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Post by Deloclya on Jun 22, 2006 17:40:23 GMT -5
Hello all. I'm writing an urban fantasy story and I'm torn with doing actual research on a real town and using that as the setting or making one up to serve my purposes and sticking it somewhere in America. I mean granted, making my own town up would definatly be easier, but I just don't know. What do you think?
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KayJuran
Senior Writer
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Posts: 227
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Post by KayJuran on Jun 22, 2006 17:53:26 GMT -5
In some ways, it's not always easier..
Well, maybe in your case, it wouldn't be too bad.. but it definately takes a lot of work to make your own world..
One thing to bear in mind is that if you make up a town, then you have to keep it the same throughout. If the main character goes left to get from the church to a certain restaurant, then he or she will have to go left the next time as well. Just remember to be consistant.
Hope that helps..
--Kay
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Post by Duskglimmer on Jun 22, 2006 17:55:32 GMT -5
Either way, you have to have a basic map in mind. I'm not sure that either option would really be "easier". They both would have thier difficulties.
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Post by Firestarter on Jun 22, 2006 17:56:56 GMT -5
Don't be too concerned about road plans and such. The setting is just there for things to happen. Don't take up time in your narrative describing the colour of the vine of the restaurant on the south causeway, because it's not important. Just have a name, and a general idea how the place is set out ie. where the main places are, how the buildings look, the policing/city watch, the governing body, etc.
Just don't get too caught up in the details.
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Post by Deloclya on Jun 22, 2006 18:09:05 GMT -5
thanks KayJuran, Duskglimmer and Firestarter =] I think I'm going to make up my own town, just because then I can be most farmiliar with it...Choosing a town at random somewhere in the US wouldn't be smart, even if I'd visited it once or twice because unless I had the oppertunity to go there again I would never be able to really imagine it and get the details right... And you're also right about not getting too caught up in the details Firestarter.
I like this place more and more every day =]
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Post by Snoink on Jun 22, 2006 18:20:55 GMT -5
Yay!
Yeah, definitely stick with your own town. Good choice!
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Elelel
Junior Writer
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Posts: 41
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Post by Elelel on Jun 23, 2006 2:30:50 GMT -5
Yeah, I'd make your own. I think you'd probably find the instant you decided to do a real town and then actually write about it there are a million and one little details you wish you remembered but unfortunately hadn't.
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.:↑ Mÿth ↓:.
Senior Writer
No! Not a legend, Myth!
Posts: 179
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Post by .:↑ Mÿth ↓:. on Jun 23, 2006 3:43:16 GMT -5
You could base it on your town and just change a few things like where a few buildings are or make a rough map that shows the main settings in the story.
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Post by reichieru on Jun 23, 2006 8:19:46 GMT -5
I always liked it when the author made up their own town for urban fantasy. Charles de Lint, the author who is credited for creating the genre, invented a city that is neither Canadian nor American that he uses all the time. I'd say it's a bit from all the major cities in Canada and America that he is familiar with. It might be useful to look at images from cities that have qualities that you need to help you, but in general, make it all up.
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Post by Deloclya on Jun 23, 2006 22:15:28 GMT -5
I'm sort of basing it off of Williamsburg, Viriginia [not the colonial part] and my own town, mixing bits and pieces. I bet there's no town like it though, with all of the pieces that I need to make the setting work. It's almost as though it's too big to be a town, with it's shopping district, garden and other related amenities, but too small to be a city as most people still life in suburbs and houses. I like it =]
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Post by CassandraJ on Jun 25, 2006 19:52:59 GMT -5
I had this problem. I was going to make the setting a real place and then deicided I didn't know enough about it. I was afraid someone who actually lived there would jump out of my closet or something and go, "NO! That's WRONG!" So I'm just not going to make the setting any place specific: just kind of blend a couple of places together, like you're doing.
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Post by reichieru on Jun 25, 2006 20:25:01 GMT -5
It actually sounds a lot like the town I'm living in. It's got all the qualities of a big city, including inner city bus routes, but just on a smaller scale.
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Post by Deloclya on Jun 26, 2006 20:59:38 GMT -5
Sounds lovely Helen! My town is tiny. we call it "cow town" and "hick town" and the neighboring sports teams dress up as hillbillies when they play us... we have nothing but a few restaurants.
I'm having a lovely time with the town. There's really only one other backdrop, other than settings around the town, and that's this "council chamber" which is at an undisclosed location. =P
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fishr
Writer
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Posts: 69
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Post by fishr on Jun 28, 2006 13:19:54 GMT -5
That got me excited, and then I read, [no colonial]. LOL! I was like, aww man. I thought just for a second someone was going to take on colonial America, then that thought was dashed.
Now, this makes it interesting. I live in such an environment. Currently my house is in the country, complete with the cows, and aroma of the sh**ers when the farmers are spreading the 'miracle fertilizer.' Aww... *sniffs* Gotta love dairy air!
But I also live on the outskirts of the city. So basically to my left is the city life and to my right, farms. I have the best of both worlds.
The only other thing I can think of is maybe select a state (assuming you are from the States) that has a generally low population, and maybe use it as reference?
That way, if you fall in a jam, you can look at pictures or reread to help you familiarize yourself again with the mental map.
Just a thought, and good luck!
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Post by Deloclya on Jun 28, 2006 15:11:31 GMT -5
lol I've written about Colonial America, but that was back in my historical fiction kick in like elementary school =P
Where you live sounds lovely! I live in suburbia and it's too big to be country, but too small to be exciting. it's very annoying.
I'm not sure what state to set it in but I might just set it in my own because I suppose I subconsiously based the weather patterns of that city off of my own.
I've only described the city, I haven't really mapped it out although a Map would probably be good...that way I'd be consistant.
Thanks for your advice! =]
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