What are some good names for a fictional town or city. They have been an important aspect of human society, and historically included famous cities like athens, carthage, rome, and the italian citystates of the renaissance. The second book in the series, the mountain between us, which was just released, has the town snowed in, the passes on either side of the town blocked by a blizzard as happens in silverton from time to time. Real place names in fiction books my writers circle index. There is always a story in my mind about how the town name came to be, though that rarely makes it to the pages of the book.
And the town needed to have more than just character, it had to be a character in these books. Marten toonder the home village of tom poes, olivier b. Mar 29, 2019 to write about a fictional city, first think of a name that reflects your story world. City town film name distributors notes bedford falls its a wonderful life. A fictional american town that is the principal setting for the various archie comics titles and characters. What is a good way of coming up with names for fictional places. Town name generator generate real and fantasy town names. The town is going to be small and kind of countryish.
Alternatively, depending on the setting you could name the town something like intelligence, perseverance, charity, etc. Academia one setting within the webcartoon general knowledge. Nov 07, 2016 today, whenever i start a new book, finding the right name for my town always fictional is just as important to me as finding the right names for my hero and heroine. How do you guys think of town names for your fictional places. Kinda tricky to set that in an imaginary french town. How to build a profile how to build a fictional citytown. Imagine the location generator to be a helpful friend throwing out random suggestions. Fictional towns in tv and movies quiz by ropstafer. Im thinking of it being right in the middle of pennsylvania. But you heres is a list of things to help you make up a city. Top 10 fictional towns in childrens books childrens.
You can use the name of a real town, just locate the town in a state other than. Depending on your ability, creating names for people, places, and beings in fantasy books can either be fun or a pain. The fiction writers location creator helps writers conjure interesting names for places to set their scenes. These include novels, short stories, graphic novels and comic books. Younger children will relate to silly names or animal names such as another answer suggested. It was filmed in ogden, south salt lake, and draper, utah, except the series pilot which was filmed in canmore, alberta, denver, colorado and calgary. They tried to ban it because the books moral was that cutting down trees was a bad thing, and that it hurts the enviroment. It was named after the wardenclyffe tower in shoreham, new york. Lovecraft short story the call of cthulhu, first published in weird tales in 1928. Some of the most fantastic places only exist within the pages of books. I am writing a murder mystery and the murder takes place in broken bow oklahoma. Ive been doing this for three decades and will provide some tricks and thoughts to help. Our town generator uses parts of real place names in the us, uk, canada and australia, to help you build original but realistic sounding places. If you have come here looking for a fictional place name, you have probably tried to come up with one and you know just how hard it is.
If i want to use a real town i can refer to the book. And, what should i avoid in the name if the city is based off. But when that fails, writers need a subtle creative push to find a name that actually fits the characters. Axle city is a fictional city and the central location of the show.
Facts, quizzes and trivia about fictional places in literature, 27a wimpole street, george bernard shaw, abame, chinua achebe and more. When is it wrong to use real place names in fiction. The name of the town is usually the first impression on people passing through or coming to live. How to create your own fake town scott tracey young adult. I let my sister in law read the first two chapters of my first ya fantasy novel and the first thing she complained about was the fictional town, which really put me down, because as a big lj smith fan, the fictional town and history of fells church, virginia made me think i could do some great things with my own story.
Sometimes a town can be named aftter the person who founded it or what was founded in the city. If youre coming up with a name for a small whitebread town, topographical words acres, river, hills, dale, valley, etc sound good when paired up with adjectives at the beginning new, old, west, north, blue. Kathleen is the author of the upcoming hemlock, the first book in a young adult trilogy slated for release in summer 2012 by katherine tegen books, an imprint of harpercollins. List of fictional citystates in literature wikipedia. Everwood, colorado is a fictional small town that forms the main setting for the american drama television series of the same name. All you have to do is scour the page of 300 unique, original fantasy names and keep this list a reference while you write that fandomworthy novel. Its not going to be a gruesomehorror story, more of a thriller. Shopping centers, atms, parking, bus stations and bus stops. It is also important to name towns in fictional books and games with a name that describes the town, whether that be dark and gloomy or in a bright positive light.
Come up with a name that sounds like the name of a town or city. Set in a fictional town, town is a string of thirteen linked stories revolving around the lives of the young adults who live there. Accardibythesea small coastal village which is the home of the guild of enchanters in zork computer games. This list is comprised of some of the most recognizable names from fictional books. Can i use real town names in fictional booksmovies. Look at the naming of the areas or streets in the fictional city. I went from the center of town and worked my way outward to the outskirts of town.
