I gotta 'see' the place first...

[sleigh]

I suspect that starting a new writing project by creating a map is probably genre-specific behavior.  Or maybe not:  I remember that before writing my first WILD CARDS story -- set in modern New York City -- I first made certain I had a street map of NYC.  And in general, I just like maps...  I can spend hours poring over a chart of some place I've never been.  Way back in childhood, I made a map of the creek in our woods, as if it were some unexplored region of the world.  Maybe I missed a calling as a cartographer.

Does anyone else generally start a writing project with a map?

Comments

[greenmtnboy18.livejournal.com]

Yep. I don't know if it is genre specific, but I'm guessing that creating a map certainly is. ;) I know I often have to draw out the house I've put my characters in, as well.

[sleigh.livejournal.com]

I've gone done to building-specific level a few times myself. :-)

[sleigh.livejournal.com]

I've used Google Earth a couple times recently for stories set in the here-and-now, and yes, the street-view can be very helpful.

[sleigh.livejournal.com]

I generally hand-draw the outline of the map, scan it, then move the result into Illustrator so I can add features and text...

[barbarienne.livejournal.com]

Oh, YES.

The current project (and thank you so much for the encouragement--it means a great deal!) begins in a different part of the world from the part I already mapped. I procrastinated mightily coming up with a texture for "forest" in Illustrator, but how else am I to figure out what the characters pass through on their way to the destination city?

I've mapped cities, and even characters' rooms. I have to remember where things are!

I love maps. I had such fun tracking down renaissance-era maps of Paris for a project that has been long stalled (waiting for me to be the right writer for it). I look forward to the day that I trace them into Illustrator and start modifying them for the novel's needs.

[sleigh.livejournal.com]

Ah, Illustrator -- that's my usual tool as well. For this one I drew an outline of the area, scanned that, took the JPG into Illustrator and starting adding details...