Is It Real?
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Before I write a story, I spend a lot of time developing the setting. One question always comes up: Should this story occur in a real place actually found on a map? Or would the story be better served if I made up a fictional setting? Here are some pros and cons of each approach:
Using a Real Place
Advantages—
1. It’s already there for you, ready to use
2. It has shaped the people who live there, so there’s a built-in culture and social structure
3. It has a ready-made history, ready to mine for story conflict
4. When you do it well, it can add another rich layer to your story, especially for readers who are familiar with the actual place
Disadvantages—
1. You must thoroughly research the actual place
2. If you change anything, or get anything wrong—or if things change in the future—readers who are familiar with the place will call you to task
3. You’re not as free to invent the things your story may need
Using a Completely Fictional Setting
Advantages—
1. You don’t have to research the setting
2. You don’t have to worry about getting things wrong
3. You’re free to create anything you need, including physical landmarks, history, past or present conflicts, and the preferences and prejudices of the people who live there
4. For some kinds of fiction, such as science fiction or fantasy, a completely fictional setting can be essential to the story
Disadvantages—
1. You have to work harder to to create a setting from thin air
2. You have to work harder to make sure the setting is concrete, believable, and logical
A Compromise: Creating a Fictional Setting Based on a Real Place
Advantages—
1. As with a real place, the flavor of the setting, including its history, people, and conflict, as well as the physical setting itself, are already there for you to use
2. As with a completely fictional setting, you’re free to make up whatever else your story needs, without fear of getting things wrong
Disadvantages—
1. Only one slight disadvantage that I can think of: Readers who like real places could be disappointed to find that your setting doesn’t actually exist, which is probably less true for children/YA readers than for adults.
Another factor to consider: small towns are easier to invent than big cities. If you want your story to be set in a place similar to New York, you should probably just set it in New York. You can, however, create a fictional neighborhood within the real city.
No one answer—real, fictional, or a combination—fits every story, but by considering the pros and cons of each approach, you can find the answer that best serves the story you’re writing right now.
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