The Beauty of Fictional Towns
It’s my joy to introduce you to my friend, Katie Ganshert! Katie contacted me at a writers conference two years ago because she’d enjoyed My Stubborn Heart. We shared lunch and struck up a friendship. The next chance I got, I read her debut novel, Wildflowers from Winter, and was blown away by her literary and lovely, emotional and creative writer’s voice. We’ve been buddies ever since! Plus, she’s the one who battles me in our Pinterest Challenges. For more on that, click here. In short, she’s awesome.
Gotham City. Arendelle. Stars Hollow. Hundred Acre Woods.
Chances are, you’ve heard of at least one of these places. And yet, none of them are real. You can’t find them on a map or vacation there during spring break. They exist only because someone imagined them, then went on to canonize them in the world of fiction.
I’m a big fan of fictional settings. In fact, all of my published works take place in them. . .
Wildflowers from Winter and Wishing on Willows are set in the fictional farming town of Peaks, Iowa.
A Broken Kind of Beautiful takes place in the fictional island town of Greenbrier, South Carolina.
My recently released novella, An October Bride, is set in Mayfair, Wisconsin.
And the main setting for my upcoming novel, The Art of Losing Yourself, is Bay Breeze, Florida.
You might be wondering why? I mean, why go to the trouble of conjuring up a fictional town when there are plenty of perfectly fine, real-life towns to choose from?
The answer to that is simple.
Freedom.
There’s a whole lot of freedom that comes when creating a town from scratch. I can make it as big or as small as I’d like. I get to consider the layout, the culture, the hangout spots, the popular restaurants, and the shops, all of which gives me a lot of freedom when plotting.
If I need there to be an old-fashioned general store (The Art of Losing Yourself), then voila! It’s there.
If I need there to be a fall harvest festival, or a cute diner for townsfolk to swap gossip, or a pumpkin patch and a corn maze (all in An October Bride), then voila! I imagine them into existence.
If I need an ocean or a river or a lake, no problem!
It’s a lot like creating a character, only bigger.
I usually start by choosing a general location, then move on to the researching phase. Sometimes I visit the area. Or in the case of Peaks, I already live in the area. I buy travel guides, read local blogs, and peruse local news station websites. I find people from the area to interview. And let me tell you, I ask random questions. Things you can’t learn from the travel books. Like, what sounds are common in the area? What smells? What’s the vernacular? What baseball team do most people root for? I learn about the foods, the wildlife, the weather, and everything in between.
Once I’m finished with the research, I try to find a similar-sized town to fashion my fictional town after (I loosely based Peaks, Iowa off of LeClaire; Bay Breeze, Florida off of Seaside). I start listing businesses, restaurants, parks, police stations, schools, the layout of the downtown, etc. I make a map. I even name the roads.
It’s my hope that by doing these things, the town feels authentic. Like a place you could actually step into and visit.
Whenever a reader asks me where to find Peaks, Iowa or one of the other fictional towns I’ve created, it never ceases to bring a big smile to my face.
What if the only way you could make your father’s last wish come true… was to marry the man of your dreams?
Emma Tate has just moved on from one fiance, so when she announces a sudden engagement to her lifelong buddy Jake Sawyer, every busybody in Mayfair goes into high alert. Of course, no one but Jake and Emma know the real reason they’re getting marred — so Emma’s dying father will have a chance to walk her down the aisle.
But while Jake and Emma move forward with their plan– and frantically plan an October wedding– it becomes clear that their agreement has a few complications… the biggest being their true feelings for each other. With dubious friends, deliriously thrilled parents, and a town that won’t keep its nose out of their business, Emma and Jake will have a lot to contend with if they’re going to pull this off. The real question is: Who wants this wedding more, Emma’s dad… or Emma?
Katie’s website. Katie’s facebook page. Katie’s twitter page.
Becky here! One last quick thing. I wanted Inspired by Life…and Fiction readers to know that my newest contemporary romance, Meant to Be Mine, is currently on sale! A great deal for those of you who read on e-readers!
