A map is often the first thing a fantasy reader sees, and the thing they flip back to most. It is also a planning tool: a map forces you to decide where things are, how far apart, and what lies between them, and those decisions create plot. Drawing a good map by hand is a skill, but you do not need it. Generators can produce a convincing world in seconds, and the real work is shaping that raw output into a map that serves your story. This guide covers what a fantasy map is for, how to start from a generated world, how to name and label it, what to show and what to hide, and how to produce a version fit for print and ebook. The last section covers Quillen's built-in interactive world map.
The short answer
Decide what the map must show (the journeys your characters make), generate a world, reshape it until the geography supports your plot, name only the places that matter, and save a clean picture to put in your book. In Quillen, the Lore section includes an interactive world map, built on Azgaar's Fantasy Map Generator, with layers for states, borders, routes, cultures, religions and more. You can then save a picture of the map to Lore and place it in the book.
What a fantasy map is for
A map does three jobs. For the reader, it gives a sense of scale and place, and a way to follow the journey. For the author, it keeps distances and directions consistent: if the road takes ten days on foot, the map should agree. And for the story, geography is plot. A river that must be crossed, a mountain pass that closes in winter, a coast that raiders can reach: all are decisions made on the map. So start by listing your story's journeys, and design the map to make them interesting.
Think in terms of plot
Before generating, answer these questions:
- Where does the story start and end, and what lies between?
- What barriers do the characters cross? Mountains, rivers, deserts, borders.
- Who are the neighbours? Which powers border which, and where are the tensions?
- How long does each journey take, and does the map agree?
- What will the reader need to see? Only the places that appear in the book.
Starting from a generated world
A world generator creates the landmasses, mountains, rivers, climates, countries and settlements for you. Think of the output as a first draft: you may keep most of it, or you may regenerate until a layout suits the story. Look for these things:
| Check | What to look for |
|---|---|
| Shape of the land | Does it give you the journeys you want? Is there a natural barrier where you need one? |
| Scale | Are the distances right for how far your characters can travel in a day or a week? |
| Neighbours | Are the countries placed where the politics of your story needs them? |
| Climate | Do the biomes match the cultures you imagine? |
| Names | Are generated names usable, or do they clash with your own? |
| Empty space | Is there room for places you have not invented yet? |
Naming and labelling
A generator will name everything, and most of the names will be forgettable. Name the places your story uses, with names that suit each culture, and leave the rest alone. Be consistent with spellings (see how to use Find and Replace for consistency) and record the names in your notes. Keep a style: if one culture's names are short and hard, and another's long and soft, the map teaches the reader the difference.
What to show, what to hide
Maps can show many layers of information: political borders, roads, religions, climates, population. Showing all of them is overwhelming. Choose the layers that serve the reader. For a book map, the usual set is: land and sea, mountains and rivers, borders, a few major cities and the labels for the places in the story. A busy map is hard to read at book size, especially on a phone or an e-ink screen.
Making a map that prints well
- Check readability at the size it will print. Labels that are fine on a monitor can be unreadable on a 5 by 8 inch page.
- Test in greyscale. Many printed books and e-ink readers are black and white.
- Use a portrait or square shape if you can, to fit the page, or accept some white space.
- Save a high-resolution picture, not a screenshot.
- Credit the tool if its licence requires it.
Common mistakes
| Mistake | Problem | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Generating a map before knowing the story | Geography fights the plot | List journeys first, then shape the map |
| Keeping every generated name | Forgettable, inconsistent names | Name what the story uses |
| Showing every layer | Illegible at book size | Show only what the reader needs |
| Ignoring distances | Travel times contradict the map | Pick a scale and check journeys |
| Colour only | Disappears in black-and-white print | Test in greyscale |
| A screenshot instead of an export | Low resolution | Use the tool's own picture export |
Do it in Quillen
Quillen includes an interactive world map in the Lore section. It is Azgaar's Fantasy Map Generator, built into the app, with changes saved to your book.
- Open Lore from the left sidebar and click the Maps card.
- Click + Interactive World Map. A new world appears, with continents, countries, borders and labels. Give it a name at the top.
- Open the side panel. Click the small arrow at the top left of the map. Its tabs are Layers, Style, Options, Tools and About. Under Layers you can switch on or off things like Heightmap, Biomes, Cultures, Religions, States, Provinces, Borders, Routes, Trade, Population, Labels, the scale bar and more.
- Generate a different world with the New Map button in the panel, until the geography suits your story. Use the Tools tab to edit the map, and the Style tab to change its appearance.
- Add notes. Below the map, the Notes box is for your own record of the map.
- Save a picture for the book. Click Save picture to Lore. A full-size picture is made, which takes a little while (about 20 seconds in our test), and then appears under Lore, Maps, Picture maps, ready to use in your book.
- Place it in your book. See how to add a map to your novel.
Checklist
- Journeys listed before the map is shaped.
- Geography and distances support the plot.
- Only the places the story uses are named.
- Layers chosen for readability at book size.
- Tested in greyscale.
- A full-size picture saved, not a screenshot.
Common questions
How do I make a fantasy map for my book?
List the journeys your story needs, generate a world with a map generator, reshape it until the geography supports your plot, name only the places that matter, and save a clean picture.
Does Quillen have a fantasy map generator?
Yes. The Lore section includes an interactive world map built on Azgaar's Fantasy Map Generator, with layers for states, borders, routes, cultures, religions and more.
How do I get a world map into my book from Quillen?
Open the interactive map and click Save picture to Lore. The picture appears under Lore, Maps, Picture maps, and you can place it as an image page or map page.
How many layers should a book map show?
Only what the reader needs: land and sea, mountains and rivers, borders, major cities and the places in the story. Busy maps are hard to read at book size.
Will a colour map work in a printed book?
Test it in greyscale first. Many printed books and e-ink readers are black and white, and pale labels can disappear.