How do I keep track of all of this? Reading High Fantasy

Some people are intimidated by the high fantasy genre because of the world building and trying to keep track of all of the things that are happening. Unlike a novel set in the modern day or even just on an unaltered Earth, you have to learn not only about the characters and plot, but everything around them - usually a magic system, possibly magical or mythical creatures, and probably different species of sentient beings.

However, what intimidates some people is what draws others in. I love fantasy because, when it's done right, it transports you right out of this world and into the one created by the author. You can sit and read that book and completely forget about the world in which you exist - which I think is a kind of magic in itself.

1. Character Maps

One thing that I enjoy doing is making character maps for each High Fantasy novel I read. I don't do it for all of them, but if I find myself thinking "Wait, who is that again?" I know it's time for a map. I usually start with the main character in the middle of the page and branch off from there, making connections with lines. It can get pretty messy, and I'm a perfectionist, so I usually go through a couple of drafts before I'm happy with it.

An earlier version of my map for Priory of the Orange Tree

For this map I really tried to focus on how the different perspectives of the narrators came together and connected. I also wanted to keep track of what groups each person belonged to and where they were from, if I could.

One of the final drafts of the map for House of Earth and Blood - not all the way done but close!

The map for House of Earth and Blood was a bit easier as there was only one major point of view for narration, and less switching of locales than there was in The Priory of the Orange Tree, but there were also lots of different species to keep track of. I decided to use colours to keep track of the different species because a) I love colour coding, b) it looks pretty on the page, and c) it's easier to know at a glance who's what.

2. Annotation

I know some people will think this is complete sacrilege (I used to think that too!), but I've started actually marking up my books. Not a lot, and only with pencil, but after watching some Tiktoks by other readers who do annotate, I decided to give it a try.

An example of my annotations. It's mostly just me yelling at the characters or making snarky comments.

I don't use a strict system of annotations like I might if I were studying the novel academically, but I do annotate some things all the time, like quotes, connections to other works, and my own comments. I could (and might) do an entire blog on annotating, but for now, here's how I recommend annotating to keep track of characters, places, and plot events...

New character introduced - I circle her and either comment or notate who she is.

Characters

When a character is introduced, circle or underline their name and make a note as to how they are related to connected to the main character.

Locations

New place - circle and comment

When a new location pops up, circle or underline it and make a note of which characters are connected to the location. It would also help to go find it on the map at the front or back of the book!

A turning point in how I perceived and felt about a key character

Significant Events

When an important plot point (or something I consider to

be significant) happens, I usually put in a sticky note and make a comment about it, sometimes on the sticky and sometimes on the page.

Terminology - what is a daemati? Now I know.

Lore and World Building

When significant lore is introduced, I will put in a sticky note and write on the sticky note what is being discussed.

3. Sticky Notes Galore

Similar to annotation, sticky notes allow you to make notes and comments about what's going on in the book without having to actually write in it.

Again, the notations are mostly me yelling at the characters.

First, you're going to want to make sure you have low-tack sticky notes that won't rip up the pages when you try to remove them. I usually use whatever's on hand, but I really like the traditional 3M Post-It notes in different colours.

If you're going to colour code, I recommend having at least 3 colours: characters, places, and plot. I'd make the same notes on the stickies as you would annotating right in the book - the difference is a) colours are pretty and b) you can remove these notes when you're done reading if you're into your books looking pristine on the shelf. You can even put a sticky note at the end of each chapter and put a tiny summary on it to help you keep track if you're an infrequent reader.

Well, I hope you enjoyed that and maybe even learned something! I don't always annotate or track my books like this, but when I'm reading closely for something like a blog post, I want to be able to keep everything straight in my head and get it right. This can be helpful in genres other than fantasy as well - even in non-fiction, this kind of a system can help you keep track of everything and then when it's time to do something with what you've read - such as write an essay or blog post - it's easy to find everything and you remember it better, having stopped while reading to make connections and note your thoughts.

You can give high fantasy a try too! If you're already a high fantasy reader, let me know what you think some easier reads for a fantasy newbie would be in the comments!