Readers love maps. It doesn’t matter if you’re writing fantasy, thriller, or romance, whether your story takes place in the real world, your version of the real world, or a completely invented world. Readers enjoy pinpointing locations on a map and visualizing the spaces between events and locations. Taking the time to create one is general worth it–both for your readers and for you as the author.
Maps keep you honest and lock in your world details–if the hero’s apartment is at Point A and the murder occurs at Point B and you said those points are 30 minutes apart in book one, having it visualized on a map helps you maintain that distance for the other books in the series.
There are plenty of ways to create a map. Many apps will do it for you if you aren’t artistically talented (I really like Wonderdraft!).
If you want a more old-school approach to mapmaking–with a dash of roleplaying games and fate–consider the following method:
Shameless Self-Promotion Time: Did you enjoy these kinds of activities? Check out more in The General Worldbuilding Guide, available wherever books are sold!
