Fantasy in a real world?

[Dale R]

Hi guys and gals.

I've had a problem with my story ever since I started writing it.
That problem is simply that it's set in Briton. Not being too well traveled, I sometimes have difficulty in trying to figure out how to describe certain areas when I don't actually know what the area looks like. What type of buildings does that area have? Is it hilly, flat, or have any substantial woodland? (The woodland bit is really important in one particular part). As my characters do allot of traveling I can find myself stumped for ages.
obviously the internet has helped allot in some matters, but my question is this: Is it "OK" for a fantasy writer to exercise poetic licence when using real life places as a "world" for their story?
I haven't had to worry about cities or large towns so far as in the story they are "out of bounds" so to speak. But whenever I "make up" a woodland, or river etc, I can see in my minds eye some geeky kid with nothing better to do with his spare time than pulling my story to pieces.

 

[Mouse]

I reckon so. I have a story set in the real world, and when I don't know an area well I'll just make up a place name. Then people can't say 'but that place isn't really like that!'

 

[Toby Frost]

Do you mean modern Britain? If so then I'd say the closer to home it is the more accurate it needs to be. Of course there's nothing to stop you making up a village or even small town but I'd suggest doing some research first. You could make up a county, I suppose, but it might be best to stick to smaller areas for realism.

That said it doesn't have to be really heavy. You may well end up doing much more research than goes into the book. Since virtually all squirrels are grey there's not much need to say "grey squirrel" instead of "squirrel". Hence if someone goes into woodland, you need to know what woods in that area are roughly like. How much light is there? Do the trees keep their leaves? Basically, what interesting things can the characters sense? I don't know what other people will think, but to my mind getting this right will really strengthen the book, and give it a stronger sense of place. This should make the fantastic elements all the more striking as they clash with the 3D reality of the setting. (If you can stomach the gore, Clive Barker does this excellently in the stories Rawhead Rex and The Hellbound Heart).

One minor, Britain-specific point: some geographical areas, Yorkshire or Cornwall for instance, are not very big but are perceived by many as having their own fairly clear identities. It would seem odd, say, for someone to make cider in Yorkshire or go for a walk on the Cornish dales (there aren't any). I'd be quite careful here, although of course not everyone is a regional stereotype.

Oh, and Britons are the people, Britain the place. But that was probably a typo.

 

[Dale R]

Do you mean modern Britain? If so then I'd say the closer to home it is the more accurate it needs to be. Of course there's nothing to stop you making up a village or even small town but I'd suggest doing some research first. You could make up a county, I suppose, but it might be best to stick to smaller areas for realism.

That said it doesn't have to be really heavy. You may well end up doing much more research than goes into the book. Since virtually all squirrels are grey there's not much need to say "grey squirrel" instead of "squirrel". Hence if someone goes into woodland, you need to know what woods in that area are roughly like. How much light is there? Do the trees keep their leaves? Basically, what interesting things can the characters sense? I don't know what other people will think, but to my mind getting this right will really strengthen the book, and give it a stronger sense of place. This should make the fantastic elements all the more striking as they clash with the 3D reality of the setting. (If you can stomach the gore, Clive Barker does this excellently in the stories Rawhead Rex and The Hellbound Heart).

One minor, Britain-specific point: some geographical areas, Yorkshire or Cornwall for instance, are not very big but are perceived by many as having their own fairly clear identities. It would seem odd, say, for someone to make cider in Yorkshire or go for a walk on the Cornish dales (there aren't any). I'd be quite careful here, although of course not everyone is a regional stereotype.

Oh, and Britons are the people, Britain the place. But that was probably a typo.

That was a typo, but I'm making a habit of silly things like that lately
But I have been up since 4am
I don't intend on inventing major landscapes, Just smaller details for the stories progression really.

 

[The Judge]

I'd echo Tobytwo's advice. If it's set in modern Britain, and in real places not invented Midsomer-like counties, then yes, you'll have to be accurate. I once threw a book across the room when it went on about the woods in a certain part of the New Forest. I know that area and despite the name most of it is effectively moorland. The - British - author had obviously looked at a map because he (of course it was a 'he') went on at length about the route being driven, but when it came to it, he hadn't bothered to verify things. It brought me out of the story and I couldn't read any further.

I haven't ever checked it myself, but would Google Street View (or whatever it's called) help with the countryside, as opposed to villages etc?

 

[Toby Frost]

of course it was a 'he'

We're good at being wrong!

Fair enough if you've been up since 4! I know it sounds as if all this research will be a pain in the bum and no more: however if you live in the UK or have visited it it shouldn't be too hard (and is an excuse for a day out). Also, it will make your story loads better. Judge has a good point about getting details straight-up wrong: there are people who will flinch when a medieval knight draws a rapier or whatnot, and there's a sort of air of "3d-ness" that settles over stories where the setting's believable enough.

I'm not sure Google Street View does villages yet, but it's only a matter of time. Only oldthinkers unbellyfeel Google, citizen.

 

[Dale R]

Thanks chaps.
In my story there will be "new settlements" made by survivors that can no longer
live in the cities and towns. These will obviously be completely fictional, which isn't a problem. My main problem is just landscapes really, I'm just going to have to do the best I can with whatever info I can collect on line on areas I know nothing about. It is tricky, but I would like it to be authentic.

 

[Mouse]

Maybe Google image searches would help? I've been to Dartmoor and Exmoor, and I have mentioned moors in my stories, but to remind myself of what they're like I look at pictures on Google and describe what I see.

