Over the last two years, I’ve written nine complete Princess and Goose stories and I have a list of half a dozen more story ideas. I’ve had a lot of time to think about the characters, stories, and settings while I’ve gone through my publishing journey (which still isn’t over, but I’m getting close).
Recently, I set out to formalize the world in which these stories take place. I started by writing down some of the areas mentioned in the stories: the spooky Tasman Forest with the old trees where we’ll meet Sir Logan in book two; the Valley of the Dinosaurs from book three; Port Gilbert from book six; William Forest, which is the setting for many of the stories close to home; and of course, Crystal City. I even snuck in a volcano to mark where the dragons come from, shown on page two of the first book.
This is the first time I’ve ever made a map with map making software. I’m proud to say that this took me just a few days (and some late nights) after watching a few videos online, although that may be a testament to the power of the software and accessibility of YouTube tutorials, rather than my skills.
Making the map was fun, but using the software also inspired some new areas that hopefully find their way into future stories. Why are there ruins of a city on an island? Does anything strange happen in the swamp that has formed between the two western lakes? What lives at the bottom of the canyon hidden in the southern hills? Lots of new story ideas for my list.
As an added bonus, this map will serve as a purchasable print when I eventually (soon?) start selling my book at some local shows. I have a pretty extensive marketing plan, so a future blog will focus on my marketing plan. It’s a necessary part of this process, and it, by far, takes the most time. Hopefully it’ll help some other authors out there.
Shown below: the official map for the Adventures of Princess and Goose.
