[quote=”Kelemelan” post=2849]Don’t do “art” (where the maps are involved that is), just draw simple maps to know that the land of X is there and the land Z is east of the land of X with the city of P 20 miles from the border.
You don’t need more than that for writing your book, the map is just for reference purpose since the reader won’t see it. If it’s an hindrance don’t do it. But quick and easy sounds like the operative words as long as they help. 🙂
Remember that R. E. Howard’s Hyborian world was designed out of a map as simple as that one: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/5/5c/Maphyboria.jpg (and even this one is edited the original one was even simpler actually 😛 )[/quote]
So much this.
For my stories I “mapped” out the general geographic features and major towns on a piece of copy paper with a pencil. Pretty general overall. I could see for a novel you’d have to get more specific in places but it suites the purpose well enough to know that Riltar is a 4 day ride north of Illedge along the river, Tol Vernan is about a day’s ride southwest of Illedge, etc. I don’t even think I put a scale on the map.
I tried mapping it out in CC3 but never managed to do it to a satisfactory degree.