for the blurb on the back cover of their books wouldn’t grab the attention of a gnat. Bland was definitely the colour here.

5. I found errors - page numbers missing - poor formatting - the odd blank page in the wrong place - and a few grammatical errors. The number of problems was surprising in such a small sample of books.

6. A fantasy book with a brilliant cover caught my eye and before I knew it I had devoured the first three chapters. I checked the stats on Amazon, and whilst the sales were adequate I had seen many inferior books much higher in the charts.

7. If there is one thing that I hate, it’s pages and pages of long descriptive passages. I know some readers love this style, but even they would surely yawn with two of the books that I picked up. In both, there was no dialogue until the 3rd and 4th chapters respectively. I had no idea of the plot and only a little understanding of the characters. Describing the same, or almost the same, scene, in a variety of ways is boring. I hasten to say that the books were written by the same author. I had to read the second book as I couldn’t believe that the author would write the same opening chapters as before. I was wrong, she did, but in reality, who is the winner, for she has sold thousands of books.

8. I’ve heard many times that a cover can make or break a book as obviously it’s the first part of a paperback/hardback book that a reader sees. I looked at dozens of books in the library - different genres - and more often than not the cover seemed no more than adequate. Maybe my survey wasn’t big enough but it seemed to me that the publisher hadn’t taken the time to pick the perfect cover. Was that down to cost cutting?

As always, we pay the money and we take our choice, but think - caveat emptor - buyer beware.
With publishers under pressure to produce more profit, I think Indie authors can take heart from my findings. Check, double check, and triple check your work. Employ an editor that loves your gene, that’s if you can afford one. Ensure your cover is superb. Write your amazing blurb, and most importantly sell your wonderful books, as you may not need a publisher to succeed.

I wish you all much success.
Cheers. Rick.

Happy Birthday To Me! #OurAuthorGang

It's My Birthday

I'm not a fan of huge birthday parties and getting presents make me kind of uncomfortable.

When my friends ask me what I would like for my birthday, holidays, or other occasions, I tell them to buy one of my books for themselves, or if they read my books already, for their friends and family members.

Having my books read and enjoyed by children and adults is the best present for me.

I'm not too lucky with birthday cakes.

My 6th birthday was memorable. Mom baked a beautiful cake and dad carried it to the table. Well, he tried... The fancy paper under the cake slipped on the tray and the cake flew across the room as he scrambled to catch it. Mom saved some of the cake but I never got to blow out the candles because there was a very icy atmosphere in the house for days. 

One year when my coworkers surprised me with a cake but put a candle on it that shoots out flame and sparkles. I lost an eyebrow, lashes, and half my bangs because I didn't know I wasn't supposed to blow it out.

Another time I did CPR on a patient with chocolate icing on my face and scrubs because an overzealous coworker pushed my face into the cake. Of course, the code was called 2 seconds later and I had no time to clean up.

I just hope this year I'm not getting a cake from these guys LOL

Oh, yes, this post is going to be a shameless promo as it's expected from a writer. It's my Birthday after all, so I'm allowed to brag a little about my books. Right?

Let me brag about a few of my books that I'm very proud of: 

The Ancestors' Secrets Series: romantic fantasy, magical realism, historical fiction

Amazon eBook:

https://read.amazon.com/kp/embed?asin=B00LNBSKIY&preview

Amazon print:

http://www.amazon.com/Protected-Falcon-Ancestors-Secrets-Book/dp/1500482706/ 

B&N:

http://tinyurl.com/hbno4ok

Universal link:

books2read.com/u/bQZD50

Amazon eBook:

https://read.amazon.com/kp/embed?asin=B00RAGLWVI&preview

Amazon print:

https://www.amazon.com/Chosen-Sword-Ancestors-Secrets-Book/dp/1505675200/

B&N:

http://tinyurl.com/hbno4ok

Universal link:

books2read.com/u/bxgwLe

Romance novella

Amazon:

https://read.amazon.com/kp/embed?asin=B01IEAN0L8&preview

B&N:

http://tinyurl.com/hbno4ok

Universal link:

books2read.com/u/mYRXJW

Bilingual children's book for ages 4-12

Amazon eBook:

https://read.amazon.com/kp/embed?asin=B01BCSZV98&preview

Amazon print:

https://www.amazon.com/Pico-Pesky-Parrot-bilingual-English/dp/1943962200/

B&N:

http://tinyurl.com/hbno4ok

Universal link:

books2read.com/u/mdKQdW

Children's book for ages 4-12

Amazon eBook:

https://read.amazon.com/kp/embed?asin=B01G76X4GC&preview

Amazon print:

https://www.amazon.com/Basketful-Kittens-Bff-Adventures/dp/1943962294/

B&N:

http://tinyurl.com/hbno4ok

Universal link:

books2read.com/u/bxg0Qq

Children's book for ages 4-12

Amazon eBook:

https://read.amazon.com/kp/embed?asin=B019ALQ03U&preview

Amazon print:

https://www.amazon.com/Look-Can-Talk-My-Fingers/dp/1943962170/

B&N:

http://tinyurl.com/hbno4ok

Universal link:

books2read.com/u/4jKZP2

If you'd like to see all my published books, click on this link:

http://www.authorerikamszabo.com/pick-a-book.html

Thank you for your interest and support!

