Writing a Place You’ve Never Been
4 Tips To Help You Research
Whether you’re writing contemporary or historical fiction, if you’re unfamiliar with the setting (and era), you’ll need to do some research.
Here are a few ways to transport yourself:
🚶🏼♀️Take a virtual tour
If you know the exact city, town, or village you want to set your novel in, take a walk through the streets on Google Maps. You’ll be able to see things from a pedestrian’s perspective and notice architecture, street signs, and more.
Head over to YouTube and watch vlogs of locals living in the area. They have a more personal touch to them and you’ll likely learn things that only locals would know.
🌉Gather all sorts of relevant information
A foreign setting will likely differ in:
Currency
Language
Weather
Regional slang
Social norms
Transportation
Local customs
Holiday traditions
Famous areas
Tourist spots vs. local hangouts
Sports teams
A personal example: My English friend was astonished (and genuinely sad for me) that America doesn’t do Christmas crackers. I thought they were talking about edible crackers. Nope. They’re fun table decorations that pop open with a joke and a paper crown!
If you’re writing historical fiction, you’ll have to look at everything through the lens of the era or year you’ve chosen.
📖Read books and blogs set in the same location
There are a ton of books written in your chosen location. Vet them, fact-check them, read reviews—if there are disgruntled locals commenting that the author got it wrong, then…maybe not that book.
Look for bloggers that live wherever your story is set. Mix it up too—locals, expats, and travelers.
🧳Plan a research trip
I’m sure some of you are screaming at me, Kourtney, in this economy!? Listen, I hear you—I’m not going any place anywhere soon.
But it’s an option.
If you can swing it, do it! Explore, get to know the culture, be curious, and find places that aren’t only touristy places. And take lots of notes.
Happy writing,
Kourtney