Real Places vs Imaginary

[Ray McCarthy]

I think DC uses imaginary, like Gotham. Marvel uses real places like New York.

I said I'd never write a "Superhero" story, but I'm writing one anyway, with Urban Fantasy, contemporary, aliens and fantasy.

So as I vaguely know the area and it has all the ingredients I need, it's mostly in Wychavon, with some nearby places such as Tewkesbury as well as Dublin, Munich and Black Forest. Maybe passing references to Wales, Devon, Cornwall etc.

Why would I want to make up imaginary places for contemporary Urban Fantasy - Superheroes- Aliens story when the real ones are so nice?
I don't explicitly say if they are at school in Evesham or Pershore, or if it's an imaginary school. Four of the them live near each other (one near the Avon) in the "town" but I don't identify it as Pershore or Evesham, though Evesham is more likely.

Evesham (Pop 24K)
Pershore, 6 miles Evesham
Broadway
Worcester
Tewkesbury (Gloucestershire)
Droitwich [Spa]
Great Malvern

Wychavon district Villages    
    Ab Lench
    Abberton
    Abbots Morton
    Aldington
    Aston Somerville
    Ashton under Hill
    Atch Lench
    Badsey
    Beckford
    Bengeworth
    Besford Bridge
    Besford
    Bickmarsh
    Birlingham
    Bishampton
    Blackminster
    Bradley Green
    Bredon
    Bretforton
    Bricklehampton
    Broughton Hackett
    Charlton
    Cleeve Prior
    Conderton
    Crossway Green
    Defford
    Dodderhill
    Drakes Broughton
    Dunhampstead
    Dunhampton
    Eckington
    Elmbridge
    Elmley Castle
    Fernhill Heath
    Fladbury
    Flyford Flavell
    Grafton Flyford
    Grafton
    Great Comberton
    Hadzor
    Hampton
    Hanbury
    Hartlebury
    Harvington
    Hatfield
    Hawbridge
    Hawford
    Himbleton
    Hinton-on-the-Green
    Holberrow Green
    Honeybourne
    Huddington
    Kemerton
    Kersoe
    Kington
    Little Comberton
    Littleworth
    Martin Hussingtree
    Mere Green
    Murcot
    Netherton
    North and Middle Littleton
    North Piddle
    Norton
    Oddingley
    Offenham
    Ombersley
    Overbury
    Pebworth
    Pensham
    Peopleton
    Pinvin
    Pirton
    Salwarpe
    Sedgeberrow (near Evesham on Tewkesbury road)
    South Littleton
    Strensham
    Throckmorton
    Tibberton
    Upton Snodsbury
    Upton Warren
    Wadborough
    White Ladies Aston
    Whittington
    Wick
    Wickhamford
    Wychbold
    Wyre Piddle

 

[J Riff]

Atch Lench, huh. Badsey-Wadsey-on-Trenchmouth. Fabulous names over there. Here we have nutty native names as you drive interminably past Lake Superior, say, like Little Wabigoon. I don't know if I could describe it, or if anyone would believe it.
Hey I have a super-hero story ongoing... with really, weak, lame, minor-league superheros, for which I could use a few more names... like Napkin-Boy, The Atomic Dustmite, etc. if anyone has any ideas for ultra-lame superheroes.... *

 

[Ray McCarthy]

if anyone has any ideas for ultra-lame superheroes

I do, but I'm using them*. I'm needing to think up some super-antiheroes. I have the leaders of two of the three factions of secret marooned-on-earth aliens:
1) Wants to manipulate and control humans (obviously the really bad ones) to build a starship and leave.
2) Wants to share their tech with humans, thinks they are now advanced enough. Then they can get a starship and leave
3) Non-interference and preserve status quo Alien faction. Want a starship via only alien resources.
1 & 3 obviously united in preventing 2 leaking tech to humans
but 1 & 3 fighting each other using proxy super-anti-heroes and super-heroes.

But are any of the 3 alien factions really good for humans?
Where do the non-human sentient Earth creatures fit in? (Fey (elves, sidhe, fairy etc) , werewolves, vampires, nymphs, dwarves etc) (Alien factions 1 & 2 don't care if human discover and wipe them out, 3 wants to preserve them)

[My main protagonists are Susan the Accessorizer, Duncan Donne is "Mr Brown" superpower is "brown" no not even colour brown, Reggie can communicate with Rodents and Kate "super narrow" is brilliant with her smart phone app no-one else understands, she narrows down problems. Just ask a bunch of junior / primary kids which as yet unused superpower they would like!]

 

[J Riff]

No I mean REALLY lame... like Kleenex Boy, who's only power is the ability to sop up spilled drinks etc. ...

 

[Ray McCarthy]

Kleenex Boy, who's only power is the ability to sop up spilled drinks

That could be good. How is he with drinks spilled on keyboards?


Anyway what I was wondering was about using real places. My wife likes the new super-hero story (so far) better than any of my others, but thinks I have to have imaginary places.

 

[J Riff]

Marcus Welby, if you like thinking up names, besides which none of the places on the list conjure up anything other than the same village, here in the land of stripmalls and parking lots...*

 

[Ray McCarthy]

if you like thinking up names

You lost me there.
I've no difficulty with made up names in my SF or my otherworld Fantasy, though both series involve real named places on Earth and Ireland.
I thought though my super-hero + Urban fantasy should use all the real towns and villages within Droitwich / Evesham / Broadway / Tewkesbury / Great Malvern / Worcester area (and those places), which is mostly Wychavon, a recently invented administrative district of Worcestershire. Tewkesbury is actually in Gloucestershire, but its pretty connected to Evesham (people talked about it when I was there and I checked the buses). Worcester is actually further away from Evesham, possibly, but there are I think some express trains.

 

[StuartBurchell]

If it's set in the real world and the plot allows you, setting it someplace you know makes it more authentic.

Otherwise use a search engine if possible or make it up.