When I write an earth-base story, I use existing maps. For instance, I once wrote a scene -- never published -- in what was then Leningrad. I had a map of the city next to me the whole time. Can't be moving Nevsky Prospekt, can we?
When I write in a world I create myself, I write a map for self-reference. And I do keep in mind things like "rivers come from somewhere," and for that matter, the effects of barrier islands or the lack thereof on shaping the coastline. Most importantly, to me, is just like you can't move Nevsky Prospekt (go ahead, I dare you to try), once you've set the City of Sneed east of the Plains of Pog and north of Lake Lublock, you can hardly then have it south of said lake.
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When I write in a world I create myself, I write a map for self-reference. And I do keep in mind things like "rivers come from somewhere," and for that matter, the effects of barrier islands or the lack thereof on shaping the coastline. Most importantly, to me, is just like you can't move Nevsky Prospekt (go ahead, I dare you to try), once you've set the City of Sneed east of the Plains of Pog and north of Lake Lublock, you can hardly then have it south of said lake.