Fic Talk > General Discussion
2 Writing 2 Thread
nicksgal:
--- Quote from: RokofAges75 on February 25, 2021, 06:02:27 PM ---I don't think it's lazy; it's smart! Like you said, it's definitely easier to write a setting you're familiar with, so why wouldn't you go with Colorado when you can?
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Lack of variety? haha How many stories do you set in the midwest or Chicago area?
--- Quote from: RokofAges75 on February 25, 2021, 06:02:27 PM ---Wouldn't it be nice to have the money to just fly to the Bahamas on a whim to research tropical beaches?
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If I had that kind of money, I would buy a boat and sail the world to research everything. And then maybe fly if I needed research buddies to join me. Suddenly, I start writing lots of pirate stories, haha!
--- Quote from: RokofAges75 on February 25, 2021, 06:02:27 PM ---Wow... having never created my own world for a story, I would have never thought about all that. Kudos to you for taking the time to research and plan all that out. Again, it makes sense to use what you know in order to make it seem more realistic.
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As I've said, anything in the story, I know 10,000 more things about why. :) Plus, it lets me go down fun rabbit holes about climate and geography, before I eventually end up dreading existence as I research things like the Yellowstone super volcano or the inevitable earthquake in the Cascadia subduction zone that will sink the entire Pacific Northwest. Which inevitably happens every time.
Though where our heroes are from, Safainanpou, is more realistically California-esque in climate, the northern region is definitely more Utah/Colorado vibes.
RokofAges75:
How do you decide on the setting of your story?
I think about what would make the most sense for my chosen characters and storyline. A lot of times, my stories end up being set where the Boys live or tour just because that's most realistic. It's fun when I can write a story set somewhere other than Florida or California because the majority of my stories have taken place there. I loved writing a story set in New Hampshire because it was somewhere different. I was researching mountain towns with Christmassy names and came across Bethlehem, NH in the White Mountains, which turned out to be perfect for what I had in mind. I have never been to New Hampshire, but now I want to go.
Do you set your stories in real places or create your own settings?
I usually use real places. I make up small settings like restaurants, but I tend to use real cities and research locations to write them as realistically as I can.
Do you tend to set your stories in places you've been (or base fictional settings on real places you're familiar with)? If not, do you do any research to help yourself write an unfamiliar setting more realistically?
If it makes sense to set a story in a place I'm familiar with, I'll do it because it does make it easier to write. It was fun setting Heroic Measures in Chicago, for example, even though most of the story took place inside a fictional hospital. I have been to most of the states where I tend to set stories - Florida, California, Nevada, Georgia, Tennessee, Kentucky - but my first time visiting some of those places was only in the last decade.
I do research settings. God bless Google Maps! Street view is super cool for seeing what a place actually looks like. I've talked about how pretty much every novel I've ever written has a hospital scene, so I also find myself browsing hospital websites as part of my research. I appreciate the ones that have a map or directory so I can figure out what floor a certain department would be on.
Have you ever traveled to research for a story?
Not specifically. I usually find myself traveling to places I've already written about after the fact, but it's fun to see places I referenced in a fanfic. I was looking up roadside attractions in southern Illinois (not the part of the state I live in) for a story and came across the World's Largest Catsup Bottle in a town called Collinsville, which I'd never been to. I mentioned it in the story, and one of my readers, who's now a friend of mine, was like, "OMG, I drive by that all the time!" She lives about three hours south of me, near St. Louis, and after we met face to face on the first BSB cruise I went on, we started going to concerts together. So the first time I drove down to St. Louis to meet up with her for a show, I saw an exit for Collinsville on the way home and thought, "I'm gonna go find the World's Largest Catsup Bottle!" So I took the exit and drove around until I found the thing. It wasn't that impressive, but it was a fun little detour.
Someday I would love to go on a writer's retreat and do research on location! I had the urge to drive to New Hampshire last summer, but that didn't seem very practical or smart in the middle of a pandemic LOL.
What has been your favorite setting to write about?
