How I created a fictional country for our real world
When I sat down to write What Happens in Vegas, I knew I needed to create my own country for my prince to be from. After much thought and research, the Kingdom of Onillia came into being!
In the beginning, I knew I wanted Onillia to be a European-ish country. I hit up Pinterest and started looking for the kind of aesthetic I was going for.
After saving the photos above, I realized I was probably going for a Spanish, French, or Italian-like country. I've never been to Europe 😅 So I relied on Google Earth and Pinterest again to help me figure out what I was doing. Eventually, I decided to create my fictional country on the borders of Spain and France.
Onillia is a thin country, stretching from the Bay of Biscay to the Mediterranean Sea. Their history rests in shipping, having been an important trade ally to many with their ports. Because of this, their emblem is a ship at full sail, surrounded by interlocking serpents. It flies proudly on all their flags as a reminder of the strength and care their people have always shown to the rest of the world.
As time and technology changed, they remade themselves into a tourist destination. Several prominent colleges offer campuses there, the mountains provide excellent skiing, and the Mediterranean summers are to die for. Of course, it's also the home of the world's most eligible bachelor and flirt, Prince Alexander Kenton.
