Cities are where stories collide. A character crosses a market, meets a rival in an alley, hides in a district she knows and the pursuer does not. For those scenes to feel real, the city needs a shape: a river, a wall, a hill with a castle, quarters with names and characters. A city map helps you keep the layout straight, helps readers follow a chase, and sparks scenes you had not planned. This guide covers what a city map is for, how to choose a size and character for your city, how to use a generator and then make it yours, how to name districts and landmarks, and how to turn the map into scenes. The last section covers the city generator in Quillen.
The short answer
Decide how big the city is and why it exists, generate a layout, keep the one with the bones your story needs (a river to cross, a wall to climb, a district to hide in), then name the districts and landmarks that your scenes use. In Quillen, Lore, Maps, Generate City Map opens a city generator, and exporting the result as a PNG saves it into your book's Maps, where you can add a profile for the place.
What a city map is for
A city map is a continuity tool first. It tells you that the harbour is to the east, that the castle overlooks the old town, that it takes twenty minutes to walk from the gate to the market. Every time a character moves, you can check the map. It is also a scene generator. The shape of the city suggests choke points, shortcuts, dead ends, and places where social classes meet or are kept apart. And for readers, a city map gives a sense of place and makes chase scenes and sieges easy to follow.
Decide what kind of city it is
Cities have reasons to exist, and the reason shapes the layout. Ask:
| Question | Why it shapes the map |
|---|---|
| Why is the city here? | A port sits on water, a fortress on a hill, a market town at a crossroads |
| How big is it? | A hamlet has a handful of streets; a large city has districts, walls and slums |
| Who rules it? | A castle, a temple or a guildhall dominates the skyline |
| What does it trade? | Industries cluster: tanners downstream, smiths near the forge, markets at the gate |
| How is it defended? | Walls, gates, a citadel, a river as a moat |
| How has it grown? | Old core, newer suburbs, and rough shanties outside the wall |
Use a generator, then make it yours
A city generator creates streets, buildings, walls and water from a name and a seed. Treat each result as a candidate. Regenerate until you see one with useful bones: a river that splits the town, a citadel on the high ground, a bridge that matters. Then personalize:
- Rename the city and districts to suit your culture and the story.
- Decide what each district is like: who lives there, what they do, what they fear.
- Mark the places your scenes use: the inn, the guildhall, the safe house.
- Note the distances between key places, in minutes on foot.
- Keep the name and the seed or link so you can regenerate the same city.
Name districts and landmarks
Names tell stories. "Haunted Side" implies a history; "Candleheart Hill" implies a trade or a legend. Give each district a name with a reason, even if the reason is only in your notes. Aim for names the reader can say, and that sound as if they belong to the same language. Landmarks (a gate, a tower, a market) should have names that hint at their function or history.
From map to scenes
Once you have a map, test it by running a chase on paper. Pick two points and trace three routes between them: the fast one, the safe one and the one only locals know. Note what each route passes. You now have a scene, and the geography will feel consistent when you write it. For a siege, mark the walls, the gates and the weak point. For a conspiracy, mark where the meetings happen and who could see.
Common mistakes
| Mistake | Problem | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Accepting the first layout | A city with no story value | Regenerate until the shape helps |
| Too many unnamed districts | Generic, forgettable | Name the ones your scenes use |
| Ignoring scale | Impossible journeys | Note walking times between landmarks |
| No reason for the city to exist | Layout does not make sense | Choose why it is here, and let the map show it |
| Losing the seed | Cannot regenerate the same city | Save the map picture and note its name |
| Using the map only as decoration | Missed scene ideas | Run chases and sieges on it |
Do it in Quillen
The city generator in Quillen opens inside the app, so you can design a city and keep it in your book. It uses the Medieval Fantasy City Generator by Oleg Dolya (watabou), so it needs an internet connection.
- Open Lore from the left sidebar and click the Maps card.
- Click Generate City Map. A city is generated and shown, with a name, districts, streets, a river or wall, and a scale and compass.
- Open the Menu at the top right of the map. You can choose New city for another layout, Warp, Colors, Export as, Generate, Settlement and Style.
- Open Settlement to see the number of buildings and the population, to reroll the town and district names, and to set points of interest.
- Keep generating until you find a city whose shape suits your story.
- Export it. Choose Menu, Export as, PNG. The submenu also offers SVG and JSON. A message confirms "Map saved" and the map is saved straight into your book's Maps.
- Click Back to return to the Maps list. The city now appears under Picture maps. Open it to add a profile: see how to write a location profile.
Checklist
- A reason for the city to exist, and a size to match.
- A layout with bones your scenes can use.
- Districts and landmarks named, with a reason for each name.
- Walking times between key places noted.
- A chase, siege or meeting tried on the map.
- The map exported and saved into your book.
Common questions
How do I make a city map for my novel?
Decide why the city exists and how big it is, generate layouts until one has useful bones such as a river, wall or citadel, name the districts and landmarks your scenes use, and note walking times between key places.
Does Quillen have a city map generator?
Yes. In Lore, Maps, click Generate City Map. It uses the Medieval Fantasy City Generator by Oleg Dolya (watabou), so it needs an internet connection.
How do I save a city map in Quillen?
Use Menu, Export as, PNG in the generator. A message confirms the map is saved, and it appears under Picture maps in Lore.
What export formats does the city generator offer?
PNG, SVG and JSON in its Export as submenu. Exporting a PNG saves the map straight into your book.
How can a city map help my plot?
It keeps distances and directions consistent, and its shape suggests choke points, shortcuts and hiding places for chases, sieges and meetings.