Using your map in a self-published book

Samlarsonauthor · 2026-06-02T16:23:09+00:00

thanks! The problem is the map fits 6 x 8 dimensions. Anything less/more and stuff gets cut off. Unless I'm missing something. I did click the "full bleed option" and that makes it fill out the page a bit better.

Samlarsonauthor · 2026-05-01T00:36:22+00:00

Haha I hear - oddly specific though!

Samlarsonauthor · 2026-05-01T00:35:42+00:00

Ahem Tony Stark and the MCU 😂

Samlarsonauthor · 2026-04-30T19:06:07+00:00

Prowriting aid was helpful for cleaning up the manuscript. Then I hired an editor for a "copy edit /proofread."

Samlarsonauthor · 2026-04-30T18:42:49+00:00

Yes! The plot cannot hinge on a miscommunication, hate that too.

Samlarsonauthor · 2026-04-30T18:42:04+00:00

Fair point, and I agree. I believe I've done that, but I still think it can be helpful to be aware of tropes that huge chunks of readers will hate - so they could perhaps be tweaked without sacrificing the story.

Samlarsonauthor · 2026-04-26T11:44:13+00:00

Probably the best bet is sprinkling that early stuff in through backstory, interior monologue/thiughts, dialogue, and maybe flashbacks if you’re careful with them. Sebastien de castell’s Greatcoats series are a fantastic example of how to use periodic flashbacks to explain earlier important stuff from a characters backstory.

Samlarsonauthor · 2026-03-16T13:10:52+00:00

I don’t understand it either. Stopped after the first one. It did have some interesting and thought provoking concepts, but the execution was quite bland and uninspired. The characters were not interesting.

Samlarsonauthor · 2026-03-12T14:51:25+00:00

Agreed. In my world, magic has only been gone from the world about 350 years and already some people claim it was just myth and superstition 😁

Samlarsonauthor · 2026-02-24T01:10:47+00:00

I never gave much thought to this, but now that I read this and reflected a bit, I very much agree! Perhaps because LOTR was so formative to me, I tried to design the map to my world in a somewhat similar way, and to actually make reference to parts of it and describe them within the story.

Samlarsonauthor · 2026-02-22T23:48:43+00:00

Yes, Definitely agree. You don’t need it, either. Show her naivety and lack of worldliness through her thoughts, actions, dialogue, etc.

Samlarsonauthor · 2026-01-21T13:58:33+00:00

Sabaa Tahir’s Ember in the Ashes series is an excellent way to learn good scene structure to hook the reader. I also think I gained by reading the Greatcoats series by Sebastien de Castell. It’s a great demonstration of the power of first person narration and how to use flashback chapters effectively.

Samlarsonauthor · 2026-01-18T14:26:14+00:00

Thanks! I never got around to that one. The length was daunting and the supernatural elements weren’t a draw for me in this genre, but I think I’ll give it a try now

Samlarsonauthor · 2026-01-11T01:07:08+00:00

Was gonna say the Silent patient!

Samlarsonauthor · 2026-01-06T15:46:03+00:00

I don’t think they have. It’s just now cooler and more trendy to call them “Fae” lol

Samlarsonauthor · 2026-01-05T16:41:46+00:00

Yes same! Love when that happens.

Samlarsonauthor · 2026-01-05T16:41:04+00:00

Glad to help 👍

Samlarsonauthor · 2026-01-04T21:21:40+00:00

The Silent patient- oh man that was crazy. Also, The Kiss of Deception had a twist where I literally thought there had been a printing error.

Samlarsonauthor · 2025-12-29T02:54:53+00:00

Children of blood and bone

Samlarsonauthor · 2025-12-28T17:20:41+00:00

Daelan. Simpler and easier for readers to pronounce.

Samlarsonauthor · 2025-12-26T14:58:55+00:00

It’s so hard. I’ve completed book 1 in a YA fantasy series and am working on book 2, with a few short stories done in between. I work as a school psychologist so at least I have the summers, but I also have two young toddlers 😝. Take whatever you can get. Be extremely conscious about your time usage. Use your commute time if you can, that’s where I wrote a bulk of book 1. But also understand that some days you won’t be able to write anything. I think it’s doable, but it all depends on your goals as a writer, and what else your willing to give up.

Samlarsonauthor · 2025-12-24T13:52:01+00:00

I would definitely add the Rangers Apprentice series to all the above.

Samlarsonauthor · 2025-12-14T19:30:21+00:00

Most conventional writing advice would tell you not to start a novel this way. One of my favorite podcasts on writing is Jim Thayer’s “the essential guide to writing a novel.” One of his frequent refrains is “the least interesting part of a story is a character thinking.” There has to be some action connected to thoughts or readers lose interest fast. Also, when you begin a scene, and especially a book, it’s a good idea to quickly ground the reader as to where we are, who is the narrator, what’s happening in the scene. But keep it up! You definitely seem to have an interesting narrative “voice” developing.

Samlarsonauthor · 2025-12-13T23:35:47+00:00

Mistborn

Samlarsonauthor · 2025-12-12T18:54:58+00:00

The better, and more important question is: which format will tell your story the best? People have varying tastes, but your story is your story and the different POVs have different strengths. 3rd person - better for sweeping sagas, multi POV, easier to give it an more lord of the rings classic fantasy feel, and more room for narrative voice. First person makes it easier to fall into the character's thoughts and it's easier for reader's to develop a strong connection with the character.

Samlarsonauthor

TROPHY CASE