User blog:Nibby the Bird/Tips for Making Your Own Clan

Hi! These are just some tips for coming up with your own clan. So herre's how to start!

Environment: 

'''In warriors, each of the four main clans live in a particular type of environment. RiverClan lives on the shore of a river, WindClan cats live on moor and fields, ThunderClan is in a deciduous forest, and ShadowClan lives in pines and marshes. You can use one of these areas, or a unique one, for your cats to live in. Here’s a list of some biomes cats could inhabit:''' '''Now you have to consider how animals here could survive. What adaptations would make them well suited to life here? Try thinking of cats that live in these areas and learning about them. Google “types of wild cats” and you’ll get some ideas. Try servals, fishing cats, lynxes, ocelots, Andean Mountain Cats, etc. Although you don’t have to outright say that your characters are this species, researching the one you're basing them off of helps a lot. And don’t feel like you need them to be house cats. A lot of ThunderClan cats in Warriors were descended from housecats, but that doesn’t mean yours have to. They can be another species entirely. '''
 * Beaches
 * Forests
 * Swamps
 * Mountains
 * Jungles
 * Deserts
 * Plains
 * Taiga and Tundra
 * Shrubland
 * Cities and Suburbs

'''The environment your cats live in is also going to inspire the name. Live in the mountains? Try LedgeClan, SteepClan, or StoneClan. Don’t just straight up say the environment in the name--that would be like if ShadowClan was just ForestClan--it’s boring and doesn't make your clan very original. What about the forest in ShadowClan is special? In this case it’s the darkness of the forest, hence ShadowClan. Pick a key feature from the landscape to name your clan with. '''

Features:

'''Now that you have a general idea of what you want the biome of your clan to be, you’ll want to think about the details of it. I’d recommend just looking through pictures of the environment--google them, or look through books and magazines. Again, say your clan is CliffClan, and they live in the mountains. Even within that, there are so many types of mountains. Are they snowy? Rocky? Sandy? Are they covered in forest, or bare? Do the cats live high into the peaks or are they lower down? If you are going with a mountain clan, here a few varieties to pick from.  There are of course more than those, those are just some examples. '''
 * Volcanic mountain (obviously your cats aren’t living in the volcano, but they could live near the top. It would be interesting to see the lava as a sort of Moonstone type thing). 
 * Snowy Mountain
 * Desert Mountains (like in the Outback)
 * Coastline Mountains by the sea

'''What should you do when it comes to designing the territory? Again, look through those photos and select features you want in your territory. Like rivers on the mountainside for your CliffClan? Make those a key feature in the landscape. Want a flowery aesthetic for a jungle-dwelling clan? Research rainforest flowers you can include. All you need is a general feel of the landscape here. Jot down a few of the details you think are important. A few examples for my CliffClan:'''
 * Rivers on the mountainside
 * Large Boulders
 * Camp is in a valley
 * Hidden Caves

'''You don’t have to become an expert or anything, but knowing a little bit about the environments first before mapping out the territory really helps. Speaking of….'''

Maps:

'''In the beginning of every main series Warriors, there’s a map showing the territories from the point of view of the cats. It’s a good idea to draw one of these so you know where everything is in the territory. If you’re having some trouble drawing, you can try copying the maps in the books so you get a feel of how to draw it. Then, when you draw your own map, you’ll remember how to draw the different features like rivers, sand, grass, pine trees, and forests. '''

'''Remember that list of details in the landscape? Now you draw them here. Sketch out where they should be lightly, and refine them with a pen later. Erase pencil lines so the map is clean and easy to read. This isn’t a tutorial on how to draw a map--I’d recommend looking at some online resources for more instruction. '''

'''Once you have your map drawn out, you can label some of the features, like streams, valleys, caves, and your camp (more on that later). One thing you’ll want to consider are landmarks. These are thing in the Warriors Universe like Sunningrocks or Fourtrees that make the territories recognizable. These features can be anything from special trees to rocks to a cliff or puddle--really anything that would work well for the environment. When naming them, try to not just call them High-- or Great--. Make it creative and interesting. '''

'''If you’re not happy with the first draft of your map, you can try again and refine it. You can draw it on an online art tool, like MS Paint, if you can (although drawing with a mouse is really hard). You can color it if you want, but it’s not necessary for labeling the features and designing the territory. '''

I'll post more soon!