: Re: For Fantasy Stories, Should You Include a Map At the Beginning of the Book? If you're writing a fantasy novel, would it be best to include a map of the geography that the story takes place

@Goswami879

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I believe every little bit helps. My skill with world and place description is not what I like and I don't feel I can do much about it, so my solution is to add images to make it easier for readers to follow me.

And don't forget that the map can be a great tool for yourself. If you have a complex plot, it probably makes sense to create a detailed map and place tokens on it so you can see with a glance which character is where right now.

When you spend so much time with the map, it becomes part of your work. That also means that you might forget that the reader doesn't have a map handy when they read the story (even if it's reproduced somewhere in the book, they still have to leave the story and leaf through the book to look it up). So don't forget that and make sure your story still makes sense even without the map.

Lastly, don't forget that you have different readers. For me, the story starts after the book ends. I pull back the memory and emotions and re-enact the story in my mind. I become the author of my own fan-fiction based on your work. Maps help to dream.

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