For me, creating a map is never just about geography. It’s about relationships. Where do allegiances begin and end? How do rival factions clash across contested borders? Where are the trade routes that sustain civilizations, and where do they falter due to war, piracy, or desolation? Maps tell those stories visually, allowing readers—and me as the writer—to grasp the vast complexities of a world with a single glance.
When I sit down to draw a map, it’s not simply an exercise in creativity. It’s a meditation on the intricacies of the setting. For example, in my Space Opera worlds, the positioning of star systems is never random. I think about the resources each system offers, the routes that might connect them, and the political dynamics that emerge when one system grows too powerful or another struggles to survive. The relationships between worlds—economic, cultural, and military—often dictate the stories that unfold.
The Neuro-Spicy Joy of Details
As someone who finds joy in diving deep into details, mapmaking is the ultimate creative outlet. I can spend hours scrutinizing hundreds of lines of code or tweaking pixel-perfect borders to ensure that every facet of a map serves its purpose. It’s a labor of love, and for my “neuro-spicy” brain, it’s a deeply satisfying way to channel my energy into something productive.
Maps reveal so much about a world:
Resources: Where are the fertile lands, the mineral-rich asteroid belts, or the barren wastelands that force characters to adapt?
Strategic Locations: Where are the choke points for interstellar fleets? Which mountain pass is critical for an army's advance?
Cultural Boundaries: Where do languages change, religions diverge, or empires collide?
These elements don’t just make the map look interesting—they inform the stories I write. A star system surrounded by nebulae rich in rare gases might become the site of an interstellar arms race. A trade route crossing a disputed border could ignite a conflict that sets the stage for an epic tale.
Maps as Storytelling Tools
I love the idea that a map can be a narrative in itself. A reader can look at the sweeping curves of a nebula and wonder what secrets lie within it. They can trace the dotted line of a trade route and imagine the bustling freighters and cunning pirates that ply those lanes.
Even for me as the writer, maps are often the spark that ignites an idea. I’ll sketch a remote corner of a sector map and think, “What if this isolated world was the site of a long-lost colony, rediscovered centuries later?” Or I’ll notice that two trade hubs are connected by an unusually long route and wonder, “What happened to the worlds that used to bridge that gap?”
A Love That Spans Genres
My love of maps isn’t confined to Space Opera. In Fantasy, maps define the kingdoms and the wildernesses where heroes and villains clash. In Cyberpunk, maps reveal the sprawl of mega-cities, the slums where rebellion brews, and the corporate towers that pierce the smog-filled skies. Whatever the genre, the map is often the first tangible expression of the world I’m building.
It’s also a deeply personal process. No two maps are the same because no two worlds are the same. I might use digital tools for precision, but I always start with a sketch. I love the feel of a pen scratching across paper, the freedom to experiment and make mistakes. There’s something raw and immediate about those early drafts, where every line feels like a discovery.
The Hours Well Spent
Creating a map isn’t quick. It takes time, patience, and a willingness to get lost in the details. But for me, those hours are never wasted. They’re where the world comes alive, where the relationships between people, places, and resources begin to take shape. They’re also where I find a sense of calm and focus, a chance to immerse myself in the creative process without distractions.
As I continue to build the universe of Merchant of Vision and its sequels, I know the maps I create will remain at the heart of my work. They’re not just tools for navigation—they’re tools for storytelling. And as much as I hope my readers enjoy exploring these worlds, I know that I’ll never stop enjoying the process of creating them.
So here’s to the maps, the worlds they reveal, and the countless stories they inspire. For me, every line drawn, every system named, and every trade route traced is another step closer to bringing these imagined universes to life.
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