Is this cheap and dumb?

Shady Lane · May 14, 2007

A lot of my WIP is taking place on a college campus.

Is it okay to invent a college, so that I can personalize the geography/history how I want and not have to bother with researching a preexisting school? Or is this amateurish and something that would immediately turn you (or an editor/agent/publisher) off?

Meshanks.

davids · May 14, 2007

First answer-yes

second answer-no-if it does then probably the book is junk and it does not matter if it is a real college or not. Not saying it is-junk I mean-just that that is my experience-oh and write well-the rest'll just take care of itself-you'd be surprised what a bit of good writing'll do for ya and how many doors it really can open!!!!

scarletpeaches · May 14, 2007

Amalgamate a collection of colleges and turn them into your one fictional school.

newmod · May 14, 2007

Shady Lane said:
Is it okay to invent a college, so that I can personalize the geography/history how I want and not have to bother with researching a preexisting school?

Absolutely. Why ever not? If you wanted to you could use elements from real universities and combine them.

I instantly thought of Tom Sharpe´s Porterhouse Blue when I read your post.

Well, that´s my take on it anyway,
newmod

davids · May 14, 2007

scarletpeaches said:
Amalgamate a collection of colleges and turn them into your one fictional school.

Really-not a bad suggestion! In fact quite good-answer is still YES!

Mr. E · May 14, 2007

Shady Lane said:
A lot of my WIP is taking place on a college campus.

Is it okay to invent a college, so that I can personalize the geography/history how I want and not have to bother with researching a preexisting school? Or is this amateurish and something that would immediately turn you (or an editor/agent/publisher) off?

Meshanks.

I personally think that Lovecraft's "Miskatonic University" is one of the coolest places that never existed.

On a larger scale, didn't Scott Turow create an entire anonymous CITY for Presumed Innocent, et al?

So there's a precedent, for sure. I would just make sure there's a level of detail that makes it SEEM a real place.

Cheerio!

Claudia Gray · May 14, 2007

Jane Smiley did just fine with Moo -- I tend to think invention allows for a lot more freedom. Unless there's something specific you want to get at with a real school's unique culture/setting/etc., I don't think you have to lose anything by creating a sufficiently detailed, three-dimensional school of your own.

Shady Lane · May 14, 2007

Excellent. University created. If only it was this easy in real life, and I could skip the whole application process.

Thanks, guys!

JamieFord · May 14, 2007

Don't shy away from research. Do it well, and your setting can almost become another character. I'd use a real university. I prefer having a map based in reality and actual lore to add color. But hey, that's me.

Sassenach · May 14, 2007

Shady Lane · May 14, 2007

I know, I know! But my boys are in college. Inquiring minds need to know.

NowCutThatOut! · May 14, 2007

My WIP is set in a fictional high-school (in a fictional town) as well, since it's a pretty unusual story as it is. If I were going for pure realism I'd probably just use a pre-existing one.

Even with a totally made up place, you can still do a lot of research - I looked at some similar schools' websites from the same state to get some ideas.

Kristin Landon · May 14, 2007

I'd invent a school. I like the freedom of being able to make up details as needed. No one can ever, ever tell you you got something wrong. And there are no legal ramifications. ("In 1942, an alcoholic chancellor renamed the field house for his mistress. . . .")

Thomas White · May 14, 2007

You're worried about inventing a fictional college? Mate, I don't think Hogwarts exists, and Harry Potter managed to shift a few copies. That about sums up my opinion.

freshpencils · May 14, 2007

Never mind - everyone else's posts pretty much covered what I had to say!

newmod · May 14, 2007

Thomas White said:
You're worried about inventing a fictional college? Mate, I don't think Hogwarts exists, and Harry Potter managed to shift a few copies. That about sums up my opinion.

O ye of little faith. Course it exists, next time your down Kings Cross give the wall a go. Make sure you got your letter though, they do horrible things to fare dodgers.

Will Lavender · May 14, 2007

Shady Lane said:
A lot of my WIP is taking place on a college campus.