 

[Dale R]

I've just had a thought, and may try it out later. Google a description of a landscape...Never know what it'll come up with.

 

[Teresa Edgerton]

My main problem is just landscapes really, I'm just going to have to do the best I can with whatever info I can collect on line on areas I know nothing about.

Or there are books, which tend to be much more reliable for research purposes than online sources. I agree with those who say that accurate details will bring the book to life. Research can also inspire you with new ideas, instead of the more obvious ones that most of us start out with because they come easily to mind and are based on what we already know.

 

[The Judge]

of course it was a 'he'

We're good at being wrong!

It was the map aspect of his research to which I was referring (the males of my acquaintance being the type to give full details of roads and routes in mind-numbing detail) rather than being wrong, but now you mention it...

Have just checked Street View and lo and behold part of our village is on there! Mind you, it is just the roundabout on a major trunk road. Though if it's landscape you're after Dale, they don't seem to have got round to that yet so that won't help you. I imagine there's still a lot of basic info you could pick up on line, though. And most counties would have books by local photographers showing landscapes which might be of help.

Good luck with it anyway.

 

[Dale R]

Thank you. All very good advice. I'll certainly be continuing to try and keep my locations as true as I can through my research.

 

[Xelah]

We're good at being wrong!

But I'm the best.

Re: your original post
I'd stick fairly close to home or get accustomed to using google street view. Like Judge, I've also tossed a book when an author started describing a location I was familiar with and totally botched it. If you ever write about Texas, the entire state isn't a spaghetti western and there are different accents depending on where you are.

 

[chrispenycate]

Texas, the entire state isn't a spaghetti western and there are different accents depending on where you are.

Abilene, chiefly Meuuu, if I remember correctly.

But things change, anyway. Those ex sheep pastures you mentioned (no, not in this thread, in the crit) – without regular grazing, two years and they're covered with thorn bushes. It's only the constant nibbling at their shoots that keeps them under control.

A century, of course, and they're forest again, and the undergrowth dies back because the trees are taking all the life-sustaining sunlight.

 

[Rosemary]

I did a lot of research for a book I was going to write. It was set hundreds of years ago and I didn't want my characters walking through where a Roman Villa was without noticing it. I even went to the WA University and spoke to one of the professors about it!

As many of the great Authors say - research, research and more research. Good luck with your book Dale

 

[Dale R]

But I'm the best.

Re: your original post
I'd stick fairly close to home or get accustomed to using google street view. Like Judge, I've also tossed a book when an author started describing a location I was familiar with and totally botched it. If you ever write about Texas, the entire state isn't a spaghetti western and there are different accents depending on where you are.

This should be for another post really. But yes, accents is another issue.
For such a small country we have so many of them! You only have to travel a few miles from one town to another and the accents are completely different.
I have a hard time choosing!
I do want to keep all locations believable, I think I was starting to get a bit lazy with it! But after reading everyones views on the matter here, I'll be keeping up my research.

 

[chopper]

travel a little. even a short train trip can give you some decent inspiration - one location in a currently-stagnant book used Edale as a template; a castle found itself based on one in Jersey. having said that, the others are correct: as a writer you have a certain amount of licence to play around with geography to make your story work. the sitcom Keeping Up Appearances was filmed on location in Leamington Spa: old Leamingtonians like myself roared with laughter when a character drove down Cloister Crofts in one scene and reappeared in Whitnash the next - "You can't do that!" - but it worked for the story....

 

[Peter Graham]

Hi Dale,

I see from your profile that you are a brewer in Cornwall, so that's two votes you get from me before we've even started.....

When you say you are not well travelled, I get the impression that you are referring to the bits of the country where your story is set. if so, you have a number of options:-

1. Visit the places.

2. Set the story in parts of Blighty that you do know well.

3. Do a Thomas Hardy/Midsomer Murders/The Archers and re-invent a region of the country which is true to what the real place looks like and even feels like, but which is made up of fictitious towns and villages.

Some of the soaps do this. Emmerdale refers to a number of fictional places (including Hotton*), but also uses real cities like Leeds or York when characters go or speak of places further afield. I think this really helps to make the fictional places seem convincing.

Hardy took it a step further by keeping the geographical and built landscape intact and just renaming everything - Budleigh Salterton became Budmouth, Dorchester became Casterbridge and so on.

4. Get in some local help. There are members here from all corners of Blighty and if you let us know where the scenes are set, there's bound to be someone who knows the place first hand who can give you the lowdown.

Regards,

Peter

* My memory may be playing tricks, but I seem to recall that Emmerdale used to be the name of the farm where Ma and Matt and the Sugden brothers would have earnest conversations about fat lambs and milk prices. The village - which is now called Emmerdale - was actually called Beckindale.

 

[Dale R]

Unfortunately, time and money are a massive factor for me when it comes to being able to travel around. Having a young family and responsibility at home often stops me form leaving the house at all. even on Saturdays which is often "my day" for getting stuff done.
The Idea of asking people here about locations is a very good one I hadn't considered.
It's going to be a case of research, mostly done via internet. I'll get it figured out. Especially with all the ideas you guys have put forward!

 

[Dale R]

I'm walking around with a light bulb over my head.
This post has actually just given me a random Idea out of the blue for the story. which as a bonus would save me a hell of allot of research, and give me a little freedom. But best of all, would actually give a surprise twist at the end.
I'm mulling it over.