Combining the real world with a fantasy world

[Rumwriter]

I'm writing a fantasy story that I want to take place in the real world, but not look like the real world. I know it isn't an original idea -- I mean, even Harry Potter mixes the two, but I feel like there are usually catches: maybe a portal into another world, or magic prevents people from seeing things as they really are.

Maybe I should just not worry about it too much, but somehow I just keep getting hung up on things like "my audience won't believe this place actually exists in the real world" or "this type of architecture doesn't exist."

My concern is that if I just write it as it is, my audience will forget that my story is supposed to be a fantastical version of our world, not a whole new world. Should I just not worry about it? Thoughts?

[superpsycho]

Just because it's a real world doesn't mean it has to be this real world. Just because a people maybe called human they don't have to be the same humans. It's done all the time. Make it a good story and no one will care.

[Rumwriter]

I should add that certain characters in my story are historical figures, so it does have to be our world. So, how do I create a world that both is and isn't our world?

[superpsycho]

I should add that certain characters in my story are historical figures, so it does have to be our world. So, how do I create a world that both is and isn't our world?

Parallel worlds. You just have to say something in an intro. piece.

[Just Jon]

Parallel worlds. You just have to say something in an intro. piece.

An alternate history based on one or more changed events in our known history.

[AmyHolt]

I like the idea that we don't see or understand or even pay attention to many things that happen while we're standing around picking out the right kind of cereal. People generally don't see what they don't understand or they choose not to see it. So why couldn't there be a magical world with dragons or wands. Use wards to keep people from wandering into certain areas or have portals that allow people to travel to a different realm. I love fantasy based in reality.

[Walid]

Perhaps add a dream world? Where the character is in different places when they dream?

I know I've wanted to do that for a while, not in the conventional Alice-in-wonder-land-style way, though.

What if the main character gets obsessed with Lucid dreaming, sleep paralysis and after a while, even astral projection?

There goes my story haha