Writing What You Know: Locations
One of the most often heard pieces of writing advice is, “Write what you know.” I really don’t usually follow this advice and certainly not with a fantasy novel full of my own mythical creatures and worlds. However, say there is a “real” location where the entire story or part of the story takes place. Do you feel that the writer should have actually visited that place and thoroughly explored it in order to use it in a story? Or is it okay to research it and view pictures? Or is it okay to use the location and morph the details to whatever works best in the story?
I’m currently in this dilemma because part of my story takes place on Earth in an area of the world where I’ve never been. I’m biting my lip because I don’t know if I have a completely different view of the place than what it actually is. Or if it will even work as a location in this situation. It isn’t somewhere I could easily visit or I would just do that.
The location matters to some extent, but my characters won’t be there for very long. There is also some travel involved. And once again, through some areas that I have never been. It’s hard to know what to do in this situation. I could throw up my hands and just go with it, but I don’t want to ruin any credibility because of it.
I haven’t added much to the actual literature of the novel in the past couple of days because I have been stuck in this researching location mode. I’m learning a lot about these areas, but I just wonder if it is good enough. I’m hoping it is, because I can’t just change the location to somewhere that I actually have a real-life experience of. Because unfortunately, I haven’t been many places.
Do you think readers would like the story less if I used a location and got a few things wrong? Or does it even matter?
When you write a story, do you only write about locations that you’ve actually visited?
Jodi Picoult wrote a great article Writer’s Digest about how she hates that expression, and it made sense to me. She prefers, “Know what you write.” In other words, become an expert. If you can visit a place, great. If not, do your best to get to know it. Maybe you could visit some travel blogs where people talk about their stay in your city, and snag a few personal details, something besides obvious landmarks.
I also heard in an interview with Elizabeth George, who writes a series of mysteries set entirely in England (The Inspector Lynley series) talk about how fans honestly thought she was British, she just had to be! She’s from Ohio. =)
‘Write what you know’ can sometimes seem like the easy way out because - hey - no research.
But for me, and I often write what I know - too much some times - I fall into the trap of thinking everyone else knows my settings as well as I do. And if I’m not careful I can leave minor details out - details I wouldn’t need even as a reader because I known the scene so well - but details that are essential to someone who doesn’t share the same background as me.
I like Picoult’s phrase ‘Know what you write.’ For me, it’s also important to know Who I write.