5 May 2012

Ideas for kids - Where - Using Maps

Jack Trelawny's Story House - Setting - Erthwurld - Maps - WHERE do things happen
I really like using maps to help tell my story. Maps are a great way to show WHERE events in your story are taking place. 
Sometimes maps can include characters and other images to show WHO is in the story and some of WHAT is happening as well.
The Kernowland story starts in Cornwall, a county in England. The two main characters, Tizzie and Louis, are then transported to an alternative Cornwall called Kernowland ('Kernow' is the old name for Cornwall in the ancient language).
However, it soon becomes clear that Kernowland is only a tiny little kingdom in a much larger place called Erthwurld.
Once I've decided on a WHERE for my story, lots of ideas for the PLOT, CHARACTERS, and SETTINGS can then come from looking at the map whilst asking questions and using my imagination.

As soon as I saw the Cornwall map, the place names gave me loads of ideas for WHO was going to be in my story. Click on the Cornwall map above to make it bigger. You will then be able to see some of the towns that gave me CHARACTER ideas - such as Gwithian, Drym, Warleggan, Wendron, Godolphin, Portwrinkle, Sheviok, Mawla, Malpass, Liskeard, Mullion, and Crumplehorn.

In the Kernowland in Erthwurld stories, I could see much more clearly where I wanted the characters to travel to and from once I had the maps. The LOCATIONS gave me ideas for PLOT and CHARACTERS.

In Kernowland 4 Pigleg's Revenge, the characters go to an alternative Gambia (a country in Africa) called 'Jungleland'.
And, in Kernowland 5 Slavechildren, a lot of the action takes place in an alternative USA called 'Acirema North'.
IDEA: In your next story, draw a map before you start. Then look at the map and ask questions and use your imagination. Make a few story notes based on the map before you start the story.



------------------------------------

See you next time in the Story House.


Happy writing... and reading!

Jack
Links...