While I am building a model with no prototype in fictional Middle Earth, I still feel that the layout needs to be based on many details if I want photos of the layout to match the goal of "movie set real". I am trying to answer as many questions as I can now, before I build building and scenery on the layout.

For Example When Modeling a Building:
Who is the owner of the building?
How long has the building been in place?
Has the building been damaged, added on to or had a change in use?
The income of the building owner past and current affects the condition of the building, so how well off is the owner?
What is the business of the owner?
Is the owner careless or careful?

With knowledge about the details, you can build an old building that has been added on to recently. The owner was poor and was not able to maintain it properly but is now making good money. With the increase in business, the enlarged building still can not hold all his inventory and he has a fenced in storage area in the back and because we know what his business is, we know how to model his inventory.

For me, nothing provides better details to inspire than the real thing. Donboy's Book Club is where I review the history books I read and rate them on the amount of details that they provided to inspire me. I do not plan to convert the details from the books directly to use on my layout but to use them to inspire me to create new "facts" for my layout that will combine in a way that seems real.