Forum: Author Hangout

I had this same 'issue' with a project that is currently not even in the damn kitchen let alone on a stove's back burner. Though mine may differ in that there are many shorter stories over a longer period of time. people grow up in on story to appear more mature in an other. It is generational if you will. I think there's 5 or 6 generations all noted down. It's also incest heavy, But I have decided to go non-descript if there is a 'limited' geography in which to roam...

send me a DM and I'll talk to you about it if you want. also how I keep track of all those characters, it's not easy.

Till later, F.

and the family's aunt and uncle are the owners of a fictional nudist resort.

That sounds like the perfect setting for a group incest epic.

I don't see a problem here. I invented Shelter Sound, a fictitious fishing village in Mass.
But I have also set stories in Moscow, Gainesville and Manhattan. And see no reason why you shouldn't do a bit of research to round things out if you have to. I've never been to any of these places and no one, not editors nor readers, have ever complained that I didn't get it right. There are exceptions, but I think in most cases an author should concentrate more on building believable characters than worrying about where they live.
Jo-Anne Wiley

I would go for a fictional location for the main city - although perhaps give a vague description of where it might be in relationship to a real location.

As for colleges, perhaps a combination of real and fictional ones especially if you are considering a small college.

I agree that character development should be a bigger priority than location - although the later can influence what might happen in the story. For instance, suppose the family made a trip to the nudist camp in January. The possible activities in that trip would be different if the location was in Mass or Southern California.

I would "Split the Baby."

Decide on where in the USA you want to set your story. Then create a fictional suburb or nearby community; you don't even necessarily have to name it. Just we live a couple hours out of St Louis, for example.

As for the colleges or universities, there are plenty of useful synopsis of tens of thousands, listing their minors, school colors, and Mascot.

For instance, Bellevue College near where I live used to be a "community college" about two decades ago; they now offers 4-year degrees, and affiliation with several universities.

Their mascot is the Bulldogs.

Perhaps you could refer to the different colleges by their Mascots; often multiple universities and colleges have the same/similar mascot. Around here it is typical to refer to the two major universities as The "Huskies" (U of W) and the "Cougs" (or Cougars) (Washington State).

You would know for certain, and for making "off screen" decisions which colleges/universities; but by referring to them as the Cardinals, and the Spartans, or whatever, you could keep it somewhat vague.

I find it helpful to have resources to fall back on for research, rather than making everything up.

Another example, in my main story I created the Big Boulder Creek Ranch, I know exactly where it is set (undeveloped land some 40 miles west of Boulder, Colorado. I have it pinned using a GPS map, so I can plot road/time distances. I looked up several diners, and coffee shops in nearby towns; I even printed out some menus. But the people, and everything else is made up.

Now the military bases, and some major businesses, the courthouse, even a strip club in Denver, are real. Businesses that are in conflict with the character, and many other things are made up. So, Denver, and Boulder, are real, but most settings of dramatic events are fictional; I just "know" where they are; nor is it necessary for any readers to know.

If you pay close attention to the first time the MC returns to the ranch, you can find Exactly (w/in a kilometer or less) where it is. Not that it should make any particular difference to the reader. It does factor in to multiple plot points, but more as a "tool" so that I can keep better track of what is going on.