a town with no name

Where the hell am I? I've lost my way, geographically speaking. I know my story takes place in the south of England, it had to because that is the landscape I know, can visualise and can describe, but where exactly are my characters? 

I've name checked two real world towns but otherwise I haven't been specific. The action visits several small villages and I certainly didn't want to name and pinpoint those. I have invented one town name and I think I might get away with that but I don't want to have to keep doing it. Nothing sounds as bad as an unconvincing place name. Check out Agatha Christie's books for the least convincing place names ever - how about Southshire, Middleshire and Dilmouth for starters?

A good friend read a draft of my story and immediately picked up on this place name issue 'Get rid.' she cautioned. While her partner says people like to see real place names in post-apocalyptic fiction. They like to see places they know crash and burn.

So I'm none the wiser at this point really. However, the action reaches London in Book 3 and any disguising or obviously avoiding to name it will just look lame, so I'd better choose a course now and stick to it.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

a leopard's spots

Image
Further to my Big Cat post: I should have posted this picture last week, it slipped my mind, I don't know why. I'm pleased with it. Her name is Tequila. Photo is the author's own
Read more

life in lockdown

Image
It's 15 days since I last posted, about Covid-19, and in that time the world has been upended. On a Macro scale things have become nightmarish, with hundreds dying in every country, and society as we knew it (certainly in the West) changing out of all recognition. The Macro, informs the Micro, of course, and individually our lives and routines have had to change and adapt too. But amongst the wholesale changes, I've managed to hold on to a few familiar things. I suspect we've all latched on to certain things that are still available and familiar and make us feel more secure in uncertain times. For me, my morning exercises (after coffee) are something that I can continue with, speaking with family and friends, texting and emailing continues too (perhaps more frequently now). Listening to the radio. Gazing out of the window at trees and clouds, a simple pleasure I've always enjoyed and can continue to enjoy. And walking is still allowed to us too, in fact it's encoura...
Read more

recent disappointments

Image
I do try to always look on the bright side, but sometimes it's just plain hard to do. It's almost a given that January will be dark, gloomy, and generally parsimonious with its blessings. It's the same every year, and that's fine, I know that, so I just keep my head down, grit my teeth and get through it.   So when I step into February, I usually feel that I've turned a corner. This year however, February had some shocking weather up its sleeve. It was the wettest February weather in over 250 years. Constant downpours, drizzle and mizzle. But I'm sure I don't have to tell you this, if you live in the UK, you'll have had many an outing cancelled, many a shoe spring a leak, many an umbrella turn turtle and die. February this year was very hazy and disappointing. I was very excited last autumn when Bernie Taupin published his memoir, Scattershot - Life, Music, Elton and Me. It went straight onto my TBR (To Be Read) list. If you aren't aware Bernie is El...
Read more