I have a fantasy world that has been created from different stories over the years. For a little while now, I've been trying to fit the different pieces together, mostly for my own benefit. I want to know how far Rendrys is from Rethorn, and how big the Alcean Empire was before it collapsed. I have scattered nations and bits and pieces of history; how do I put it all together?

I'm not particularly looking for a program that requires a lot of detailed work. I don't love world building, not like some people here apparently do. But I would like to be able to put my world together better, even if some parts of the map are still marked "terra incognita." So I'm hoping for some tips and advice in world building, and in particular world building when you already have some things known and they don't necessarily connect.

Quite the place you find yourself in. I've been there several times myself.

The joy, and the pain, of trying to bring a story world together. haha.

At the moment, I believe that I would recommend trying to figure out locations and things. Make yourself a world map. Mark the spots that you do know, and indeed DO leave spots "terra incognito". As you work on that, some of the things that don't connect right now, you might see the connection, or figure out how a connection could be achieved.

Everyone seems to do it differently.. But that is usually how I approach it; I mean, it's your world, and it's not going anywhere, so take your time with it, right?

I hope that is helpful.

~Knight of Elyon

Trying to do a map kind of scares me, actually, because I have no idea of the shape most of the nations are. I suppose that's something I can make up as I go along, though. Thanks for the advice.

you might consider a fantasy Narnia type map, then. (http://www.rose-publishing.com/productd ... cfm?PC=771)

I don't mean exactly like that, as that is kinda... cartoonish, but that kind of style, in which you don't have to mark borders. You just go.. okay.. so that is the area in which is the Kingdom Of Men, and so you write that in the middle of the general landscape.