Building a Fantasy World
Worldbuilding is the cornerstone of sci-fi and fantasy. Geography. History. Technology. Societies and cultures. Creatures and magic. It’s what sets the genre apart, and what drew me to fantasy in the first place. The wonder and amazement of reading about something new and fantastical. Creating my own has been a delight. And the possibilities when it comes to character, the opportunity it offers to tell stories that would not work in any other setting or enhance stories that might otherwise fall flat… it’s fair to say it’s my favourite aspect of writing fantasy, if also the hardest. So I wanted to give you a little taste of that worldbuilding.
“Renila edged closer to the precipice and looked out across the land stretched out below her. It was a rare, fine day and the bright morning sun had burned away the blanket of fog that had lain so heavy on the land before the dawn. It was cold, as it so often was this far north. The air was clear and crisp, and the smell of the pine forest was on the wind, drawing her gaze from the castle to the world beyond.”
I’m afraid you’ll have to wait to read it to learn more about things like history, culture and magic systems. But I figured a wee sneak peak into the physical setting wouldn’t be too big a spoiler, so today I’m going to be giving a first look at the map for my debut novel, Blood of Ravens. I realise this is personal preference, but I’m often disappointed by fantasy novels that don’t have a good map, and for me a good map is something beautiful and informative. I’m not sure mine is quite up to the standards of Granddaddy Tolkien - prints of which once adorned my living room wall - but I’m quite happy with how it turned out.
As well as revealing the map, I’m also going to share some of the inspiration behind it. Because, like most writers, I’m inspired by the world around me and I am fortunate to live in one of the most beautiful countries in that world (yes, I know I’m biased). The Scottish landscape is as varied as it is breathtaking, but there is also an atmosphere - a character - to it that has influenced the world in which Blood of Ravens takes place. So before you take a look at the map, please feel free to flick through some specific sources of inspiration.
And now to the map. I’ve spent more hours than I care to admit on this, and it’s been through as many rounds of edits as the manuscript - massive shout and thanks to Petra Zublasing for her input and help finessing in the final stages - but even the early sketches were invaluable in helping me piece together the puzzle of plot and then keep track of it throughout multiple drafts and edits. There are multiple copies of this kicking around my computer, each defaced with various multi-coloured scrawls, none of which shall ever see the light of day… but I digress.
So, without further ado, here it is - the world of Blood of Ravens!
I hope you’ve enjoyed this little insight into the world of Blood of Ravens, and that you’re looking forward to learning more in due course. Let me know what you think of the map in the comments below! Next week I’m talking about that other main character I (deliberately) failed to mention in last week’s blog… the Villain! Make sure to sign up to my mailing list if you want to be the first to know when that and any other new content is posted!