Maps. You expect to see them in the front pages of a fantasy novel, with those little inverted triangles to represent mountains, castles, rivers and dotted tracks.
But maps can have more uses to a writer than you’d first expect.
When I wrote my ‘Audrey of the Outback’ series of three novels, the editor asked me to draw a map of the house and surrounding area. At first, I thought this was a waste of time. I mean, Audrey’s house was a simple Outback structure with a vegetable garden, outdoor dunny and a chook house. But I knuckled under and drew the map. To my surprise, I discovered that in the writing of the book, I had gotten things in the wrong place and forgotten others.
The map was a handy reference. Especially for a series, when time can elapse between books and you forgot many details from the first book.
A sketch map proved useful for my Spy Girl series. I drew the layout of the room as my starting point and not only did it help with description, it helped me believe in the room, in the character, and orientated me.
Another use for maps is if you have a big fight scene, especially inside a room or house where there will be furniture and obstacles. Sketch the room and keep it handy when writing the scene.
Google maps can be used for geographical information, mountains, roads, aerial shots. Google Street maps can help if your character is searching an area or fleeing a villain. You can have a real person’s ‘eye view’ by using this kind of map.
One of the various dictionary definitions of ‘map’ is plan, delineate, or arrange in detail; "map one's future". This can apply in a literary sense as well.
Go on, try it. Draw a map of the house/garden/suburb/farm you are writing about and see what you discover.
Cartoon: Jeff Bucchino, Wizard of Draws
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