It gives me many advantages. I was able, for instance, to select the condominium complex that my heroine is going to live in ... the Kilbourn Towers, and the hotel where the hero is staying ... the Astor Hotel. I know where these places are located, can map out the route between them, use restaurants in the area and the actual city streets. I won’t have to worry about someone coming back to me and saying that I’d gotten such and such fact wrong. How cool is that?
However, as I wrote Chapter Six, which takes place at the heroine’s condo, I realized I didn’t have enough facts. I was making it up as I go. Well, that’s where the research came in. I was able to go to the Kilbourn Towers and happened to meet up with the general manager of the condominium complex. For instance, I was able to learn that the building has security 24/7, that the outer doors were locked at night and that no way could anyone by-pass security to get to the elevators. Well, that just blew Chapter Six right out of the water. I had my hero busting in the lobby at 5:00 in the morning, blowing past security and getting to the fifteenth floor without much obstruction. Being able to see the actual lobby area of the Kilbourn Towers, observe the security they had and the fact that the doors are locked at night, caused me to completely re-write the scene. The bonus is that the general manager is an avid reader and gave me a terrific idea of how to fix that scene and make it even more exciting. Gotta love that.
So, have you ever written a book set in your own backyard? Someplace you’re intimately familiar with and able to map out with accuracy? I was having good fun writing this book ... even more so now that I’ve switched the city to Milwaukee.
Liz, I love your Kilbourn Towers story! I can picture you smiling and schmoozing with the manager.
In my wip, my hero is a veterinarian. I’m familiar with the exam rooms and the reception area. That’s what I confined my story to when my hero was at work. I didn’t want anyone saying I did something wrong. I could have gone to my vet and asked to see the other areas, but it wasn’t necessary.
Hey Liz, cool story and I love the Towers name. All my novels could be in my backyard!
I live in smalltown USA, and my stories carry that flavor. I do create imaginary towns, and names for places, though. I’m a lake gal, and have intimate details of boating and all the unique places you might find in a paradise nook. And I’m always asking quesions if I want to know something in life. That helps.
I’ve written books mostly about areas I know well. I still find I have to do a lot of research, though. And since my back ground is in medieval studies, research is my middle name. I love it. I love discovering little twists and turns in the area I’m looking into. It adds to the story, and also gives me ideas for new ones. At times, like what happened to you, a chapter will get blown right out off the pages, because I’ve discovered what I want to do just won’t work. Since I want it right, I’m a die hard researcher, and help other with theirs, especially in the area of medieval era.
It was cool being able to enter the building, look around, explain what I was there for … I didn’t want the security guard thinking I was casing the joint, so I passed my business card around and didn’t get too specific about the areas I wanted to see. I already had a layout of the condos from the internet, so I didn’t ask to see any, although I would have liked to.
It probably would make more sense to stick with what you know, Edie and LaD. Making up your own town is a good idea … who’s to say you’re wrong in any of your details? That’s what I like about writing sci fi/romance. I can usually make up whatever I like and no one can nay say me.
I set My Wicked Enemy in San Francisco where I lived for several years, and in my home town (given a different name) in Northern California. Another setting in the book is Berkeley CA, where I went to school and also lived for many years. It was fun to use areas I know intimately.
The historical I’m working on now opens in Aleppo, Syria where I have never lived. Or been. Ever. Very different experience.
Sure, there’s still a lot of research, Lee. Even though I know Milwaukee intimately, I still needed to map out my route between a nightclub, a diner, and the condo building, figure out how to get from one place to the other and what the time line is. I’m actually enjoying that aspect of this whole thing.
I’ve set some of my stories in the south (Atlanta, Baton Rouge) because I am more familiar with those areas. Having first-hand experience with the places sure does make them easier to describe!
Always good to avoid that one person who’s gonna say “but that street runs north/south, not east/west”.
I suppose if you’re gonna write about a place you hadn’t been before, research via books, library and internet is priceless.
That’s something I like about Keri Arthurs books. They’re set in Melbourne, Australia. A city I’m fairly familiar with since I lived in Australia for a year and had visited Melbourne numerous times.
I appreciate that I grew up near and working in Manhattan. It’s a good setting for many a novel!
E
I sat in on a Latin Mass for a scene in my novel. In person research is nice when you can get it.
I spent an afternoon in the British National Army Museum to look at a lot of the army uniforms my characters were wearing in my Victorian-set historical in the flesh, so to speak. I had pictures of them, but it was nice to see the real article on a dummy.
As I only write historicals and fantasy, actual first hand knowledge is hard to come by
. But with the historical I’m writing now, I discovered a gem of a fact yesterday that is going to add that certain je ne sais quoi to my book, and it is to do with a place in London. I’m sending my brother (who lives in London) there with his digital camera to photograph the street for me.
I tend to set my stories in the same area I live in, so I can make use of the atmosphere and setting– but when it comes to the actual town, I make it up. I usually sprinkle some real towns from the area in too, though– but they’re usually towns that are within driving distance of where I’m living.
Sorry I didn’t a chance to respond to these comments yesterday, but I wasn’t feeling too good and was in bed by 7:30 p.m. Much, much better today.
Having Manhattan has your backyard is priceless, Erica. I’d LOVE that. You can do so much with that type of first hand knowledge.
I can see where you’d have problems, Michelle. Hard to walk the streets of the past … although I understand that in many places in London you can do just that. A lot of places are pretty much kept authentic for a least a hundred years back.
Nice that you can get your brother to hit those areas with a camera. Convenient. I was able to photograph the Kilbourn Towers and even the area where I plan to have my hero scale the balconies. It looks a little difficult but not impossible.
Now that’s thorough, Zoe. I think I’d fall asleep during a Latin mass. In fact … I’m pretty sure I did when I was a kid. We had mass in Latin for a good many years before they switched languages. Gotta admit, though, there was something mystical about listening to it in another language.
You and LaD have the same idea, Theresa. Easier to make up your own town. Your town – your rules. Gotta love that.
I thought it was a very cool experience!