DIY: How to write authentic settings

They say write what you know. I say screw that, write what you love and can imagine.

As an indie author penning stories set in the real world, we have the challenge of writing authentic descriptions of real world places. Fantasy and Sci-Fi authors do not. Their challenge is to build world's from their imagination and then keep that consistent throughout their story. Our problem (real world places - RWP) is that our settings need to be authentic and believable as some of our readers might live or have visited our settings. No one wants a comment in a review or on their socials telling them they have no idea what they are writing about, nor do we want readers to abandon our stories, mid chapter, never to return to our books in the future.

Now when it comes to writing RWP I use the word authentic rather than accurate, and this is important. We should strive for accuracy in everything we write, but sometimes it can take away from a story rather than add to it. Being too descriptive is overkill and slows the pace of writing (thrillers, action and adventure, horror stories will all suffer for this). You can't describe every single thing about a place and nor should you. Take trying to walk a character across a city, you can't describe every building, street, car or person you see on the way. The Inspector Rebus detective series by Sir Ian Rankin is set in Edinburgh, a city I know well. He captures the heart a soul of the city perfectly, but not always accurately ("There's no way you could walk between the Shakespeare pub and the Sheep's Heid Inn in ten minutes.") To write that journey accurately would be boring for the reader to read, and entertainment is key to holding the reader.

So how do we create authenticity in our settings? The first piece of advice I often see about this is to visit the place. (Sounds great! Where do I sign up for the free author-on-a-research-trip tickets to Japan?) Whilst this sounds great, and I'd love to visit Japan one day, it is not always feasible for a number of reasons; cost, family or even the paycheck job often get in the way. So how can we be authentic if we can't visit the places we want to write about ourselves? That's right, you've guessed it...the internet.

The internet is such a rich source of research material for a writer and it's growing increasingly easier to research places you've never actually visited and then describe them authentically. Here are 8 resources I have used to help me writer more authentic settings:

1) Google Map/Google Street View

Google maps, or more specifically Google Street view, allows us to actually stand on the streets of countless cities around the world and get a 360 degree view of what is around us. It offers the perfect resource for research into the sights of a place (particularly urban settings). Look for small details to add authenticity; the colour of road signs, how electricity lines are organised, the types of vehicles on the roads, advertisements and billboards, these details and more can all add up to making a place feel real and lived in.

2) Meteorological charts

Researching the weather of a place is important in adding authenticity. Edinburgh in February feels very different to Edinburgh in September where we often have a late summer bloom. Knowing what the weather is like in a place allows you to add that detail to your setting. It can even be used to create a dramatic plot point; flash floods, lightning storms or a hurricane could all blow through your story and add something different - but a hurricane in Edinburgh...not likely.

3) Food and Travel Blogs

If you can't visit a place, learn from others who have. Food and travel blogs allow you to add a sensory experience of visiting these places. When I was wanting to describe a Guatemalan market I knew I needed to add food stalls, but what can you get to eat there? Top 5 Guatemalan Street Foods you have to try! provided the answers.

4) YouTube

This one seems obvious, but it is such a rich and valuable resource for writers who can't visit a place. It can provide inspiration for settings as well as giving you a sense of a place. One of my guilty pleasures is to watch a YouTube sailing Vlogs called Sailing SV Delos (https://www.youtube.com/@svdelos/featured) - they stopped off in Namibia during their circumnavigation of the globe and visited an abandoned diamond mine that had been swallowed up by the desert (check out the further info section of my website for the video link). This became the inspiration for a setting in A Rogue Gunn.

YouTube also has great videos of people walking, driving and exploring places. Use these to give you a sense of place to add to your authentic descriptions.

5) Hiking Guides

I love to go hiking and often read trail guides before I go. They are an excellent resource for research into life away from the highway. Even if your writing about being lost in the Canadian wilderness, read about walking through it happily first - you will discover information about plant and terrain that you can add to your descriptions.

6) Tourist Information Websites

Tourist Information Websites are a rich source of information when researching a place. They usually have lots of information about culture, food, top attractions, weather and customs which you can add to your writing. Try Googling: Visit <add name of you setting>

7) National Geographic

National Geographic is a great research tool if you want to add some scientific information to non-urban environments. They tend to have good information about flora and fauna (plants and animals) and the makeup of the physical environment. You might even discover about some cutting edge field research going on in the area you are trying to describe.

8) Wikipedia

I know, I know, it seems obvious, but also not very authentic, to be using Wikipedia. But it is certainly a great place to learn some concise information about a place. Use it as a jumping off platform for further research into a place. Wow Christopher Columbus visited here on his voyage...let me Google that some more.

So there you have it, 8 resources to help add some authenticity to you RWP descriptive writing. Let me know how you get on with using these and if there are anymore that we can add to this list (I'm sure there are!)

Happy writing,

Jamie