Maps, maps, and more maps

by Rich Feitelberg

feitelberg.net

Let's talk about maps and their role is the world building process.

Wait a minute! Why do I need a map? I don't write about fantasy stories. 

Well, first of all maps aren't just for fantasy stories. And second, most stories will benefit from thinking about the locations featured in them and placing them in the larger context of the world in which they exist. You may not need many maps and you may not even have to create them yourself but even a short story about a single location could benefit from a map. It can be a simple floor plan where the action takes but it's a good idea to plan a little so the story can flow naturally around and through the location. 

Of course, some genres scream for maps more than others. Fantasy stories pretty much requires a fair bit of world building and lots of maps. You need maps of towns and the surrounding area and you need area/world maps showing typography, vegetation, resources, political boundaries, wind currents, ocean currents, latitude, roads and, trade routes. You don't need all this all at once and if you apply Tenet 1, then you’ll only build want you need as you need it.

Space faring stories may need maps of planets and star systems.

Period places and historical fiction may benefit from maps of the period.

And if you write some other genre you may find a map here or there beneficial because it helps you describe a location.

Obviously depending on the needs of your story, you may be able to find the maps you need as you research for information about your world. This is most likely for historical fiction and stories involving real life locations. But others genres require you to create your own maps.

How do you do that? Well, you need a graphics program like Photoshop so you can create them. Another option to investigate is random generators. They can create world or area maps quickly if you don't care about the shape or typography of the world. If you do, you need to roll up your sleeves and draw something yourself.

I use Photoshop for my map of Thalacia because the roads are in one layer, the vegetation is in other, and so on. I use a trick from wargaming and place a hex grid on the map so and figure out where to place trees, coastlines, cities,and other objects. Hex grids are used to simulate natural boundaries. The grid is in its own layer so I can hide it easily.

To create town maps, I’m using a new program I found called Cityographer. It does some of the work for you and then I export the map and edit it in Photoshop.

For floor plans I use Dungeonographer and draw what I need.

As you can see there's a lot to do, which why Tenet 1 is so important, only create what you need.

So with a few maps and some general notes on the world, you’re ready to take a deep dive. Actually you'll need several. We'll look at one those next time.

Happy world building!

Tenet 1: Build Only What you Need #OurAuthorGang

By Rich Feitelberg

http://feitelberg.net

So you want to writing a fantasy story? Great. One thing you'll need is a world to set it in. The term for doing this is world building. It's a bit of a misnomer because the world part isn't what you think. It's a frame of reference thing.

For example, the Lord of the Rings and the Wheel of Time and many other stories require a whole world to tell their tales. But Thieves' World doesn't. For that, you need a very detailed city and lots of characters.

Harry Potter, on the other hand, only requires the bits that are different from the modern world. So you need the school he goes to and some idea about magic and potions and the back story of some characters.

My point here is world building varies from story to story and gets me to my first point: build only what you need because building a whole world can take months or years and drive you mad with all the details. So I'll repeat myself: build only what you need.

How do you do that? Well there's no one way to do it. You can read articles online and even a book entitled, Planet Construction Set, which will outline aspects to consider. But all that's not needed to get started. A simpler -- and in my mind -- an easier way is to think of the world as a character in your story. Is the world modern? Medieval? Futuristic? Steampunk? Ancient Greece? Set in a specific period or location? In each case you'll need different information to define the world.

What's the technology level? What races or groups exist? What religions and government? As you answer these questions, you'll quickly sketch out and define the world and provide yourself with a skeleton for the information that will come later. Of course, to answer these question you may have to do some research on religion, government, technology, and so on.

Don't be afraid to do it. I will serve you better later.

That begs the question: how do I know when I've built enough? Answer: you won't. Or more precisely, you can't know, at least unless you start writing. You'll hit points where you need more than you've got. That's okay. You can stop and work those parts out. I don't recommend skipping over that point in the story; it will likely lead to extra rewrites and revision. I also don't recommend that you start writing until you have a general sketch of the world; otherwise, you'll be working without a net and decisions you matter later will introduce inconsistencies, which will lead to rewrites.

Example

Here's how I'd answer these questions for my fantasy world:
Is the world modern? No 

Medieval? Yes with magic thrown in.
Futuristic? No 

Steampunk? No 

Ancient Greece? No, but there are influences of ancient Greece in the world like the name of the country, Thalacia and its capital Andropolis. 

Set in a specific period or location? Specific period, no? Location yes; Thalacia  

What's the technology level? Medieval, no black powder weapons. But magic which can simulate modern technology if I let it. I decided not to because it would ruin the flavor I am trying to achieve. Magic as seasoning, not entree. When I write stories focused on my favorite wizard, then magic can be the entree.

What races or groups exist? Lots of them: elves, humans, dragons, giants, dwarves, gnomes, lizard men, goblins, and other associated fantasy races. 

What religions and government? Religions: several, the christian sect, jewish, muslin, and various pagan religions, plus most other races have their own beliefs. There are also older religions that have died out from humans of past centuries. 

Governments: Most races have some form of government, monarchies mostly. Humans government vary worldwide; in Thalacia, the feudal monarchy prevails. And most other races have a similar form of government with a strong single leader, like a king or thain or tribal chief or matriarch, depending on the race.

Once you know all this, or at least some of it you can think about maps. And that is the topic for the next post. See you there.