Should I change the setting of my novel to one I am more familiar with, or should I keep it in the U.K.?

Question

I am a high school junior writing my first novel about a British spy living in London. A teacher of mine recently told me he believes my story should take place in California - the region I currently live. He said I should take advantage of the setting around me instead of working with one I am unfamiliar with. He believes that I do not have the resources or knowledge to write in a foreign setting; the rest of the students in my workshop agreed with him. I have also spoken with several other people (some who have read my story), and they all believe my story should take place in Britain since that is the setting I am passionate about. What they say is true; I am not at all interested in writing a story that takes place in my hometown, but England has always fascinated me. Should I follow my workshop's advice and switch my setting to make the story easier to write (and perhaps more accurate) since I might benefit in the long run, or should I research England and follow my passion?

Answer 1

Where you place your novel has nothing to do with passion and everything to do with the importance of the setting for the story.

You must make a number of decisions - why is it important for your story to take place in Britain? How will it change if you change the setting? Ask those questions first. The location where novels take place is of such importance you cannot treat it lightly. and it's not passion, it's professionalism.

Researching a country for a novel is possible, but you must be an excellent researcher and a very good writer to make it ring true. Britain, by the way, or the UK, is a large place with changing populations - it is composed of four countries, with customs, language usage, mannerisms, accents and manners that change every few hundred miles. Just like in the USA, the people on one coast are quite different from those on the other.

You must be careful - you know that there is no such thing as a generalised "American" - so there is no such thing as a generalised British person. No such thing as a generalised British location, no such thing as a generalised British way of speaking. A Geordie, for example, sounds completely different to someone from Glasgow ... do you know the difference?

Your teacher is right - there is no way you could write a WHOLE novel placed in the UK without committing some really obvious errors to those who are familiar with the region.

If you want to avoid boredom with your immediate location, you simply have to choose an exotic place in which to place your story... but one that you are at least familiar with, even if it is through books, movies and the Internet.

If you have said to yourself while reading this, "Oh, I know that... oh, I know that!" then you are on the right track. But if you had no idea about the thousand differences that exist within the UK, you are in a spot of trouble.

I have been to the UK several times (I am Australian) and cannot really say that I can accurately and confidently write about it without some thorough research. I have written six books with various European locations - and I must admit I was not totally familiar with all of them. However, I think I was clever enough to choose (or create!) places, people and things to include that were ambiguous enough for readers familiar with them to accept without much thought or doubt.

And oh - publication of anything (especially a first novel by a young unknown writer) is so close to being impossible, and I am sure your teacher knows this, that the considerations being offered to you now are not about publication, but about quality and authenticity of writing.

I hope this helps.

Answer 2

If you can imagine and write real its very good, you wont need to change it from England. But if writing about England is lending a very unnatural look to your book, it is good to change. People write about places they know because they will have a lot of details to offer and hence the text becomes more and more colourful and enjoyable. But when you write about a place you dont know much about you miss on this point. Even details like the bus number, taxi stand, the distance between two places matter.

Though it is good if you are passionate about Engkand and want to write about there only, it will be better if you at least once just imagine your whole story as if in California. Just in your mind move through the story in your hometown, adding and delting little details. If you think that the English version is still good, then better go for some more research and write of the story in Britain.

Best of Luck!

TW K

Answer 3

I think that you should do what feels right.
Go into it with a lot of research; try to learn as much as you can about the areas you intend to use. There are endless resources online and off for you to utilize (I too am an American considering setting a large portion of a novel in London and the Greater London Area.) Make sure you consider the slight differences in spelling and meaning when it comes to certain vernacular.
If you feel passionate about the setting, then put some of that passion into your research and do all you can to make it work for you as well as your potential readers.
If London doesn’t work out for you, you could also consider using a non-specified locale (it may or may not work depending on the way that it is written so far- just a suggestion).
Good Luck with your decision and novel!

Answer 4

It is a lot easier to write about what you know, but if it is not what you are passionate about it won't be your best work. I understand your teacher's advice. If you have never lived in England, it will be difficult for you to write about it. Your story may not come across as believable if the audience doesn't believe the setting. Perhaps the spy in England novel should be shelved until you have the resources to go to England and spend time in London and really get to know it. I think he is just trying to protect you from disappointment. It would be terrible if you poured your heart out into this novel, just to have it rejected because it wasn't believable.

However, if you really feel that you can do it then go for it. It will take a lot of work to research it. Do you have anyone in England you can interview? Can you go for a visit to get the feel of the place?

Answer 5

Hmmmm. Well, if you are going to set it in England, you have to do a lot of research -- reading, watching movies, talking to Brits, become familiar with social and cultural norms and language that are different from the US (I lived with a Londoner for a few years and we had some very funny misunderstandings because of language usage difference, even though we both speak English -- I speak California and he speaks London...)
If you set it in Cali, there is less research for you and a better chance of authenticity, but you don't seem passionate about it.

SO, you know all that...I say follow your passion but know that you may miss the mark and the story may not find an audience if it lacks authenticity. Be prepared to set your next novel in an environment you are more familiar with. Mostly, just keep writing and stay involved with the critical process (a writers group)...
best wishes.

Answer 6

Ah. See, this is an obstacle every author must overcome. My dad taught me this, when I was just beginning to write. No idea is 100% original. I remember when I was first beginning to write my first "novel" (I say it in quotations because I was like 10, and I couldn't write worth a- well, you get it.), and I got SO discouraged because all of my ideas kept reminding me of Harry Potter. After a while, I kind of ignored it, because I realized I'm not copying the books, nor stealing any ideas. Every single book takes ideas from other books/movies, but it's not stealing because you change the plot, and the story itself. When you have an idea, and it seems like it's taking an idea from something else, just remember to change the story itself so that it's not taking the plot and copying someone else's work. Look at Meyer's "Twilight". Do you know how many other vampire novels and stories and movies have been made that are so similar to that? Well, a LOT! So, don't worry so much. As long as there's not a professor named Dumbledore, and the guy doesn't have metallic spikes shooting from his hands, you should be fine.

Answer 7

Twilight Star,

Your teacher is merely trying to help you to write something you are familiar with, but here's the thing.

Writing takes a lot of research on certain subjects and places. There are writers who make their setting on a different planet altogether, let alone in a different state or country. If you stick to one area in the U.K. and research other areas as you move along in your novel, you shouldn't have much of a problem.

Research England. I've done this many many times in my short stories.

Good luck on whatever you decide.

Answer 8

First of all, the English are different from Americans, and so much of your characters' behavior may seem "off" to anyone with experience of British ways. Second of all, with so few spy novels set in California, and so many in Europe, a little west-coast espionage could be something new. Lastly, the simple fact of putting it in California would generate at least some interest in California. Mystery writers currently set stories in specific cities to develop a readership in those cities.

Answer 9

Holy sh** -- talk about spamarama heist
u shud repost.