Buildings/Landmarks that don't actually exist...

My responce to Buildings/Landmarks that don't actually exist...

[quote=Strongbear;1959304]Suppose you're writing a story which is set in the real world as opposed to some imaginary sci-fi realm. Now suppose you wanted to put a completely invented, currently non-existent building or landmark right smack in the middle of a particular location (eg if you stuck a 14th century historic-looking building somewhere in New York or Paris). How would you as either the reader or another writer respond to this? Would you simply accept this as believable since you would know that this building doesn't exist in real life? And would it raise questions as to where someone either got planning permission or the necessary funds to suddenly erect it there (if you used the argument that it was a newly constructed landmark/building built in a 14th century style)?

And would you as a writer be deterred from creating such an imaginary place because of real-world constraints or would you still go for it?

Thoughts?[/quote]

been there, done that.

Old Orchard Beach, Maine is my very real hometown, The Twighlight Manor is my very fictional vampire infested medival castle built smack dab in the middle of it. I've never had any complaints with the series at all. Of course, I also moved Bar Harbor's very real Thunder Hole to Old Orchard Beach, and no one has really noticed that it should not be where I put it either.


I guess, it's because I know ever inch of Old Orchard, that I can write about it so well, but it's a very small town, so most folks don't know if there really is a Twighlight Manor in the town or not, and most folks know the Thunder Hole is in Maine, but unless they live here, most can't tell you which town it's in, so they don't notice that I moved it some 300 miles away.

And the moral is? If you know the area well enough to write about it like you are the town historian, than folks are not going to question all the little fictional details you add in, at least not until they show up on your front door step and ask you for directions to your fictional landmark, that is. It's the mark of a good writer when you can blend fiction with reality and your readers can't tell the differance.

What's your take on this? I'd love to hear what you have to say about this post. Leave a comment and share your views!




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