{EP. 17} How to Create/Write About Cities, Real and Imagined

New York City, Paris, King’s Landing, Chicago, Metropolis: What do all these cities have in common? They’re all featured in fantasy novels. Whether real or imagined, cities are common settings in urban fantasy and high fantasy alike. 

So the question is: how do we write about urban spaces that feel so real that your readers will be asking you, “Where can I find this place?” And how do we make existing cities feel magical?

Here are a few tips:

• Give your city a personality
• Use your five senses
• Draw a map
• Use Google maps
• Spend a day in your made-up city
• Think vertically
• Establish what the “muggles” know

What else happens in this episode? Well, Katrina and Genny revisit their experience of Edinburgh ghost tours (which we highly recommend—warning: pooping your pants may occur!); Katrina gives us her expert opinion about how to treat existing cities with care, and both girls get Beatlemania over Neil Gaiman….again. (Oh, Neil! If only you knew how much we loved thee!)

We don’t really have any book recommendations, but we highly suggest that if you’re writing an urban fantasy, you take notes from Gaiman’s Neverwhere. And while we’re at it, check out Tiger’s Curse and tell us what you think about the author’s depiction of India.

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Let us know what you thought of our episode! You can reach us on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, or email writingthebroomstick@gmail.com.

Do you like Celtic folklore, YA urban fantasy, AND free stuff? Read the first three chapters of Katrina’s debut novel, “The Wise One”.

And, if you want to see what Genny’s reading lately, check out her Goodreads review page.