This name generator will generate 10 random town names, most of which are english. If you are a property developer and have a town to name, you can name it with the features of the land in mind, for example, if the town has two rivers meeting at it, you could call it two rivers or something similar. Glen robinson, author of 20 books, including many in the christian suspense. There used to be one, as evidenced by the boarded up facade. She committed suicide, which is practically unheard of in that town. Writing about real places in fiction rocky mountain. Most of my books are set in my area so i change the names of the towns and villages and the forest, but i couldnt with this story as its set in sydney, and the opera house. Town names can vary a lot of course, and the names in this generator are quite varied as well. Were providing that push in the form of this buzzle post. Various short stories ulthar is both a fictional town and a fictional deity. A quaint, picturesque town on an island in puget sound.
Shangrila is a fictional place described in the 1933 novel lost horizon by british author james hilton. A master list of fantasy character names and places barely hare. I made a five ring draft of how i want my town set up. Please dont put any names that have been in other books or that already exist.
Fictional city usually appearing in the comic book published by raj comics. Can i use a real town or city name in a fiction book. Twin peaks, washington, is the town in david lynchs 1992 film, a prequel to the television serial drama of the same title. What is a good way of coming up with names for fictional. A citystate is a sovereign state that consists of a city and its dependent territories. Can i use real street names and a city in a fiction book. A small town in new zealand bears the same name, possibly because the wife of a 19thcentury surveyor was. To create a good interesting place name you will need time and a lot of investment, you probably do not want to spend hours just on a place name, you have a book to write or a game to makeplay.
Writers location generator name and describe a place in. Whether for a play, novel, short story, soap opera, tv series or movie script, our randomly created locations will inspire new thoughts and ideas. If you are looking for a random city or town name to spark a location for a book, game, or a script, millions of possibilities are at your finger tips. Use a last name last names can work well as the names of a place so check out your phone book. If, however, youd rather not mention genitalia in your book, youre still left with the question. As for towns i think fictional is best then you can make it all up and no one is comparing it to a real city. If anyone tries this tack, id love to hear how it works. This week, for all you hardworking writers out there, ive created a master list of fantasy names. Alexandria city in final fantasy ix, capital of the nation of the same name, ruled by. While most are english, theres still plenty of different themes and varieties. What is a good fictional town name for a childrens book. If you are a property developer and have a town to name, you can name it with the features of the land in mind, for example, if the town has two rivers. Say the town name, and write down what it sounds like. One hospital, one high school, one middle school, one elementary.
I am planning to have the town setted in pennsylvania but i can and will change it if i must. We found one listing for a bookstore, but the number was no longer in service. This is a list of fictional citystates in literature. Today, whenever i start a new book, finding the right name for my town always fictional is just as important to me as finding the right names for my hero and heroine. The greatest fictional towns and cities in childrens and ya writing and in the grown up. If shown, the year indicates when the book was first published. What are some good strategies to use when naming a fictional city. Each character is diverse in their background, personality, gender and age thus illustrating the characteristics of the town and the individual struggles, wants and desires of its residents. Fictional cities often deliberately resemble, parody or even represent some realworld analogous location or present a utopian or dystopian locale for commentary. Id focus on the title instead of the town name, unless you intend to use the town. It will enable you to get as close as you can to living vicariously at the time our pioneering ancestors first began to migrate westward with the intention of settling permanently. Create the perfect name for an imaginary town or randomly pick one using our automatic town and city name generator. Whats a good way to come up with a fictional town name.
This name generator will generate 10 random names fit for forests and other similar geological areas, like coverts, groves and thickets. For example, if your city is in germany, you might use a german word for your name, or if its in canada, you could take an existing canadian city and change it slightly. Try to create the impression of a happy, peppy town, then crush the readers dreams to find out its a creepy little abandoned place. It is destroyed in the second book, slaves of the mastery when ortiz and his raiding company attack and take the whole population minus kestrel. Drasleona, a city from the fictional books eragon and eldest. As a fantasy writer, ive done a lot of articles on creating a fantasy world, but today, author kathleen peacock is going to share with us her tips on creating a fictional town in the real world. Arlen is a small fictional town in texas approximately 96 miles outside of dallas and has an area code of 409 that includes beaumont and galveston. The town hospital, firepolice departments, post office, private properties and businesses, places of worship, bank, etc. Check maps to ensure the town doesnt exist in the state where you will set the story. I want to use a real city and real streets in my next novel so when my readers drive around the city and town they will feels like they are. Creating fantasy names for your fiction stories randy. Lovecrafts dream cycle, appearing in such stories as the dreamquest of unknown kadath 1926.