I really enjoyed the setting of The Road to Bethlehem. It was rustic and quaint, yet sufficiently dangerous LOL. But my favorite was probably MacDill Air Force Base in Song for the Undead. That's the most elaborately I've ever researched a setting. I printed out a map of the base that I still have with my notes on it and referred to it often. Rose and I got so many ideas for scenes just based on what amenities the base offered. There was also an English castle later in the story, and that was a fun setting to write too.
Where would you like to set a future story?
I'm in love with Scotland and would love to set a story there someday. I actually started one years ago that was going to take place there, but I didn't get past the second chapter.
RokofAges75:
--- Quote from: nicksgal on February 25, 2021, 06:06:26 PM ---Glad you fell asleep okay yesterday. And pre-school inspiration?! You're on a roll!
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I'm in this phase now where I feel inspired all the time, but when I sit down to write, the words don't flow. I actually wrote about as much in ten minutes this morning as I did in like three hours last night. I don't know if that has more to do with a rested mind vs. a tired mind or if knowing I only had a few minutes made me more focused and productive than when I sit and waste time watching YouTube videos when I should be writing.
--- Quote from: nicksgal on February 25, 2021, 06:06:26 PM ---I have my document opened and have been thinking over the flow of the next chapter. I think I'm about ready to start writing! We'll see how the rest of the evening goes.
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Yay, good luck!
RokofAges75:
--- Quote from: nicksgal on February 25, 2021, 06:21:33 PM ---Lack of variety? haha How many stories do you set in the midwest or Chicago area?
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Actually not that many. Heroic Measures, my ER crossover, was set in Chicago because that's where ER takes place. Other than that, the only one I can remember that took place partly in Illinois was Curtain Call. Most of it took place in California or on tour, but I made my female character from Illinois, so some of it was set in her home town. Secrets of the Heart was set in Kentucky and Ohio, but that was more because of Brian being from Kentucky than because it was near Illinois. Oh, and I did have Claire move to Iowa for a time in BMS.
--- Quote from: nicksgal on February 25, 2021, 06:21:33 PM ---If I had that kind of money, I would buy a boat and sail the world to research everything. And then maybe fly if I needed research buddies to join me. Suddenly, I start writing lots of pirate stories, haha!
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OMG, we need a writers' cruise around the world! That would be amazing.
nicksgal:
--- Quote from: RokofAges75 on February 25, 2021, 06:47:25 PM ---A lot of times, my stories end up being set where the Boys live or tour just because that's most realistic. It's fun when I can write a story set somewhere other than Florida or California because the majority of my stories have taken place there.
I have never been to New Hampshire, but now I want to go.
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Despite what people say, there's really only a few true hubs for music in the US, and I don't think Florida is even really much of one anymore other than the theme park business. It would be nice if the Boys could branch out on their locales, start living in rural Idaho or something.
I haven't either, but it seems fun! I'm trying to go to all fifty states eventually, but the far northeast just seems like it will take a lot of planning.
--- Quote from: RokofAges75 on February 25, 2021, 06:47:25 PM ---I've talked about how pretty much every novel I've ever written has a hospital scene, so I also find myself browsing hospital websites as part of my research. I appreciate the ones that have a map or directory so I can figure out what floor a certain department would be on.
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Do you research specific hospitals for floor layouts based on the overall setting of the story or just hospitals in general?
--- Quote from: RokofAges75 on February 25, 2021, 06:47:25 PM ---So I took the exit and drove around until I found the thing. It wasn't that impressive, but it was a fun little detour.
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This whole story was so fun! Glad you found the Catsup!
--- Quote from: RokofAges75 on February 25, 2021, 06:47:25 PM ---Someday I would love to go on a writer's retreat and do research on location! I had the urge to drive to New Hampshire last summer, but that didn't seem very practical or smart in the middle of a pandemic LOL.
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Retreats are my favorite! I used to go on one every year until I retired from the board I was on. I miss it (obviously couldn't anyway with the pandemic). Let's all just write old school stories set in Orlando and go retreat in Florida, haha.
--- Quote from: RokofAges75 on February 25, 2021, 06:47:25 PM ---But my favorite was probably MacDill Air Force Base in Song for the Undead. That's the most elaborately I've ever researched a setting.
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Hope you can visit it someday and it feels like Zombie Disney World. ;)
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