Hi all,

Ok here's the thing, I'm trying to write a book of sorts but I'm new to writing and new to mapping. I want to create something with hidden depth and a layering that seeps through the story so I'm creating my own universe from the Gods down. I have the Gods and the epic battle of good v evil established and have a scientific basis for the creation of elves. I have an aim in the development of cultures and races which I'm working towards.

Now I have a planet, a super continent - single land mass - which in essence is horse shoe shaped and has a couple of key features defined but really is unplanned save a couple of key mountains and a large central lake fed by several rivers and which flows into the oceans beyond.

My characters are going to discover the land around them in stages as they move further outward from their place of origin. Therefore I'm inclined to design regional maps which link together to form the world map. Given that the world map is still so vague this should offer maximum flexability in designing the world.

Is this the best way to tackle things do you think?
Should I define the 'world map' more clearly first? doing so will delay my writing but could help to form a solid direction to follow.