I write stories set in Seattle; partly because I love the city, and partly because I know it.
One thing I'm kinda interested in doing is including real locations. Not just general areas of Seattle and the like, but specific places. Just off the top of my head…a burger joint called Li'l Woody's, or a porn shop called The Crypt.
My question is whether or not I can do this without getting myself in trouble. Say I write a piece that includes a specific real-world location and the owner happens to read my book, would they be able to sue me or demand that I take the book down?
This obviously isn't something that's a make-or-break deal, I can quite happily continue writing without including any real places. It's just something I've been thinking about because I think it might be fun. The specific places of a city help with mood and setting.