How do the traits for Heket, Kallamar, Shamura, Aym and Baal work? Do they get the traits of the followers that was sacrificed or is it purely random?
Also, separate question: what is the most efficient way for aquiring/cultivating food (for woolhaven)? Specifically for the Wolf boss' choice dilemma?
I’m in the process to writing a fantasy book/story (or trying to get to that point). I’m a planner/outliner-type writer and already have sizeable chunks figured out pretty well. I would even almost say I have the main core beats of the story figured out, but my problem is that while I have the beginning, middle, and ending loosely imagined/figured out…I feel like I need to work at least some of the finer details before I get really into the heart of writing. Names, places, etc. Small stuff, but basic stuff.
So, I thought I’d make a map to help me with references of things as well as a general visual reference. There is a lot of moving around in the story, so it will be useful to have later as well.
My problem comes...I am not sure what to fill it (the map) with. And I need it at least a little filled out in order to get ideas for finer details in the story (like, on the way to Location A, they stop through Location B and/or Location C, where things would happen).
I won’t go into too much detail of the general plot of the story, but it’s basically a fantasy world “killing game” (battle royale, hunger games, etc) plot, albeit on a larger scale then most killing games stories. Main cast spends most of the time being hunted and fleeing from those that hunt them, while occasionally taking out other fighters in the process. The goal for half of the story is to try to get to a specific location, along with general survival. After the halfway point, majority of the contestants are wiped out with only a few left remaining, and so the main characters take on a more offensive stance against the remaining contestants.
I need to fill in between the time of the major plot points with something to allow time for character bonding progression & character arc growth progression. As well as sprinkle in a few handful of fights between contestants. I was hoping to rely on the map to give me inspiration of what to do (let the environment influence the story’s progression)...but that requires having an idea of what I want for the map. Which I would know what I would want to put on it if I had an idea of what I needed for the story.
So, I’m sort of stuck in this “chicken vs the egg” kind of paradox. I feel like I can’t do one without the other and can’t “break” in.
I don’t need a hyper-detailed worldbuild, but I need something in order to give me inspiration on how to fill out the story. But I feel like I need beats from the story in order to help make the map/worldbuilding.
I tried just focusing on building a world from scratch, but the problem came that I became too hyper focused on the super minor details (tectonic plates, biomes, ocean currents, etc.) and was constantly fighting my perfectionism throughout the whole time that it ended up just being too much. I’ll burn out at this rate going like this.
So yeah, if anyone has any advice/suggestions on what to do, I’m all ears.