Now for Katie’s closing question: What’s your all-time favorite fictional setting?
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Sheila Roberts, another one of my favorite authors, has created a wonderful town called Icicle Falls. She writes with such a wonderful sense of humor and a grasp of the human spirit.
I love that picture of Katie by the way and I’m looking forward to your Pinterest war once again!
Aw, thanks for the kind words about the picture, Gail! So glad you enjoy the Pinterest Wars! I know Becky and I get a kick out of them!
Thanks so much for guest-posting here today, Katie! Setting can add a great deal of flavor to a novel. It’s tricky to weave in just enough detail to make readers feel like they’re there, while at the same time not slowing down the plot and the pacing.
I think general market romance author Kristan Higgins does setting wonderfully. Here’s what I wrote in my goodreads review of her novel, Catch of the Day: ‘For me, reading this book was like attending a master class on setting. The book’s small, coastal Maine town and its residents were so charming that they drew me in, engaged me, and beckoned me to come back. Goes to show just how much a certain kind of setting really can add to a book’s appeal (and also to the author’s branding).’
Totally agree, Becky! And thanks for having me, chica!
Katie, inventing towns and drawing little maps is EXACTLY what drew me to be a writer! I always loved (STILL love) books that have maps in the flyleaf. And I always have house plans for my characters, as well as town maps, etc. If I were any kind of artist, I’d post them on a Pinterest board. 🙂 Hey, wait! I’m married to an artist! Maybe I can have him turn my crude maps into something pretty!
Anyway, loved your post and so glad you visited with us today!
Deb – that is SO FUN! I never knew that about you! And if I were you, I’d totally be taking advantage of the artistic husband to bring some of those maps to life! Readers would love that!
Love to hear that! Creating fictional places has long since been a ‘passion’ of mine. I remember sitting down and drawing maps of countries and filling them in with fun-sounding names as a kid. I think that’s why I like to write fantasy stories instead of ‘real’ historical/contemporary fiction. Its bigger – you get to create whole worlds and fill it up with history that interests you. I also love making maps, country maps are easiest. House maps are fun. Town maps. . .I’ve actually never tried. Castle maps. . .I’d love to do but never seem to be able to settle a scale for. Castles should never be too small. lol But yeah, personally, that’s one thing I love about being a writer is being able to create the places, as well as the people and their stories.
Not that fictional settings exempt you from research, but it does change it a little, and in some ways makes it more focused. . .and more fun.
Me too! And you’re totally right. It changes the slant of our research, for sure!
Ok….so I’m so glad that you’re asking this question, because I have to say that bar none Redbud,PA was one of my Most favorite fictional settings…seriously. Everything about this town, setting, and storyline says welcome, grab a blankie, and snuggle up and stay…it says come in (and I love that feeling of welcome). I mean the town alone and that house were two of the sweetest parts of this book that drew me in. I don’t read a ton of historical or dated stuff, mostly contemporary…but I can truly say that the setting, the town and house had me wanting to live there or visit and stay awhile. The name alone is adorable- Redbud. ;-). Oh and anything with beautiful castles on an Irish or British countryside, bu I’ve not read many with these…..any suggestions. Thanks.:-)
Thanks so much! I’m delighted to hear that you loved the town of Redbud from My Stubborn Heart. I drew the inspiration for Redbud from a sister’s trip I once took to New Hope, Pennsylvania. While there, we stayed at a B&B that planted the seed in my imagination for Chapel Bluff.
One funny tidbit… I’d initially named the town Hope. But my editor informed me that they get A LOT of manuscripts from published and unpublished writers alike with towns named for things like Hope, Patience, Honor. She asked me if I’d change the town’s name. I said sure, and did a little research to discover names of plants and trees that grow in the area. The redbud tree is one. When I learned that the redbud has heart-shaped leaves — I was sold! The town became Redbud.