Google Maps — An Amazing Tool

Cara writing advice 9 Comments

I’ve heard many writers rave about Google Maps, but until A Promise Kept, the book I just finished, I didn’t really need it. I knew my settings well from site visits or having lived in the communities.

Cincinnati — yeah, don’t know it well at all.

So I turned to Google maps. I LOVE the satellite feature. It allowed me to explore neighborhoods and figure out exactly where my characters lived. It also allowed me to see the library branch. I strolled through Eden Park. It was amazing! I still would have preferred to actually visit the site, but this provided a second best approach.

So here’s your challenge for the day — go to google maps and see if you’re house shows up. Ours doesn’t (yet!), and I’m okay with that.

Comments 9

  1. As good as google maps are, I can see our house even better with the Bird’s Eye view at maps.live.com
    There I find much more recent aerial
    photos and ones from all directions of the compass! I do love the Street View feature on google maps, though.

  2. Sarah,
    Thanks for the tip about maps.live but the only problem is in smaller rural areas they haven’t yet added pics of those spots. I can find my home in the Chicago area, but the area where my stories take place aren’t yet available. 🙁

    But, it’s very cool.

  3. Our old trailer is on the map, but not our new house (added in May). I think the most recent pic is about a year old because one of our farm barns is missing too. Even funnier is my brother-in-law’s sidewalk shows up but no house! And the sidewalk was added after the house. =)

  4. I was talking to a lawn care service guy on the phone and he says, “Do you have a yellow car in the driveway.” Creeped me out! LOL. He was using this to find us to come treat our lawn.

    Yeah. Really handy for a creepy suspense writer! (LOL)

    I’m checking out my old neighborhood when I grew up because it’s too dangerous to drive by.

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