Hi all, Hope everyone is well. I am currently writing an alternative history, horror, fantasy book set in present day. I have created fake towns and cities for the book, but was wondering if it was ok to use real places for fiction or should I stick with made up places? Happy writing! Sean
Either works. If you use a real setting, there is obviously an expectation you will do your research and portray it accurately. You can be somewhat vague about the exact location though if it helps. But, if you are doing a story sit in a large city, a real city is generally broadly mixed enough to give you options that making a whole fake city is probably harder. If you want to include a sense of cultural history but not your own specific historical details, then a real world setting is better because it provides a wealth of history. If you do have specific historical details in mind, obviously a fictional location allows you to include those without having to worry about clashing with real history Which is all pretty much to say you can easily do either, the question is what best fits your story, and simply what you prefer.
