What to do when writing about real places?

Creator's Corner
1

What do you guys do when writing about real places? Because I’ve got a story set in Tennessee and I’m using a real name for a small town there, should I:

  1. Find images of places in the town and surrounding area
  2. Use the real name but source my own backgrounds and make up my own version of the place.
  3. Do a mixture of the above

OR, have you got any ideas on what you would do?

2

I don’t think you’re allowed to write about real places

3

I’m sure you are. I’ve read stories set in London, Los Angeles and NYC as well as lots of others.

4

I have a story based in NYC and do a mixture of what you said. For that story, I took some of my own photos and used them as backgrounds. It’s all up to you though.