1. jazzabel

    jazzabel Agent Provocateur Contributor

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    help with a town name

    Discussion in 'Setting Development' started by jazzabel, Mar 28, 2013.

    Hi everyone :)

    I need some help with inventing the name for an English town in my detective novel. The novel is set in the United Kingdom (England, home counties).

    The town is modelled on Bury St Edmunds, but I have to disguise it.
    Because it has to do with a cult of Diana (obliquely), I had in mind the name Selçuk but I need help with anglicising it convincingly.

    Thank you!
     
  2. erebh

    erebh Banned Contributor

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    what period is your book set in? Modern day?
     
  3. jazzabel

    jazzabel Agent Provocateur Contributor

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    Yes :)
     
  4. erebh

    erebh Banned Contributor

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    If I want to use a town but not disclose it, I stick the spelling into an anagram machine and see what comes up - you won't use these but they are fun
    Bury St Edmonds =
    Buddy Monsters
    Busty Mod Nerds
    St Dumb Drynose

    Take out the St and you get
    Derby Mounds - might be interesting if a hill features...
     
  5. Nee

    Nee Member

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    Why not play around with the real name some...

    Edmundbury.
     
  6. jazzabel

    jazzabel Agent Provocateur Contributor

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    @Nee: I can't because someone might recognise themselves in it :D

    @erbh: I like that process! It doesn't feature hills but the most fitting name you suggested would be Dumb St Drynose :D
    It's one of those weird Suffolk towns with a cathedral that dates back to the Doomsday book and a next door village called Fornham St Martin. It's perfectly flat, fairly green, farmland outside, mansions hidden behind walls of forest. It's similar somewhat to towns from Miss Marple movies.
     
  7. SwampDog

    SwampDog Senior Member

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    Use this fake name generator - loads of plausible English town names come out.

    Or perm some of these.
     
  8. Em_Anders

    Em_Anders Member

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    Doomsbury
     
  9. jazzabel

    jazzabel Agent Provocateur Contributor

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    Thank you @SwampDog, that link went straight into bookmarks :D

    @Em_Anders: thanks for the suggestion, I like it!
     

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