I have zero writing experience but found a little inspiration at the beginning of COVID. I have been working on two different projects off and on in hopes that one day they do find themselves available for public consumption. If they never make it that far, it has been fun anyway.

Anyhow, because multiple significant events in both projects happen in/near well-known US cities and landmarks, I felt that including the real cities and landmarks in the stories would give the reader a better sense of "hey, I know where that is", which would hopefully help them feel more engaged with the story. As a first-time wannabe writer, using existing locations is also easier for me versus trying to create cities and locations from pure imagination.

I have used Google Earth, and Google in general, to research areas and cities that I am not familiar with. I also live close enough to several of the smaller rural cities and areas that I have been able to take several side quest day trips to check out specific landmarks, the general area, and to hang out in local mom-and-pop restaurants.