For describing the lay of the land do any of you use references from actual places? Like I know Chris Paolini, the author of the Inheritance cycle said he based his landscapes off of Colorado's landscape or do you just picture whatever you want in your mind?
When creating new worlds
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I usually combine the two. I'm working on a new world right now, as in the Word document is open over there, so this is a perfectly timed question.
I already had an idea of how I wanted the world to look when I started, but when I get stuck, I look at actual places to fill in blanks.
I already had an idea of how I wanted the world to look when I started, but when I get stuck, I look at actual places to fill in blanks.
Liosse de Velishaf
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I don't google scenery while I'm writing or anything, but if I see a cool bit of geography, I might slip it in somewhere.
I check real world geography for rough ideas of how to put pieces of land together; if it's possible on Earth-like conditions, it's probably happened somewhere on Earth, and if I can't find any examples, it's time for me to start researching whether I'm trying to describe impossible geography. But beyond that... I try to shake things up enough that it's not too closely based on any specific part of the real world. If it's not Earth, then there shouldn't be exact same flora/fauna/climate/geography as a specific part of Earth.
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I make up the first rough outline of the landscape in my mind to make sure the reader will be able to see my creation. After that I'll do some research on some geography to fill in the details so I'm biologically correct.
Usually the geography in my stories feels familiar to me, somewhere I have been before. Part of the landscape in my current WIP reminds me in some ways of southern Oregon, which is where I was living when I started writing it.
I tend to plan the world ahead before writing. Starting off with maps! It helps me alot. But the world changes during the story..
Maps are good for me. They give me a framework. I'm not above altering them after the fact, though. It depends on what the story needs.
I base my description off of actual places, though I definitely take liberties. I usually surf google until I find a place that "fits." For instance, I have an island named Iona (the name of an actual island) in my book that is physically based on the island of Tristan Da Cunha.
I occasionally use references from real places, and lately I've started to do it conciously when I realized my descriptions lacked oomph. They were rather generic and uninteresting. So I started paying attention to my experiances when I traveled places, and made notes. My stories have a tendency to take place in temperate forests of the sort you might find in southeastern Wisconsin (or northern Wisconsin after my family's taken a vacation there), though lately I'm trying to expand into different terrain.
See I wouldn't mind traveling to help me create some of the worlds I'm picturing like the one in my current wip which mainly takes place in a more cavernous setting but I can't honestly picture how to describe that because I've personally never seen a catacomb of caves or rocks or what have you.
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I am embedded in southern Poland. I have several gigabytes of topographical maps and I wring the juice out of Google Earth. I have photos of all the weird rock formations I can find. It's love.
Since I have a map of my world draw out, I try to keep things consistent with what you would find in those particular climates. That mostly pertains to the sort of animals, trees, and other biota. It can be frustrating at times, though, keeping track of all that. I guess I have to cross my fingers and hope that no one with a PhD in Biology reads it.
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It only depends if the geography of said place is actually important. I dont think the Inheritance Trilogy is that great a thing to base your own writing off of so I wouldnt use that as an example.
Dont underestimate the reader's imagination. Books like the LOTR trilogy give only vague descriptions of locations--yet look what became of it with a little imagination on the account of all the people who read it (and Peter Jackson).
If you refer to real places, then its not entirely your vision, but if that doesnt matter to you then who cares?
Dont underestimate the reader's imagination. Books like the LOTR trilogy give only vague descriptions of locations--yet look what became of it with a little imagination on the account of all the people who read it (and Peter Jackson).
If you refer to real places, then its not entirely your vision, but if that doesnt matter to you then who cares?
I haven't ever created a completely different world, just combined a made-up modern town and placed some paranormal characters into it.
I don't mean literally refer to real places I mean, like in drawing, people use picture references to get like a pose or a gesture. It's like an idea starter. The location is an important key factor in my wip and I want to be able to describe it just enough to get the scenery across.
...and I love the Inheritance cycle : (
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