How I map a world I keep drowning

Every fantasy writer gets asked about maps. My answer is always the same: mine are in pencil, because in my books the coastline moves.

Over the five Saltglass books the sea takes two cities, gives back an island, and drowns a library. Keeping track of that meant keeping a tide table for a place that does not exist, which is exactly as absurd as it sounds and which I would recommend to anyone.

The rule I keep: the sea never forgets where it has been. If a street flooded in book one, someone in book four still keeps their good shoes upstairs.