Another Great Tool for Writers

/ Sheila McIntrye Good, Author

We’ve all used Google maps to get from point A to point B, but have you ever considered using it as a writing research tool?

Neither had I,  until reading the guest post on Writer Unboxed by Camille Di Maio.  

Remembering details is not my strong point. My brain seems to have more holes in it than a sieve, and my memory is worse than a gnat’s life span.

I didn’t inherit the sense of direction gene, either. I’d get lost in my driveway. So, as you can imagine, having access to the right tools can make all the difference. It’s the same when writing.

Whether the location and setting of your novel are imaginary or based on a familiar place, details do matter.

Think about the things you can do with Google Maps – Visualize streets, intersections, terrain, transit routes, lakes, and rivers and you can see all of it via satellite, live, or in 3-D. Now, we’re talking!

Let your imagination run wild; happy researching and be sure to check out Camille’s post, Google Maps the Writing Tool that No One Knows About

 

 

I’d love to hear your thoughts on the subject. Join the conversation. Talk to me or tell me your story. I’m all ears.

19 thoughts on “Another Great Tool for Writers”

  1. I’m a few years too late, but I saw that you tagged me on this post. Thank you! I’m glad you enjoyed the article and I hope that you’ve been able to use Google Maps successfully in your writing.

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  2. I use Google maps a lot in my time travel series! My character gets around and I actually use the street view to look at areas and see what’s around. I sometimes find a restaurant and look up their menu online, adding reality to my character’s experience. Since she is a time traveler, I also use image search to find what an area looked like in another decade. That one can be challenging, but I’ve found loads of information through patient searching!

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  3. Yes I have used Google maps for my writing. Write what you know – OK, so I take ‘Amie’ ti Gavorone airport in Botswana, i remember it well – from 1981. So a quick google and I’m so glad I did, it’s changed – a lot!!

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  4. Pingback: You won’t get lost with this valuable tool – jean's writing

  5. There needs to be enough detail for the reader to get a feel for the “sense of place,” but I’ve also seen examples where people went overboard to tell me about every hairline crack in the concrete driveway and describe the dandelions in intricate detail.

    If the protagonist drives by Westside New Holiness Church on Wishbone Blvd do I really care that’s it’s a two story, flagstone rock structure with a bell tower if those details aren’t going to play into the story?

    Detail needs to be used like cayenne pepper. Enough to spice up the story without becoming the only thing you taste.

    Great topic for discussion. Thanks for letting me get my two cents in. 🙂

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    • Great points and I agree. I have to confess,I haven’t used Google maps for my stories, to date, but I am a visual person -so, doing so might help bring a bit more “spice’ to my story. Your two cents are always welcome in the Cow Pasture.

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  7. Informative post, Sheila. I’ve used Google Maps several times to “scope out” places my private eye protagonist, Mac McClellan, has to visit. This allows me to add realism to the storyline, down to the smallest detail if need be. Thanks so much for sharing this! 🙂
    –Michael (from nearby Oconee County!)

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