Using real places in fiction work
I don't mean big places that are used all the time (Los Angeles, New York, Boston, etc. etc.) I mean smaller cities and towns that don't quite have the same kind of recognition. Its that.....ok to do? Even if it might make that place look not so good? What about real towns with made up street names and attractions?
also, if youre using real places and are specific about the place make sure to get it all right. dont fuck up street names, directions, stores, and things of that nature.
but its fiction so you can literally do anything you want to do
I shouldn't worry about making the place look bad, I mean look what Stephen King did and still does to Maine, where he lives, and they love the fucker. I remember some good advice from a comic book artist, he said draw what you know, I should imagine that works for writing as well. Failing that invent your own place, I find maps work well here cos I always forget directions etc, plus making your maps and or detailed drawings of places is kinda fun. And I'm a sad bastard.
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Just an idea if you do want to write about somelace and not get run out of town on a rail; maybe use streets and places as they're named but call the city something different. It could be a little reward for the people reading to figure out exactly what place you're writing about. and the dummies will never know!
When I was writing, I used a real city but changed the name to something that was like a little puzzle. If you worked out the clues, you could figure out where the story was really set, like Nate said. Also, on the highways with number names, I added the numbers of two main roads in town together and renamed the highway. I doubt anyone would be all too pleased with what I had to say about the city in which my story was set. I did want to leave clues though.
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The main thing in fiction is the story itself. How important is for your story to be "real" in terms of street names and all?
Once you have that you can focus on the important stuff.
e.g. In my novel, I used a real place for the setting. Some years ago, I had to visit a school and draw a plan of the building. I used the same plans for the school in my story, but I didn't mention the name. That's something I found useful, because I had the plans to use as a reference for action (like where is everyone, or where are the different places) without having to mention the place, therefore, I avoided the reader thinking that the story was about something that happened in that school.
Take some time to reflect on what your story needs. Sometimes ambiguity works, sometimes its better to have the real deal, sometimes its better to invent the whole thing. I'd suggest you experiment a bit, write the same chapter (or paragraph or whatever) using real names, invented names, and one without any names. Then decide which is best for you.
You can do whatever you want in fiction with locations since you're never selling them as real. Just be sure that you want to use a real town name, not have the town shun you or anything.
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