Writing about a fictional city can be difficult.Real cities have sections of land with a population.To create a fictional city and use it in a story, you will need to access your imagination and focus on the details of the city.
Step 1: There are many examples of fictional cities.
You should read up on several known examples of fictional cities to get a better idea of how to write a fictional city.The characters and events that occur in the world of the book are often complemented or reinforced by fictional cities.Basin City is a fictional city in Frank Miller's Sin City.King's Landing is a fictional city in A Game of Throne.In L.Frank Baum's The Wizard of Oz, there is a fictional city called The Emerald City.The city of The Shire is a fictional place.There is a book called The Hobbit.
Step 2: Analyze the examples.
You should take some time to consider what makes the examples so effective once you have read through them.This will help you understand how to write about a fictional city.A map drawn by the author or an illustrator is used to describe most fictional cities.Look at the maps provided of the fictional cities and notice how much detail is put into them.The map was provided in J. R.R.Major landmarks and structures in the fictional area are included in The Lord of the Rings author's novel.Look at the names of the streets in the fictional city.The names of fictional cities can have a lot of significance as they symbolize certain aspects of the book.Frank Miller's Sin City graphic novels show that the area is known for its sinners.The name tells the reader what to expect from the characters that live in the area.The author describes the city.Is she using certain descriptions to describe the city?King's Landing is described as dirty and smelly in The Game of Throne by George R. Martin, but it is also the seat of the throne.There is an interesting contrast between the descriptions and the reader.
Step 3: There are pros and cons to using a fictional city.
Building a fictional city allows you to use your imagination and really explore the possibilities of fiction, even though it may seem easier to set your story in a real city.Your characters need a place to work and interact, and creating your own city frees you up to add elements from several different areas or parts of the real world.Creating a fictional city will allow you to use elements of a real city you know well, such as your hometown, and twist them around so they become fictional.You can change what you know to create a fictional world if you are familiar with the area.The more believable your city is in your book, the better it will be for readers.You can shape the city to fit with the actions and perspectives of your characters if you make a convincing fictional city.
Step 4: You should base your fictional city on a real city.
Adding fictional elements to the city so it is not real is another option.If you know your home city well, you can use it as a template for fictional elements in the city you would like to explore.You can change physical landmarks in your home city based on your imagination.This is how the fictional city feels to you.
Step 5: Determine the name of the city.
One of the most important elements of a fictional city is its name.In your story, the name may be repeated by your main character, other characters, and in your descriptions.You should think of a name that is meaningful.If you want your story to have a more universal feel, you can choose a name that feels like every small town.It's unlikely that readers will know much about the town other than it is small and in North America.If you use a name like Springfield, readers will think of The Simpsons, which may not fit with your story.Consider a name for the region or area where your fictional city is located.For example, if your city is located in Germany, you can choose a German name or German term that could also be a name.If your city is located in Canada, you can change the name to create a fictional one.The reader will be alert to the meaning behind the name if it is Vengeance or Hell.If the town acts in a different way than the name, it can be effective.Hell is a town that has nice people.
Step 6: The city has a historical record.
You need to think about the history of the city now that you have a name.The city will feel more believable to your readers if you create a historical record of the city.Who founded the city should be one of the questions you answer.The person could be an explorer who stumbled on the land or a Native person who built the city using basic tools.Think about who was responsible for founding the city.When was the city founded?A city founded 100 years ago will have a denser history than a city that was founded 15 years later.Why was the city founded?It is possible to better describe the city's past by answering this question.A foreign explorer may have claimed the land and colonized it.The city may have been founded by people who found empty land and built it up on their own.The reasons for the city's existence will help you get a better sense of your characters, as they may have personal ties and connections to the City due to how it was founded.How old is the city?The age of the city is important.An older city may have city planning details that have been preserved, while a newer city might have very few old buildings and an experimental approach to planning.
Step 7: The city has a landscape and climate.
Is the city surrounded by forest?Is the city located in the desert?Your city may be more urban, with a large population and a skyline of buildings and office towers, or you could be a more small town and have a few major streets.Look at how a stranger might view the city, including the vegetation, terrain, and landscape.The climate of the city should be considered.Is it warm or cold?The time of year when your story is taking place may affect the climate.In a fictional town located in Northern California, it can be warm during the day and cold at night.
Step 8: The demographic of the city is noted.
