Settings - Write What You Know

Every story has to have a setting. Well, at least the vast majority do. This raises the rather simple question of what setting should you use? Alas, the answer to this simple question is hotly debated. Some believe you should only use settings that you know intimately while others think researching an area is good enough. In this article, we take a look at the advantages of using a setting you know.

I live in San Diego. I know – lucky me! I have traveled extensively and can say that Budapest is one of my all time favorite cities. Given these two locations, which should I set my novel in? Using the “write what you know” approach, the answer is clearly San Diego. Ah, but why is this case?

There are numerous advantages to choosing familiar terrain for your story. The first is one that many writers don’t like to admit. It is laziness. I’ve lived in San Diego for much of my life. I know it pretty well at this point even given the fact it is continually expanding. As a result, I can write all day about the setting and mention things that are both true and generally unknown. I can send my characters into the little known Eucalyptus trees in the back of the lagoon between Solana Beach and Encinitas or plop them down in the Silver Fox dive bar in Pacific Beach. Having experienced both, I don’t need to spend time or effort researching them.

The second reason for using the write what you know approach has to do with credibility. Knowing an area so intimately gives you credibility with the reader. This is particularly true if they have visited or live in the area. Many people obviously visit San Diego, so adding a section to my book that is set in the middle of the San Diego Zoo is going to add credibility to my story so long as the setting is accurate. Not only can the reader picture the story happening, they’ve been there!

There is a certain inherent value to writing what you know. The converse is also true. Let’s say I decide to set my story in Budapest. I’ve visited a few times, but don’t really know it well enough to just write off the cuff. I can do research to cover the gaps in my knowledge, but what if I write about something that no longer exists? The credibility of the story has just fallen off a cliff. One way writers get around this is to explain to the reader that the story takes place at a certain time. This time, of course, just happens to be when the writer was in the location! Imagine that.

Picking a setting for your novel is never an easy task. Most people think of plot first, not setting. You can take many different approaches, but writing what you know is always a good place to start.

By: Tom Ajava

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Thomas Ajava writes for Nomad Journals - rugged writing journals for writers and outdoors enthusiasts.