Mapping Martha’s World

Do you create visual aids to help you when developing a world for your characters to move within, and just how much detail do you add to it before you start writing your story?

Remember, all novels are a work of fiction, so less is more when writing them. You are not writing a Master’s Thesis, so don’t show off just how much research you have done as you don’t want to stop the flow of the story to give any history lessons. What you’re trying to create is a believable façade to carry your readers into the world of your novel, so you don’t need to convince them that you’re an expert.

The novel I’m writing is set in and around the area where I live.  I’ve created a map to keep track of all the historical buildings, which will be used as the drama unfolds. As my storyline covers three timelines, I needed to keep a detailed record of the different buildings’ ages as they appear in the novel. I know I’m not writing a historical tale, and it may seem like a lot of trouble just for this book, but I’m hoping that it is the first in a series set in the area.

Click on the photo to enlarge

I’ve created the map to help with my plotting as my main characters uncover the crimes through the series. The map will help me keep track of where they’ve solved cases in the different books. Of course, I can add fictional buildings as and when needed. The area I’m writing about has a long history too, so I do know of several buildings, which have disappeared over the years I can reinstate to use in my storyline.

I’ve changed the name of the village where I live, not just to protect the innocent, but because it gives me the freedom to create murder, mystery and mayhem in it. My village has quite a short history as it was built in 1926 by a follower of the Garden Village Movement, though, just recently it has doubled in size due to the sudden increase of new housing.

Martha’s World ( Click on photo to enlarge)

It’s a case of getting the right balance between fact and fiction when writing about a real place. There are plenty of interesting historical events well-documented for me to weave into my plot, even if I might be bending the facts just a little. In my story, I have two characters who are local historians to pass on any historical information needed by the main characters during their investigations.

Still plenty to think about as I work on my plot.

Chat again soon.