Not all the authors have the privilege of travelling all over the world, so they fulfil their love for exploring through their writings! There have been many occasions when an author wrote a fictional book about a real place they have never been to.
Yes it is entirely possible and entirely believable to do so. All you need is some good and extensive research for your book. Let us dive deeper into how you can improve your creative writing with thorough research.
Before you begin writing your novel, you have a fair idea of its plot and where it should be located. The trick is to get a good idea of the location before you start writing so that you can incorporate minute details throughout your manuscript. To make your readers believe that the characters live in the location you will mention, there needs to be tiny details like their favourite hangout spot, or a grocery shop that they frequently visit and more things like that. So apart from looking at the pictures on Google images to have a more accurate description, use the satellite view of the Google maps or Google Earth to explore the streets, nooks and corners. This will help you get a fair idea of what the city looks like and get a vibe of the neighbourhoods and localities. Pick up a few restaurants, cafes, pubs, parks, schools—whatever elements your story requires. Look for over-arcing themes and motifs of these places, the kind of parking they have, the kind of trees that are around and what not. These details will really help you cement your setting in place.
If your novel requires covering some form of cultural traditions or festivals, make sure you have solid research to back it and your writing isn’t coming off as appropriation. It can turn down a huge market if your portrayal of a culture goes haywire, not to mention the harsh reviews that can come your way. Watch Youtube videos of the celebrations to get real-life footage of that place.
If you cannot actually get in touch with someone from that location, ask your doubts and queries on platforms like Quora and Reddit where people from that community can provide you a real sense of their culture. When you are reading articles about the culture, make sure to review or cross-check the information to ensure it is consistent across multiple sources. Misinformation spreads like a wildfire, and only awareness and research can be a powerful tool against it.
Read their newspaper articles that you think can help build a realistic story. Listening to local music and reading books that are set in that location is another great way to ensure ethical representation of the culture and the city. Use social media to your advantage and connect with people, consensually.
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