Is it okay to invent a college, so that I can personalize the geography/history how I want and not have to bother with researching a preexisting school? Or is this amateurish and something that would immediately turn you (or an editor/agent/publisher) off?

Meshanks.

Of course.

My novel takes place on a fictional campus. It is, as scarletpeaches said above, a sort of collection of a bunch of different colleges I've been to/taught at/attended.

And I like JamieFord's response: do your research. One of the things I was told by editors as the book was on submission was that the campus I had created was realistic and that the experience felt real.

It has to feel, I think, like a true experience even though the geography is made up.

newmod · May 14, 2007

Here are some examples of fictional unis/colleges from Wiki FYI.

Jordan College is a fictional college of the University of Oxford which appears in the His Dark Materials trilogy by Philip Pullman

Empire State University (ESU) is a fictional university in the Marvel Comics Universe

The University of Edgestow is a fictional university which appears in the novel That Hideous Strength by C.S. Lewis

Streeling University, in The Foundation Series of science fiction novels by Isaac Asimov

Worthington University is a fictional university from the television series Dawson's Creek

Hudson University is a fictional university in New York City from the television series Law & Order and its spinoffs

Will Lavender · May 14, 2007

Donna Tartt's The Secret History is set on the (I believe) fictional campus of Hampden University in Vermont.

James D. Macdonald · May 14, 2007

If it's stupid and it works, it isn't stupid.

Shady Lane · May 14, 2007

newmod said:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Isaac_Asimov

Worthington University is a fictional university from the television series Dawson's Creek

Hudson University is a fictional university in New York City from the television series Law & Order and its spinoffs

Yeah, I knew TV shows do it all the time. Any good kid raised in the 90's went through a period of shock upon realizing there wasn't really a Penbrook University (Boy Meets World).

Thanks for the research! I'm feeling much less hack-y about this now.

JoNightshade · May 14, 2007

I would say that it depends on your genre. If you're writing about anything that is supernatural, magical, fantastic, or out of the ordinary in any way, go for it. If, on the other hand, you are writing a contemporary/mainstream novel about characters who are supposed to be gritty and realistic, I'd use a real location. It will heighten the realism and believability.

Either way, I'd recommend taking a trip to a college campus and just walking around for a while. Pick up a campus map. Etc. A junior college will also do. There's bound to be one nearby wherever you are, right?

Shady Lane · May 14, 2007

JoNightshade said:
I would say that it depends on your genre. If you're writing about anything that is supernatural, magical, fantastic, or out of the ordinary in any way, go for it. If, on the other hand, you are writing a contemporary/mainstream novel about characters who are supposed to be gritty and realistic, I'd use a real location. It will heighten the realism and believability.

Either way, I'd recommend taking a trip to a college campus and just walking around for a while. Pick up a campus map. Etc. A junior college will also do. There's bound to be one nearby wherever you are, right?

My sister's a senior in high school this year, so I've been on lots of college visits. And my own are coming up, too, to refresh my memory.

Thanks for the tip!

Penguin Queen · May 14, 2007

James D. Macdonald said:
If it's stupid and it works, it isn't stupid.

I want that on a T shirt

kristie911 · May 14, 2007

scarletpeaches said:
Amalgamate a collection of colleges and turn them into your one fictional school.

I just love the word amalgamate. And there are so few chances to use it.

Is this cheap and dumb?

Shady Lane

my name is hannah

davids

scarletpeaches

newmod

davids

Mr. E

Claudia Gray

Shady Lane

my name is hannah

JamieFord

giving resonant directions

Sassenach

5 W's & an H

Shady Lane

my name is hannah

NowCutThatOut!

Kristin Landon

Thomas White

freshpencils

newmod

Will Lavender

Everything is what it seems.

newmod

Will Lavender

Everything is what it seems.

James D. Macdonald

Your Genial Uncle

Shady Lane

my name is hannah

JoNightshade

has finally arrived

Shady Lane

my name is hannah

Penguin Queen

Break the rules.

kristie911

Happy to be here