When writing a novel, the setting is one of the most important pieces of your book. Setting influences how our characters interact with the world around them and one another. Sometimes, the setting can take on a characterization of its own, especially in stories rich with environmental storytelling.
A lot of the advice about creating a fictional world stems around fantasy settings – and world-building in fantasy novels is so different than in contemporary.
If you’re struggling with how to create a fictional town, here are a few techniques that worked for me when crafting Riverpeak, Colorado, the town I created for my superhero romance novel NOT MY TIME.
Ask Yourself Why You Want a Fictional Town
The first thing I did when I decided to write NOT MY TIME was settling on giving it a fictional place, not a real one. Even though NOT MY TIME takes place in our world, I didn’t want to have to deal with the constraints of the real world’s rules, especially since I didn’t want it to take place in Florida (where I live). This way, I could cast a wider net for my research and remain flexible in building my town.
When deciding on a location for a fictional town, ask yourself why fictional. Is there a real town you can use that will have the same effect, or is it more important to your story that you can create some of your own rules?
In NOT MY TIME, not only did I want to create my own rules as far as the day-to-day goes, but I also wanted to have the town play a little bit into the lore. The ability to gain superhero powers is pretty limited to residents of this town, so being able to lean on that with my own setting versus a real one lets me do just that without having any implications on real-life people (see also: the Quileute tribe and Twilight).
However, sometimes a real town can work just fine, especially if your setting plays a little bit into your story but not so much that it needs its own lore.
Location, Location, Location
Once you have your town’s purpose down, it is a lot easier to narrow down a location. It is worth considering how different ecosystems, climates, and terrains might impact your story, especially seeing as your setting should influence your characters.
For example, I was pretty tired of a lot of superhero cities taking place in big cities like NYC, so I wanted to play off of a small town with a street fighter hero. I also didn’t want my book to take place in Florida, as there’s nothing sexy about sweating your ass off in superhero gear in the humidity here, so I wanted somewhere where it gets cold. That’s how I landed on Colorado, especially since Colorado isn’t short on small mountain towns.
What’s In a Name?
Ah, the fun part: finding a name. With all of the fantasy name generators out there, I’m not sure if my fantasy-writing friends have this easier or harder. But for contemporary settings, I recommend looking at some features in your town and using that to pull naming inspiration.
Some questions you can ask yourself:
- Are there any landmarks here?
- Is there someone the town may have been named after?
- How big is the town?
- Where is my town in location to the closest major city?
How did I name Riverpeak? I looked at common geographical features throughout Colorado. Tons of cute little rivers and creeks plus lots of tall mountains with high peaks = river + peak. Then I Googled it to see if it existed, and breathed a sigh of relief when my results came up empty!
Laying It Out
Now that you have your name and some general features figured out, it’s time to map out your town.
There are tons of map-making tools out there that are helpful for this. I personally didn’t bother with any of them! But I have heard great things about Wonderdraft, which is a one-time purchase of $30. This is probably worth it if you’re building a more expansive city or town, and is probably especially handy for fantasy authors.
Instead, I took inspiration from my own local small towns that were similar to Riverpeak and to the small mountain towns existing in Colorado. I also decided to keep the actual layout very simple, acting like a grid in my memory. It’s almost like something you’d see in a side-scroller video game. This way, I wouldn’t get overwhelmed by it when writing.
If you’ve never been to the place where your fictional town is, it’s time to start researching. Travel guides, town maps, and Pinterest boards will be your best friend.
And, if you’re able, visiting these locations actually helps, too! My writing of Riverpeak became even stronger after I visited Colorado.
What’s Local?
One thing that can really bring your setting to life is incorporating small details that really make it feel local. What wildlife is native to your area? What types of plants? Are there any local legends that they lean into?
Even if your town is fictional, you can pull some inspiration from the real towns based on yours. So long as it isn’t harmful to any group of people, it’s safe. A good example: in Colorado, I noticed Sasquatch-themed stuff everywhere. So, Bigfoot is getting referenced in NOT MY TIME’s sequel when a new girl moves to Riverpeak. It’s brief, it helps show the character’s voices, and it can help immerse readers into your location.
You can really have a ton of fun with it here. This is where you can really give your town some life and make it feel like an actual place that someone could visit. Even if you’ve never been to the place that’s inspiring your town, you can visit local places near you to source inspiration and translate that to your setting. If your city has a great boba shop, does that fit into your story? Why or why not?
Adding details like this will ultimately help make your town more memorable. If you’re looking for a fun read that does a good job of this, Message Not Found does a great job of transporting you to Alaska without shoving it in your face, especially since the setting weaves into the narrative so naturally (in fact, it’s pretty crucial to it!). I read that this spring and highly recommend it.
Key Takeaways
Looking for the TLDR? In short, just remember the following:
- Why do I need a fictional town?
- How will the setting influence my characters?
- Are there any landmarks?
- How big is the town?
- Where is my town in location to the closest major city?
- What’s the local ecosystem like?
And, above all else, have fun with it! If you hate your town, then your reader probably will, too… unless you’re writing about a character who hates their town and leaves home. Then you’re on the right track. 😜
