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Fantasy Maps in Novels—A Short Guide

February 9th, 2023
Fantasy novels are often set in sprawling and imaginative worlds, filled with unique landscapes, cities, and creatures. To fully experience the depth and richness of these worlds, it is often useful and occasionally essential for an author to provide readers with relevant maps. Let’s explore why maps are important in fantasy novels, what elements make for a good fantasy map, and what pitfalls fantasy cartographers need to be aware of.

Why fantasy novels should have relevant maps included in them:
1. Better understanding: Maps provide readers with a visual representation of the world, which can help them understand the geography, locations, and relationships between different places in the story. This can greatly enhance their experience of the story and make it easier to follow.
2. Increased immersion: Maps can also help readers become more immersed in the world of the story. They can provide a sense of exploration, allowing readers to follow the journey of the characters and feel like they are a part of the world themselves.
3. Cultural representation: Maps can also provide insight into the cultures of the different nations and peoples in the world. For example, the location and design of cities, temples, and other landmarks can reveal important cultural, political, and religious aspects of the world.
Elements of a good fantasy map:
1. Clarity: A good fantasy map should be clear and easy to read, with legible labels and symbols. It should also be visually appealing, with a consistent style and attractive design.
2. Detail: A good fantasy map should provide enough detail to be useful to the reader, but not so much that it becomes overwhelming or confusing. This includes information on geographical features, cities, landmarks, and other important locations.
3. Consistency: A good fantasy map should be consistent with the world and story it represents. For example, it should accurately reflect the distances between locations, the scale of the world, and the relative size of different features. As well as maintaining a consistency in the physics of the fantasy world (i.e. if gravity works the same way, rivers work the same way too—barring some sort of major fantastical forces).
Pitfalls to be on the lookout for:
1. Overloading with detail: One common pitfall in fantasy cartography is to include too much detail on the map, making it cluttered and difficult to read. It is important to strike a balance between providing enough detail to be useful and not overwhelming the reader.
2. Inconsistencies: Inconsistencies between the map and the story can detract from the reader’s experience and cause confusion. For example, the distances between locations on the map should match the distances described in the text.
3. Lack of relevance: Finally, it is important to ensure that the map is relevant to the story. A map that includes too much detail on areas that are not important to the story or that do not play a role in the events can be distracting and irrelevant.
Maps can be an important component of a fantasy novel, providing readers with a visual representation of the world and increasing their immersion in the story. To create a good fantasy map, it is essential to strike a balance between clarity, detail, and consistency, while avoiding the pitfalls of overloading with detail, inconsistencies, and lack of relevance. With the right balance, fantasy maps can greatly enhance the reader’s experience and deepen their understanding of the world of the story.

Check out a few of the maps I included in my fantasy novel, Antiphon: Fire and Stone as well as some I chose NOT to include. In a series, it’s a bit tricky to show places on maps that you hope to take your readers in stories well-ahead of the one you’re telling now. I’m of the opinion that the maps you include should serve the story they’re in.

Above: A regional map that shows the extent of where people travel in the first novel. (Included in the novel)

Above: A grayscale map of the Academy of Trista, where the majority of the action takes place in the novel. This was useful for me as a writer, but can be useful for a reader as well as names of areas in the Academy are frequently used. I also included it as a wee jib at J.K. Rowling for never including a map of Hogwarts in her book–and the seeming inconsistencies with places in Hogwarts Castle.

Above: A larger scale regional map that shows the extent of most places mentioned in the first novel. (Included in the novel)

Above: A World Map of Irden the majority of places on this map are not even mentioned in the novel and so it is NOT included. It does help me as an author though, because it gives me some perspective on world events.

