tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7379810647674283102.post3106569626244506482..comments2023-10-23T08:27:29.922-07:00Comments on Book Rich, House Poor: Thoughts on SettingsRebecca Christiansenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03635706076314669496noreply@blogger.comBlogger8125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7379810647674283102.post-31638809032884804982011-07-19T08:24:58.332-07:002011-07-19T08:24:58.332-07:00When I wrote my last book, I made the setting a ch...When I wrote my last book, I made the setting a character, but it wasn't based on a real place. Hearing you talk about how neat it is/would be to go to the actual places and walk around makes me itching to write about my own place. Maybe I'll set my next novel here. I hadn't focused on using the setting as a focal point, but you make good reasons to do such. Great post!Kelleyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03237422917705115205noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7379810647674283102.post-40334359758943420092011-07-19T05:56:26.853-07:002011-07-19T05:56:26.853-07:00Great post! We enjoy all kinds of books -- generic...Great post! We enjoy all kinds of books -- generic settings, specific settings, made-up settings. It all has to serve the story, though. We also like the mix of specific and made-up (like Hogwarts and London, in Harry Potter).We Heart YAhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02418854853031344928noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7379810647674283102.post-11934028241843726122011-07-19T02:54:25.517-07:002011-07-19T02:54:25.517-07:00Great post. I love it when a book has a strong set...Great post. I love it when a book has a strong setting - as long as it's not overdone. For example, The Power of One. Now before you scream at me, I loved that book, I really did. But there were paragraphs and paragraphs of description that I skipped because there was just too much of it. Everything in moderation, I say. <br /><br />With my current book, it's set in Brisbane Australia (where I currently live), but within that, there are fictional cafes, clubs etc. Something I've struggled with in terms of setting is having 'bad things' happen in real places. For example, I have a scene where my girl character is assaulted after getting drunk. Originally, I had the club where this happens as an actual club that exists in Brisbane, but then I started to worry whether that kind of thing could get me in trouble legally. Do you have any thoughts/knowledge about such conundrums?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7379810647674283102.post-9353764810258554962011-07-18T21:40:24.724-07:002011-07-18T21:40:24.724-07:00SWEET. I've been thinking about setting a lot ...SWEET. I've been thinking about setting a lot lately. I feel like many authors, as they try to speed up the action and reduce the static, are tossing their descriptions of setting out the window. As a reader, I can't stand it! I feel like my characters are just kind of floating around a very barren set when this happens. I've been planning a post on this problem, and yours sets up another angle to look at things from. Thanks.Christine Tylerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08711726941768571495noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7379810647674283102.post-47262048612748412082011-07-18T21:27:04.909-07:002011-07-18T21:27:04.909-07:00I do agree that there are pros and cons to Lands o...I do agree that there are pros and cons to Lands of Make Believe and true cities. I'm fond of cities when they characterize a story. Like when the story has southern small town feel and it's set somewhere in AL, or in NYC when certain landmarks are necessary.<br /> But sometimes I don't feel a connection to cities vastly unfamiliar(esp. when specific places are the focus) and often suburbia--even with a generic name--is relateable. And I guess that's what's important to me when I read and when others read my books. Good post.NiaRaiehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13245742876021926812noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7379810647674283102.post-30891754530579682092011-07-18T20:29:04.059-07:002011-07-18T20:29:04.059-07:00@Audrey: Whaaaat, you've driven through here? ...@Audrey: Whaaaat, you've driven through here? That's awesome! Vancouver/Squamish/Whistler is an awesome area. Love it here. <br /><br />@Tracey: Thank you :) I also like to create things from scratch sometimes. Half of my novel, FAKE, takes place in Arkansas, and I've never been anywhere near there. I made up a fictional town and relied on Google Earth for research and geography and stuff. I found it hard to keep everything I'd created straight!Rebecca Christiansenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03635706076314669496noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7379810647674283102.post-75377309223395324842011-07-18T20:02:01.017-07:002011-07-18T20:02:01.017-07:00I guess every writers take on setting is different...I guess every writers take on setting is different. Although, I have to agree with Audrey, I do really love the examples you used. What drew to those books in the first place were their beautiful settings. :)<br /><br />I guess, unlike you, I'm a chicken when it comes to using towns that already exist especially if I've never been there before. I always think that if said novel is published someone, somewhere will be able to call my bluff. Not to mention, constantly writing about NYC, as glamorous as it seems, can get boring. I love being able to create everything from scratch, from shops to landscapes, you name it.<br /><br />I really enjoyed reading this post. You are a great writer. :)Tracey Josephhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16403588874051092286noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7379810647674283102.post-46540856129865881882011-07-18T18:40:32.630-07:002011-07-18T18:40:32.630-07:00Squamish! I've only passed through there to wh...Squamish! I've only passed through there to whistler. I think setting a book in downtown Vancouver would be pretty awesome because I feel if you write about the 'burbs of Vancity, it's basically gonna end up as everytown and relevant only to the author, you know? but if you have specific Vancouver-centric things, it would be so neat, and I'd love to see more books like that :) Great post! I really like books that have a setting that matters, just thinking of Like Mandarin and even Beautiful Creatures.Audrey (holes In My brain)https://www.blogger.com/profile/02092399404120477032noreply@blogger.com