5 places that inspired the Arcane Elemental Academy

The Arcane Elemental Academy wouldn’t exist in its current form without inspiration from all over the State of Ohio and beyond.

It isn’t just some random product of my mind. Far from it. Arcane wouldn’t exist the way it does in The Arcane Prophecy without real-life inspiration.

If you’ve been following me for a while, you know where some of that inspiration came from. The good old town of Wintersville, Ohio, which I consider my hometown, was the biggest.

But there are four places surrounding Wintersville that helped inspire Arcane, whether it’s location, the area around it, or how kids choose to attend a school within the academy. Another inspiration listed below isn’t near Wintersville, but every campus I draw up, either high school or college, takes inspiration from it.

1 – The Joint Vocational School

Don’t worry, I’m not becoming a public school apologist, since the JVS is publicly funded. That said, it’s got a non-traditional approach, since it’s a trade school, and not a place you sit in boredom for seven to eight hours.

One of my biggest regrets was sticking around in high school instead of attending the JVS. One of the reasons? It would’ve been more worth my time to at least learn a trade, knowing I may need that knowledge later on.

Since Arcane “sorts” students based on aptitude, personality, and learning style, it acts more like the JVS than a traditional school. Students also have the final say on which school they want to attend within the academy.

2 – Kent State University

No, I’m not becoming a state school apologist either. But I made the layout resemble Kent State, with the rec center’s location serving as evidence. When I went to Kent, the rec resided across the street on the campus’ edge, which is where it’s at in Arcane.

Also, Arcane is a gigantic campus, since it houses 32 schools and apartment suites for each. It also has multiple buildings per school. Some may call Kent a small school, but when you see its campus, you’ll be shocked.

3 – Bantam Ridge, Ohio

Bantam Ridge is a “back road” but with characteristics of a main road. It’s a paved, double-line road that winds through the forested area surrounding Wintersville, Ohio.

When I pictured where some of the more prominent people in the Northern Region and Aurora Village lived, Bantam Ridge walked into my mind. Some of those houses back that way are magnificent. Towering, with multiple stories, floor-to-ceiling windows, and a brick exterior.

The only difference is that I put the Bantam Ridge equivalent further out in the country than it is in real life. That’s something my protagonist, Yote Diamondback, learns the hard way.

4 – Fernwood State Forest

Arcane Elemental Academy’s full of secrets, but the forest surrounding it is even eerier. Yeah, people go in it all the time, just as passersby visit Fernwood State Forest.

But if you stay there long, you’ll find strange things. In Arcane, there’s a pentagram of clearings. In real life, there’ve been tales of apparitions both in and near the forest, plus the nearby Cross Creek, two of which are ghosts of young girls.

There’ve been other disturbing tales, but I won’t venture too far off the beaten path. Ironically, I mention one of them in my dystopian survival novella, Beyond the Lost Horizon.

5 – Cadiz Road

Cadiz Road takes you into Wintersville’s outskirts, and you see some houses and small businesses on either side of it, plus residential areas branching off. But in the fictional world, where Aurora Village is Wintersville’s “stand-in,” those outskirts are where I put Arcane Elemental Academy.

All those small businesses and homes just pushed back a bit. They’re out there if one keeps venturing west, but they gotta snake through that huge academy to get there.

You’ll find Arcane Elemental Academy in Book I of this young adult fantasy series, The Arcane Prophecy. Read the first three chapters right now, and catch whispers of this legendary school.