Fictionalize a real place?

setchmo · Mar 4, 2010

Hello. I'm in the plotting stages of a new horror manuscript which takes place in a popular national park. Since grizzly incidents occur within the park, I'm wondering if I should change names and alter landscapes of the park and the nearby cities. I don't think there's anyway I can completley mask the true identity of the park but I can make it less obvious. Is it a good idea to do so? Are there legal implications if I don't? Characters will all be one hundred percent fictional. Thanks for any help you can offer on this.

AdamH · Mar 4, 2010

There's stories about murders and other unspeakable acts taking place in real places all the time.

Dan Brown plotted a grizzly murder scene at the Vatican for one of his books.

As long as it's simply a setting and you're not saying anything that could be construed as bad about the place, you should be alright.

If you're worried about something like that, you could go the Stephen King route and make up a town like Castle Rock for everything.

Chris P · Mar 4, 2010

I don't think there is any problem using a real park and real cities. Just avoid any real people (which you have already addressed).

Also, are the incidents grizzly as in bears or grisly as in horrific?

Bears rule. Grizzlies doing grisly things even more so.

setchmo · Mar 4, 2010

Thanks! I didn't even think of Dan Brown. And bears will definitely be involved. Speaking of, have you read Night of the Grizzlies (by Jack Olsen)? It's a true account of two bear attacks that took place in Glacier on the same night in 1967. Scary good book.

kuwisdelu · Mar 4, 2010

I don't see any reason not to use the real place if it's just a setting.

But I like fictionalizing places anyway just for the fun of it

ether · Mar 4, 2010

Agreeing with kuwisdelu -- I could use real cities, but instead I take them and fictionalize them.

This way I don't feel compelled to keep all the details the same if I need something altered.

PGK · Mar 4, 2010

People and companies can sue you for libel, places cannot. The only downside to not fictionalizing a real place is if you've never been there and you get it wrong. Some people love to read books that take place in familiar settings even if it's not their type of book. But those same people can easily get annoyed with you if you get it wrong. Then again you can also not fictionalize the place but invent areas within it that aren't real. That's also perfectly acceptable.
But legally speaking you have nothing to worry about.

cameron_chapman · Mar 4, 2010

I always fictionalize settings. Mostly because then I don't have to be 100% accurate and can adjust things if need be. In the novel I'm just finishing up, I mention real places, but the town where it actually takes place is Bakersville, Virginia (which is very loosely based on Sperryville, Virginia). Anyone who's familiar with the area would probably be able to figure out that they're the same, but this way I can adjust things to fit what I need.

In another novel I'm working on, I use a combination of fictional and real places. It's set in Vermont, so I'm keeping Montpelier (the capital) in it unchanged, and I'm keeping one other town unchanged, but I'm changing the town where most of the action takes place.

Jamesaritchie · Mar 4, 2010

It's easy to fictionalize a town, and there's often good reason for doing so, but a National Park? Most people will know you're faking it. I don't want to read about a fictional national park when the real ones make for better reading.

lucidzfl · Mar 4, 2010

setchmo · Mar 4, 2010

I love the Colbert Report!

Thanks to all for the advice/suggestions. Very helpful.

shaldna · Mar 5, 2010

there's a difference between using a big public building or place as a setting, and using a small privately owned place.

for instance, murder at the natural history museum - fine.
murder at Goldbergs family deli - not so fine.

Maxinquaye · Mar 5, 2010

I fictionalise London a lot. I have this vision of a swell of mad cockneys streaming off the train to find my house, all holding farm implements and lighting torches.

But, there's nothing wrong with it. Go right ahead.

seun · Mar 5, 2010

Maxinquaye said:
I fictionalise London a lot. I have this vision of a swell of mad cockneys

A swell? Is that the collective noun for cockneys?

Fictionalize a real place?

setchmo

What are you doing, Dave?

AdamH

Pumped Up Kicks

Chris P

Likes metaphors mixed, not stirred

setchmo

What are you doing, Dave?

kuwisdelu

Revolutionize the World

ether

PGK

They put those words in my head!

cameron_chapman

Makes Things Up

Jamesaritchie

lucidzfl

Back from the dead

setchmo

What are you doing, Dave?

shaldna

The cake is a lie. But still cake.

Maxinquaye

That cheeky buggerer

seun

Horror Man