Tuesday, January 15, 2013

World Building a Library - Library Floor Plan


Shipsfeather Public Library


 
When I began writing The Shapeshifters’ Library series I realized that like any fantasy universe, my world I needed maps and drawings to keep my imaginary town consistent. 

I could visualize the library and the town, but as characters moved around  Shipsfeather, Ohio readers might also want a map. And I needed to keep my descriptions consistent.
 

Town of Shipsfeather, Ohio


I drew sketches of the town and then began to make the library more real, So much of both Released and Retrieved take place in the former shapeshifter academy turned into public library. The lovely old domed building is remodeled into a high tech modern library without losing the charm of the original building. 
 
Library First Floor




In Released, the town library burns and instead of rebuilding, the town buys a cursed academy on the river considered haunted by the local residents. As Liberty Cutter explores the building, she meets Chronus an Old English Sheepdog who begins to talk to her. As he tells her about the dog-shifters she learns hundreds of dog-shifters still live and work in levels below the library, unable to leave due to a curse by book burning werewolves. She accepts his stories of shifter magic reluctantly as she is brought into their world.


Library - Lower Office Level


My talented friend Beth Bass, who loves fantasy, offered to turn my sketches into real drawings, forcing me to be even more specific about the town and the public library and the “basement” office level. 

What isn’t included is the deeper levels. Below the library are more levels where the shifters live.They have a research library, gyms, spas, cafeterias, medical facilities, living quarters, and everyone’s favorite – the Starbarks café. The details of these levels I’ve left to the readers’ imaginations.

Hope you all enjoy visiting Shipsfeather.

Thanks again to Beth for the wonderful drawings.

3 comments:

  1. These are so close to what I saw in my imagination. That's a sign of great writing!

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  2. Thanks Kate and Heather,
    After a place is in your mind for a while it's especially hard to turn it into words for someone else to draw on two-dimensional paper.

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