Found it!

[Chaplaindm]

I am a Christian Fantasy novelist and am a terrible artist! However, I have been frantically trying to map my novels. And what do you know... a WHOLE FORUM about map making!

Glad I found this. I am really looking forward to trying the tutorials.

Chaplain

[mearrin69]

Welcome, and good luck with the tutorials.

What is, BTW, "Christian Fantasy" as a genre? Is your stuff based in our world or a fictional one? Just curious. I'm a gamer and not very well read on Christian literature (unless you count C.S. Lewis) so my only connection is SJ Games' GURPS Banestorm - a fantasy world with an influx of folks from our Earth. Most of them were pulled during the time of the Crusades so you've got some sort of interesting continuation of troubles from our world on theirs.
M

[ravells]

Are you a Christian that writes fantasy novels or are you a novelist that writes about Christian fantasies? (just pulling your leg!)

Glad you found us and I hope you find a tutorial which suits your style and works with your novels!

All the best and enjoy your stay at the guild,

Ravs

[Chaplaindm]

Thanks for the "warm" welcome! Ha ha ha

To answer your questions I like to say my writing is akin to CS Lewis.

Here is what I have done. I have created a world which existed before the Garden of Eden.

(There are those who believe that there was an original creation which was destroyed at Satan's rebellion. Thus, the Genesis account of creation is a re-creation (I do not hold to this)).

In this original creation there is still God, man's fallen nature, and good verses evil. However, I am free to change the rules a little bit to include magic, monsters (they are a hybred of the fallen angels mixing with human women- Genesis Ch 6), and other fantasy elements.

I have finished the first novel and am working on the second. Now, before I go too much further I need to map all this out and also document the history. In the end I hope to write a myriad of novels (much like the Dragonlance series) and then possibly open in up to other writers.

I have been working on this for about a year now. I started to develop a video game to mirror the novels but it is too much a stretch. So I am backing up and focusing on the writing.

PS- I am also an Army Chaplain...

Thanks for asking!
Chaplain

[Ascension]

Welcome. I like adding religion to my worlds but I'm what you would call a bad-boy Catholic. I've been adding angels and demons, instead of monsters, to my stuff since I was a teen so I'd certainly back you up on your endeavors and hope to buy your work someday.

[mearrin69]

Thanks for the explanation. I like twists like that. Oh, and, former Army here...MI though, no greater calling.
M

[Midgardsormr]

Are you a Christian that writes fantasy novels or are you a novelist that writes about Christian fantasies? (just pulling your leg!)

Heh. That's actually a distinction we frequently make on the Christian Gamers' Guild listserv, particularly when it comes to games marketed toward Evangelicals. Unfortunately, there is a standard of poor quality in many products intended for sale at Christian bookstores, made all the worse by a firm conviction that one should never have an original idea. But that's beside the point.

Welcome, Chaplaindm! Start in on those tutorials and put up a work-in-progress thread; you'll be on the road to becoming a good artist in no time!

[Steel General]

Welcome Aboard!

[Chaplaindm]

Thank you all for the warm welcome! I hope to get pretty active here... especially if I can get the hang of this.

I tried my hand at video 3d game creation but after a year I am giving it up (for awhile). I was either going to have to double my efforts of place my energy elsewhere. I opted on the latter...

So I am putting my constructive energy into my fantasy writing and fantasy world building. Hopefully this will be a good place to learn the map making portion ang get some good feedback. From what I have seen i am thinking it will be!

Chaplain

[Chaplaindm]

Thanks Midgardsormr!

The quality is a hard part and the learning curve is insane. I struggle with the idea of game creation being a 'hooby'! I spent COUNTLESS hours and never really got anywhere. Sure, I got a LOT better and a LOT faster but no way good enough.

Already a good way through the first tutorial.