The type of individuals that make up the city in terms of race, gender, and class are the demographic factors.There are likely to be variations in the city's demographic.The city will feel more believable if you include details about the demographic.Take into account the racial and ethnic groups in your city.Is there more African American people than Latino people?Some ethnic groups live in certain areas of the city.Is there a place where certain ethnic groups are not allowed?Think about class dynamics in your city.This could mean a character who is middle-class lives in a certain area of the city while an upper class character lives somewhere more expensive.Certain areas are off-limits to all classes except for one class in your fictional city.
Step 9: There is a map of the city.
Even if you don't have the best drawing skills, a physical representation of the city can be helpful.Major landmarks and the homes where your main characters live as well as where they work are included in a rough sketch of the city.Landscape details can include a mountain range that borders the city or sand dunes that protect it from the outside.As this will help you build a more convincing fictional world, try to add as many details as possible.If you have a friend who is good at illustration, you can ask them to help you draw a map of the city.You can use online resources to build the map.It is possible to cut and paste images from the internet to create a map or a physical representation of the city.
Step 10: Determine what makes the city unique.
With the basics of the city down, you can begin to add some local color.The unique elements of the city make it worth reading about.The city could be haunted by famous ghost stories.This could be a legend about the city that is shared and passed around by people.According to the outside world, you should think about what the town is known for.The city may have one of the most renowned sports teams or it may be known as the center of commerce.It will feel more unique if locals love or enjoy the city.What are the best places to hang out in the city?What are the locals proud of in their city and what are they afraid of?
Step 11: The city is an essential part of your story.
It is important that you focus on the details that are important to the overall story, even if it is tempting to get in-depth and detailed about your fictional world.The city should serve you and your story.Home in on certain areas in the city that are used by your characters and spend more time developing them.Your character may spend a lot of time at the private school located in the city center.Think about small details of the school, from how the building appears within the surrounding area to the mascot.Your character spends a lot of time in the areas around the school, so focus on the area around it.
Step 12: The five senses can be used.
A big part of creating a believable world is making the reader feel like they are in the city, from the smell of the garbage to the noises on the street.Your city will come alive with descriptions that draw on sight, taste, smell, touch, and sound.Maybe your city has a polluted river.Think of how it smells when you walk by the river.Have your characters talk about the smell of the river and the way it looks.Several locations or settings will recur in your story.The world of the story will feel more convincing if the five senses are used to describe the recurring settings.
Step 13: There are real-life details in your city.
Your reader will be aware that she is reading fiction and will accept a lot of strange and imaginative elements of the city.It might be useful to include elements of real life in the city.Your reader will feel more grounded in the city as your story progresses.Your characters may spend time in a dense urban area.The area may be populated with strange creatures and monsters, but it may also have elements you can find in a real-life urban area, like buildings, streets, and alleyways.It is easier to build a believable world with real-life details and imagined details together.
Step 14: The characters should be placed within the setting.
It is helpful to write your characters into the setting to see how they interact and move around once you have a more detailed understanding of your fictional city.Your characters should be able to access elements of the city that are necessary to move the story forward, and the fictional city should support your overall story.If you have a character who needs to access a magical portal in the middle of the city to time travel in a fictional city, you should make sure the portal is described well.The portal should be believable and your character should interact with it in an interesting way.Your character's needs and goals will be supported by your fictional city.
Step 15: Through the perspectives of your characters, describe the city.
A big challenge when writing about a fictional city in a story is avoiding obvious moments of description, where you put a description of the city into a character's voice to give the reader information about the setting.It can feel like the writer is trying to talk through her characters in a way that is obvious and forced.If you use the voices of your characters to inform the ways in which you describe the fictional city, you can side step this issue.Place your character in a situation where she has to interact with a section of the city.Have your character use a facility in the city that will allow her to describe how it feels to use it.This will allow you to give a description of the fictional city through the perspective of a character, which will feel more believable and convincing to the reader than simply telling them about the facility.The more fanciful elements of the fictional city should be treated in a straightforward manner by your characters.If your fictional city is located under water, for example, a character who has lived in the city for a long period of time may not be surprised that he has to get in his submarine to visit with his neighbor.It is possible to describe the character getting into the submarine and programming it for its destination in a casual, everyday way.This will let the reader know that submarines are used as a form of transportation in this fictional city, without having to tell them.