Above: An unlabeled area map of the Academy of Trista and the town of Whitehorse to its immediate south. While this could be useful for a reader, its usefulness is minimal. The text of the novel gives enough context to imagine the geography for themselves. While again, helpful for me to write consistently, I don’t seek to have a tyranny over the reader’s imagination.
The Dilemma of a Wealth of Sermon Notes

February 8th, 2023

Among Christians, it’s not uncommon to take notes during sermons to reflect on the teachings of the pastor or priest, to help remember the messages shared during the service, or to pass the time with doodles. Over the years, I’ve accumulated stacks of notebooks filled with notes from different sermons, from different preacher from various Christian traditions. But what to do with all these notes? Are they just to continue taking up space in a notebook, or can there be a new purpose for them?

I say “new purpose” because their original purpose is ostensibly filled. The physical act of writing is generally believed to help commit information to memory through the process of encoding. When we write, we use multiple senses and physical movements, such as hand movements and visual processing, which are believed to strengthen the neural connections in our brain. This makes it easier to retrieve the information later, as the memory is stored in multiple parts of the brain. Additionally, the act of writing requires focus and concentration, which can also aid in the formation of long-term memories. So just having written the sermon notes in the first place perhaps makes a lasting impression. I use this example frequently with my English students, as I promise to give them any pdf or slide deck we’re viewing, but to take notes with their hands. Anyway, back to what to do with those notes!

One option is to use the notes to create a personal devotional guide. By reflecting on the messages shared in the sermons and writing down your thoughts and prayers, you can create a resource to turn to for daily inspiration and guidance. The messages, if Scripturally-based, are likely to be timeless and worthy of revisiting. The challenge of course, is organizing them coherently. But if you’re up for that task, you’d be potentially interested in the next option.

You could, if you’re putting in the work to categorize your collection, use the notes to create a study group. By bringing together a group of people who have taken similar notes (maybe from the same church), you can discuss and reflect on the messages together, and gain a deeper understanding of the teachings. This can also be a great way to form new relationships and to connect with other believers. If you’re from a more liturgical tradition (like Roman Catholic or Anglican), homilies or sermons will generally be from the same Scriptural readings (from the Lectionary) across churches and so you could compare and contrast messages from other parishes and across dioceses—even across the globe!

The notes can also be used to lead or support others in their faith journey. By sharing the messages and insights from the sermons, you can encourage others to deepen their faith and to seek a closer relationship with God. This is the route I’m considering, as I’d like to consider piecing together a writing project that compares to Protestant faith traditions.

Lastly, the notes can be used to track your own spiritual growth. By revisiting the messages and reflections from previous sermons, you can see how your understanding and relationship with God has evolved over time. This can be a powerful tool for self-reflection and a source of encouragement and inspiration. God doesn’t change, but our personal relationship and understanding of Him certainly does. I don’t mean that our views of His defining characteristics will necessarily change, but the depth and intricacies of His person can become more apparent to us.

The notes we take during sermons can serve a variety of purposes, from personal devotional guides to tools for encouraging others in their faith. By taking the time to reflect on the messages and to put them into action, we can deepen our relationship with God and make a positive impact in the lives of those around us. I’d love to hear about some of your experiences with sermons—great, boring, whacky, moving, convicting.
Meet J.E.B. Mungall

February 7th, 2023

J.E.B. Mungall

I have been a teacher of English Literature and Literacy for over a decade, serving in inner city schools, and presently remotely online. Now, I’m a self-published author, having written a fantasy novel: Antiphon: Fire and Stone, a children’s book, The Legend of Tam Lin, and am working on a new non-fiction book about teaching English Language Arts in the world of Artificial Intelligence.

I earned my degree in English with a concentration in Creative Writing from Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge, LA where I currently reside with my wife and three children. I have long been passionate about language, linguistics, and literature–in other words, I’m all about the stories we tell, how we tell them, and why they’re so important. Storytelling (whether true or fiction) has been the mode by which humanity has shared its most important truths about themselves, Creation, and the Divine. So if you ever ask yourself “why is my English class important?” That’ll be why. It doesn’t matter if you’re interested in metaphysics, video games, mathematics, carpentry, welding, or professional wrestling. Everything hinges on the telling of the story.