I see a world through a glass darkly

[ravells]

Start with a sketch using pencil and paper. Move features around until they are consistent with whatever explanatory text you've made up for them - you may find that you might have to change the text to fit the map in parts where there is a circle that cannot be squared. Descriptions of people and places often give clues to the environment. Are the people dark? (Sunny environment) or Light? (Cold / Temperate environment). Are they good sea-farers? (On the coast). Were they once great conquerors who have gone to seed? (Large country area but falling apart at the edge). Are they war-like? (Castles and forts?), are they civilised and great traders? (big cities?). Etc etc. Is the name of a town 'High Garden' (suggests that it's on a mountain slope?)

...and so on.

A while back I entered a competition where I had to draw a map of a published fantasy novel (The Steel Remains by Richard Morgan). Lucky thing I enjoyed the book, but I went through it numerous times with a highlighter looking for geographical clues which could be found in many different places. For what it's worth, I've attached my notes below from which I constructed the map.

[Adolon]

Thank you very much for your ideas.

I suppose you could not worry about drawing an actual map, and instead read over your notes and other material. Then just draw a square for one of the main countries/peoples. Following that, place additional squares in relation to the others based on what your relationship notes say. Maybe use bigger squares for larger nations. Or rectangles if it's a long narrow country. Likewise, if a city in one square has a river running through it, make a note of that. If one country is supposed to have mountains in the east, note that on the left side of that country's square.

And so on. You will likely get some conflicting material but that is good because you know what details you need to iron out.

The end result should give and idea of where each country is going to go. It will tell you that a river runs through certain parts of the map, that mountains are in another part. After that you are just filling in the blanks and making it into an actual map. Drawing proper coastlines, finishing the courses of rivers, completing the mountains, etc etc.

I had never thought of something like this before. It seems almost too easy. Maybe I was overthinking.

Start with a sketch using pencil and paper. Move features around until they are consistent with whatever explanatory text you've made up for them - you may find that you might have to change the text to fit the map in parts where there is a circle that cannot be squared. Descriptions of people and places often give clues to the environment. Are the people dark? (Sunny environment) or Light? (Cold / Temperate environment). Are they good sea-farers? (On the coast). Were they once great conquerors who have gone to seed? (Large country area but falling apart at the edge). Are they war-like? (Castles and forts?), are they civilised and great traders? (big cities?). Etc etc. Is the name of a town 'High Garden' (suggests that it's on a mountain slope?)

I already have clues to the environment and concepts of the various cultures and ethnicities of my secondary world. It is just giving these peoples a world to belong to is what I find the hardest.