Last year, I finally came up with a serious idea for a novel that I feel that I can really commit to. As I’ve been getting my research done and beginning my storyline, I’ve come to a bump in the road.
What do you, my fellow writers, think about using actual locations (cities/towns, colleges, etc) versus making up your own. Like, for instance, someone’s town is pretty much [name]London[/name], [name]England[/name], but you’ve made up the town’s name. Or someone goes to college at a place that’s basically [name]Harvard[/name], but you’ve given it a different name in your story.
My novel involves a lot of international friendships & communication, so I’m starting to think that creating these places myself will make everything easier. It’s hard to really know a place without actually going there & immersing yourself in the culture, and 'm having trouble visualizing certain cities so that they’re conveyed properly. I won’t be going to these places anytime soon, I’m positive.
I’m just wondering what your opinions are and what your experiences are. Thanks!
I’ve tried both and obviously, making up your own is a heck of a lot easier. You’re right, you can’t really know a place unless you’ve been there, even with research. If I’m writing a small town, I’ll make it up myself, but I usually don’t bother with big cities. Each city does have its own quirks, so you have to be careful there, but otherwise you’re pretty safe. [name]Just[/name] do a little research and nobody will notice you’ve never been there before :).
Schools, I think, are tricky. [name]Even[/name] more so than towns, I think you’d really have to go there to know it. So, I’d say, either do a lot of research or make up your own. People make up entire worlds in books, so making up a school or town can’t be a big thing.
It’s really your choice, but it sounds like with your situation, it might be easier to create your own. All you have to do is try your best to make it convincing, that’s key. Good luck
For me it really depends on the setting. If it’s going to be a small town, a boarding school, etc. I always make them up, but if I want a larger city then I’ll use one that already exists (for example, [name]London[/name] or [name]Paris[/name]). I think it’s really up to you- in your situation it seems more feasible to make them up, but go with what you think is right for the story.
I understand your quandary, and I have this problem too. A majority of the time I use real places, like [name]London[/name], [name]Vienna[/name], even when it comes to smaller towns. If I’m write about a family living in a town in the English countryside, I look up real towns in Surrey or Nottinghamshire. Usually if I’m not comfortable setting it in that town, the town I write about is based off of it.
I only created my own town once, and that story fell through quickly. I wasn’t that good at it. But I think with your story it’s better to just make up your own town. [name]Just[/name] be sure to research the area you’re writing about.
[name]Hope[/name] that helps!
I like making up my own, because it gives me free reign to make up/tweak history, culture, everything. Or I like writing about my own city because I know it, and it’s hardly written about. I read a book that takes place here once and I loved that I could connect to it and know the streets, subway stations everything. It’s also easier because you don’t have to think up those things.
I think in your case it’s best to make up cities, that way no one can say you didn’t research enough. Besides, the best stories usually tend have some places made up.
I tend to create my own as I can have what I need in it. If my character needs a cinema date, there’s a cinema handy. If they’re going to travel, there’s a train station nearby. Quite often, though, I’ll set my town as in relation to a real big city so it gives it a bit more authenticity. If I say ‘I live in Townville, a dull place a few miles west of Birmingham’, it gives a better geographical reference than just saying ‘I live in Townville, a dull place in the countryside’.
It’s always easier for me to make up a place, even if I’m basing it almost entirely off of a singular real place, it just frees you from so many hassles, criticism, and fact checking.
I think a pp mentioned this too, but I’ll augment with real places as reference points, it sort of lends legitimacy to my fictitious town if I have them taking a train from suchandsuch real town to get there, or characters are originally from suchandsuch real town.
Besides, the best stories usually tend have some places made up.