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Location, Location, Location!
by Dee Host on December 6th, 2007, 5:18pm
Maybe you've set your novel in London, England, but you've never been east of the Mississippi.
Or maybe you want to learn facts about a state's tourist attractions, or what the countryside looks like in a certain Canadian province.
This is the place to find out. Post your questions here for other community members to answer.
We do request that chatter remain at a minimum on this thread. Thank you!
Dee Tenorio
"The real art of conversation is not only to say the right thing in the right place, but also to leave unsaid the wrong thing at the tempting moment."
Question
How do you guys pick your location?
Bell Pulls/the color of a room.
I just got chastised in a critique for 2 items I just read in a Harlequin Historical.
1. I used a bell pull in 1818 and after researching some more found they weren't widely used until Victorian times. (The HH was set in 1814.)
2. I was told I could not call a room the Yellow Room because the linens/curtains were yellow-the wallcovering needs to be yellow. (In the HH the room was called a certain color because the curtains/coverlet were a certain color.)
I am not trying to be anal; I want to make sure I have my facts straight.
Angel
"I can fix a bad page, but I can't fix a blank one." Nora Roberts
www.angelinabarbin.blogspot.com
Aidensmommy...
I haven't published yet so you might want to see what someone else also says. I usually write about locations I've been to or where I know someone who can give me details.
I think the story should determine the location. Is there anything about the location that enhances the story? I just completed a novel that's located in Ghana, West Africa. Change the names and the cities and you could have it anywhere in the world, but there are some details that would have to change, and for me those things enhance my story. There's some sexiness about what's happening because it's happening in Accra, Ghana.
Every time we say let there be in any form, something happens - Stella Terrill Mann
one of the reasons I loved
one of the reasons I loved Betty Neels books were the descriptions of the towns, home, etc in parts of the world I will never be able to visit. Travel magazine pictures are a great way to identify small details.
Places I've been..
I spent a month in Scotland several years ago so one of my stories takes place there, modern Scotland. Another story I wrote takes place in Alberta, Canada. I got so interested in the area I drove up there (three days) spent four days exploring and drove home. The border guard couldn't understand why I wanted to visit Alberta in October. I also do a lot of internet searches.
But mostly my stories take place right here at home. I've invented a fictitious valley situated where I live so I can have amenities like a transit system and physical features needed for the story. Lake Tahoe and Carson City are close by so readers have something to identify with. And I can answer questions about this area if anyone is interested.
I'd love to have the means to travel just to study a location for a story. Wouldn't that be fun? Maybe someday.
Travelling
I am lucky enough to have travelled a little, and so far I stick with places I know. But I hear you on that. I've been thinking about doing some more ... maybe after I get my first book deal :-)
Every time we say let there be in any form, something happens - Stella Terrill Mann