I have a problem...

[Geldor]

I've created my world map but I keep thinking of new stuff to keep adding to it like new castles, forests and even kingdoms. I need to know when enough is enough.

 

[MadMadys]

When you think to yourself "What does this actually have to do with the story/characters that I'm trying to tell?"

 

[Steerpike]

When you have more than you need for your story, you have too much, in my view. Add more after you write the story, if you must, but getting on with the story is of primary importance. There is even a name for procrastinating from writing while working on this type of stuff. It is referred to as "coloring the map."

If the story is done and you're just adding to the map, that's different.

 

[Anders Ämting]

*points up*

Yeah, what they said, pretty much. World building is only useful when it directly serves the story you have in mind. Beyond that, it's a distraction.

 

[Addison]

Ask yourself if the city or town you're adding is functional, abandoned or a ruin. But it's like MadMadys said, if it's relevant to the story, present or future (if planning more). If you're just adding it for decoration then don't. But personally, if you know from all your planning that it's part of the world's history or culture, then add it. If it makes the world feel more complete in your head then go for it.

 

[Kahle]

I have been stuck at this stage before, and usually I use a world map to figure out plot and such. Will this route work? How long will it take for the characters to cross? What weather complications? If a landmark makes it into the plot, sure, place it on your map. However, reworking the map isn't always needed. Sometimes a list of geographical and political features accompanied by a rough sketch is enough to give you a sense of place and scale without holding you back from writing.

 

[wordwalker]

One test of world-building is: is there a place for this thing in my story that gives my characters a problem (or solution) that's different from anything they've faced before? and then, is that difference enough to reveal something new about the characters in how they deal with it?

(Based on the "chapter one, Tarzan fights a lion, chapter two, Tarzan better fight something different" principle.)

 

[Benjamin Clayborne]

If you find yourself wondering whether you've done enough world-building, then you've done enough world-building.

 

[SeverinR]

If you are writing one book series in the world, then more information isn't needed.
But if using one world for several series of books, more information might be needed.
How each city/town works with the other towns/cities in other books.

You might use different distant countries so cross references won't be neccessary. If on an ocean, the other city might have trade with ships.

If you have a city/town near another town/city in another book in the same period, cross refrence might be needed, and might comfirm the feeling that the world is more real.

Even if the reader never connects the multiple books, the writer should know how/where the books occur in the world and have a basic idea of which happened first or happened at the same basic time frame. Maybe like King, mention of some major event or news of another story might reach the other city in the form of rumor or news.

World building can be extremely limited or extremely intense.