Creating worlds?

[Jason]

I was thinking about things for one of the many tangents my brain pulls me down, and realized I'm still not sure about the world my characters live in - not really planned it out much yet. At some point during the day I was on another writer's website, and saw they had an entire world mapped out - it was quite cool! That got me to thinking - I wonder how they did that, there's gotta be an app or something, and of course, there is!

http://donjon.bin.sh/fantasy/world/

It has some sort of random CGI world generator that will create an entire world map for you, with water, land, forests, rivers, etc. in either atlas or antique styles, and includes names too!

I know you probably won't be able to see the detail here, but I was very impressed with the quality of the images. As mentioned earlier, the site software does insert its own names, but those are easily changed, and it helps you form thoughts on how to scope things out in your own writings, so I wanted to share it here.

ETA: Just noticed the option to uncheck whether you label the map or not, so even better!

 

[blacbird]

I've always had the feeling that writers who go about building a "world", and then trying to inject a story into it, are playing cart-before-horse. Create a story in which things function according to the way the world around it works. It's hard for me to conceive of a "world" without something of interest happening to characters in it. So my recommendation would be to think "story" first, and let that drag its own world into it, as appropriate.

caw

 

[Jason]

Either way thought this map creation utility was kind of cool, regardless of whether you do it first or second

 

[RX-79G]

If you use this utility and incorporate it into something you're writing, can you then use it if the work gets published? Or would using the material in commercial work cause a copyright issue.


It seems like a cool map generator, but a simple and completely original world map can be created with a pen in a few minutes and avoid potential conflicts.

 

[Jason]

Hadn't thought of that LOL Never mind then...

 

[RX-79G]

It could still be a good tool for visualizing your world and the characters' travel.