The idea for writing a theme park book series was twenty years in the making. But when it came time to describe the rides and food stands, I had a dilemma. Do I use the plans for an already existing park? Should I make my own?
The answer seemed simple―use an existing one. After all, there are so many books with Disney World as the setting that you wonder how they manage to escape litigation! Romance, mystery, and the best how-to books involve that magical castle. Still, I wanted something unique. Something fresh.
So, I made my own park. It started out as a park based on a fictional comic book with our hero Moon Man and his trusty dog, Cosmo. My thought was to make a comic book as supplemental reading. Funny! I can’t draw worth a hoot, and I don’t even read comic books!
As my characters started to move about Galactic Fun Park, I started to get lost in the secret employee areas and ride locations. Enter Photoshop.
Building a map of Galactic Fun Park from scratch took me several weeks to complete. I laid all the digital pavers and planted all the trees. Rides were added and food stands came to life. Having never taken on such a large art project, I think it turned out pretty good.
Making up names to rides was a blast! Googling space terminology and reading planetary science blogs gave me all the lingo I needed for a cohesive park. Space Dust funnel stand is my favorite. I love that the rats consider it sacred. Who doesn’t love a good funnel cake!
Have you seen my map? You can download your own copy here and follow your favorite characters on their adventures inside Galactic Fun Park.