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Stumbling problems - location location location?

For a while now I have been... procrastinating over how to move on, it's taken some serious delving and soul searching to find the course of the stall, but finally I have a little list of things that "catch" in the flow.

I'd like your opinion on one.
Keeping in mind my genre for this specific is young adult "speculative/fantasy".. as aware of artistic licence I am also aware of "press, public and the local take" The locals of the town are very protective of history, plus it's messing with my own "morals and ethics of writing" ("getting yer facts right")

A key chapter requires to place my character in a certain part of a real town on his way home. (more than likely from school) I know this is a 20 minute walk or so to reach a residential area - but I want to place his home else where in the town (mostly cause it's "pretty and atmospheric- how daft!) ...which would give him no good reason to cross the important part of town -ever- disolving the plot entirely.

I'm tempted to say "tough thats how I want it" but I can already hear the voices screaming "thats not right"
Your thoughts?
Am I just being lazy, avoiding re-writing a good chunk of the book, after all - any number of reasons could be used to cross that part of town - visiting friends, relatives... just "dossing" ??

The fact that I have been avoiding this issue for months is frustrating.. but clearly needs sorting - and typing it out is a fab way of confronting it!
Perhaps I can now look at covering the cracks I have created in the wall where I have been banging my head!

Comments

  • Well you can place the character's home wherever you want it- create a ficticious street, avenue, close, road within that area.
  • I would agree with Carol. I suppose it depends it you are being very acurate about every other place in your book. You see plenty of books which say that there is no village of "wherever" or that the Star and Garter pub is real but the Dirty Duck is imaginary in the front therefore not misleading anyone. If you are worried about it I should make a clear not now of how they are different or what you have changed and deal with ensuring that your readers are aware of it later when (fingers crossed) you find a publisher.
  • I have used a real place in my novel but just stretched it a bit to put the house and land around it in.
  • Something like Morse relies on a very real place that everyone can recognise. But why do you have to do that? Even if you have picked a real town or city like Glasgow or Leeds, you can still make up roads and be vague about exact locations. it's not a travelogue, it's fiction! Start off with absolute accuracy and you are forcing yourself to continue that way. I would say - don't! If you have been worrying about this for months, you are now using it as an excuse not to get the damn thing written. Write the book - call the street anything you like, or why call it anything? Can't he go home without us knowing his address? It's starting to sound too precise, and this (minor) problem is becoming more important to you than your characters and your story. Stop it!!!
  • Nottingham features heavily in some of my stuff but I tend to invent streets and companies, purely for the simple fact it's safer.
  • Thanks guys, I agree with your thoughts regarding fictonalising... just working my head around it all. The plot features a key historic event to do with the town, not to mention the premise.
    So I need to come at this from another angle - inventing a street might well work. I know i am getting bogged down in detail, fact and history. I'm still joining dots though, I think.
  • Yes it does happen like that when you're still working stuff out.
  • Well, it seems that the location and reasoning was the problem - my lead character was amazingly flat, but I didn't wish to accept it - so by taking a few liberties, and shifting locations... suddenly there is a heartbeat...

    Doesn't it feel fab to know your on the right track again!
    Thank you guys for talking some sense into me!
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