The answer i usually give my clients comes in three parts. Aron city is a fictional town and the main setting of johnny bravo. The first 2 names are names to do with the type of trees in the forest. Sometimes it can be what reminded them of the city or what the city is known for doing the most. The town, the third in conrad richters famous awakening land trilogy, is more than an interesting educational classic. How do you guys think of town names for your fictional. If it does, your readers will assume youre writing about the actual town.
I played around with the names cannelberry and canalberry for a while but i dont really like it anymore and there isnt really many canals in my story so it wouldnt make sense. I also wanted to use the geographic features of several towns. Jun 21, 20 i am writing a murder mystery and the murder takes place in broken bow oklahoma. How to create your own fake town scott tracey young. Some cities are inspired to what the setting looks like. Any similarity to an existing town name is purely coincidental. For example, the naming of sin city in frank millers sin city graphic novels indicates that the area is known for its sinful inhabitants. This tool generates a fictitious, englishsounding town name. Seuss book that anyone ever tried to ban was the lorax.
Founderruler jonestown, richmond, geography center city, mount hope, or three rivers, main industry basketville, purpose gateway, etc. The city and town name generator uses a database of over five million names across more than 150 countries. Apr 01, 2008 a governing authority, like a city, town, county, etc. If you were wondering, this is for a book im writing.
Itll be positive things about the town and a positive outcome at the end. If you plan to write a love story set in a city, say, it would work just as well in new york as it would in insert name of fictional city here. But, my problem with naming concerns finding names for cities. The name eureka, comes from a ghost town in the area. In the book, shangrila is a mystical, harmonious valley, gently guided from a lamasery, enclosed in the western end of the kunlun mountains.
To create a good town name, it needs to describe your town, whether that be fictional or real. How to design a fictional town or city pen and the pad. Next, write a historical record including details of why and when your city was founded. The names in a fictional city can carry a lot of importance, as the names come to symbolize certain aspects of the world of the book. Play sporcle s virtual live trivia to have fun, connect with people, and get your trivia on. Variants of cities names sometimes make it clear what city is the real basis, for example, las venturas from the video game grand theft auto series based on las vegas, and includes a number of notable city landmarks. The town was awarded the hammett prize for excellence in crime writing, and named one of the ten best novels of the year by stephen king. Join a live hosted trivia game for your favorite pub trivia experience done virtually. Creepy town names for fictional book yahoo answers.
Unique last name ideas for fictional characters of your book. Vampires, vampire hunters, people who make potions. Like one of those places where everyone knows everyone. Naming places in a fantasy novel last week, i dedicated my post to tips on developing character names but the places in your novel need names too. If you have come here looking for a fictional place name, you have probably. Cultures have always had legends and stories of fictional cities, and appear commonly in stories of early mythology. Stephen king has been writing stories set in the fictional town of castle rock, maine, for decades and it doesnt seem to have hurt him any. You can use the name of a real town, just locate the town in a state other than where it exists. Shangrila has become synonymous with any earthly paradise but particularly a mythical. If youre coming up with a name for a small whitebread town, topographical. He is also the coauthor, with guillermo del toro, of the international bestseller the strain. There was a public pool that opened, but it closed. In other cases, only fictional settings will do lord of the rings or alice in wonderland, for example. I need a name for a town in my book and ive come down to three but i dont know which one sounds best.
The hardest thing sometimes for us to create, isnt great characters, plot ideas, or shocking twists. Kathleen is the author of the upcoming hemlock, the first book in a young adult trilogy slated for release in summer 2012 by katherine tegen books. The lake the book is named after is in nearby kalkaska county, and mentions its location in northern michigan. A fictional city refers to a town, city or village that is invented for fictional stories and does not exist in real life, or which people believe to exist without definitive proof, such as platos account of atlantis. Will i get criticized or in trouble for using the real town s name. When youre writing a book, you get to name your characters, so why cant you name the town your story is. By kathleen peacock as a fantasy writer, ive done a lot of articles on creating a fantasy world, but today, author kathleen peacock is going to share with us her tips on creating a fictional town in the real world.
To create a good interesting place name you will need time and a lot of investment, you probably do not want to spend hours just on a place name, you have a book. Im not using real stores or names of people, all made up street names. The town was a different story, and something of a bleak and depressing one. Flipping through phone books is the easiest way to coin innovative and unique names for fictional characters. Its like a larger scale version of dropping a fictional school in a real city.
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