tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7305640310502393746.post3287720413810832222..comments2023-08-11T04:51:56.739-04:00Comments on Linda Banche and Her Historical Hilarity: Guest Paula Martin: Settings for My NovelsLinda Banchehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18143074276306710646noreply@blogger.comBlogger19125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7305640310502393746.post-5288281307265819272011-06-09T15:09:02.407-04:002011-06-09T15:09:02.407-04:00Agree about the geography, Steph, and about all th...Agree about the geography, Steph, and about all the other research too, which can add so much more realism to the setting.Paula Martinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10040623635956769807noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7305640310502393746.post-62337681792887359932011-06-09T14:32:03.853-04:002011-06-09T14:32:03.853-04:00Paula, I chuckled when I thought of the Eiffel Tow...Paula, I chuckled when I thought of the Eiffel Tower in Berlin, but you've made a good point. With any setting you have to understand the basic geography. And if an author gets it right then you've made the setting a second "character" to the story and you've really sold it. It all boils down to your research and how well you've done it.<br /><br />Your new story is very appealing and the cover is eye catching.<br /><br />Smiles<br />StephStephanie Burkhart https://www.blogger.com/profile/16952130018587727063noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7305640310502393746.post-49279974324871529992011-06-09T05:30:54.357-04:002011-06-09T05:30:54.357-04:00Many thanks to you all for you comments - and spec...Many thanks to you all for you comments - and special thanks to Linda for having me as a guest <br />:-)Paula Martinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10040623635956769807noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7305640310502393746.post-14044444850955620362011-06-08T21:52:50.136-04:002011-06-08T21:52:50.136-04:00Setting is very important to me. If the author get...Setting is very important to me. If the author gets it wrong I can't read the book. You don't have to go there, but you do need to research it pretty thoroughly.Maggi Andersenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15430261880092452319noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7305640310502393746.post-55499657590863656602011-06-08T19:00:41.035-04:002011-06-08T19:00:41.035-04:00Celia - you and I think alike (as usual!). An aut...Celia - you and I think alike (as usual!). An author who can't get basic geography right is basically lazy and simply hasn't done any research. <br />Even though I know London well, I still had to do a lot of research with maps etc. for 'His Leading Lady'.Paula Martinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10040623635956769807noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7305640310502393746.post-88060217138358228462011-06-08T18:49:32.767-04:002011-06-08T18:49:32.767-04:00Lynne, agree that visiting a place briefly can onl...Lynne, agree that visiting a place briefly can only give you a superficial view of it and therefore if you want to use it as a setting, you have to do tons of research. Thank heaven for google, and the google streetcar camera is great too, but nothing beats an intimate knowledge of a location.Paula Martinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10040623635956769807noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7305640310502393746.post-21387438726044172092011-06-08T16:57:21.710-04:002011-06-08T16:57:21.710-04:00Paula--you've written about a topic that is im...Paula--you've written about a topic that is important to me. Once I read a major romance author's story, and the heroine was traveling across Texas--north to south--and she had Fort Worth located south of Dallas. That ruined the whole book.<br />Therefore, I only use real places in a very limited way, so that no one can point out the inaccuracies.It's not easy. I create fictional places near a real place, usually.<br />This was very interesting, and an important topic.<br />I've been asked--why do your stories always take place in Texas? Because it's what I know. I've been all over the US and Europe and Scandinavia and Canada and Mexico....but I'd be crazy to set a story in any of those places.<br />Thanks for the reminder---CeliaAnonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16272417114895975742noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7305640310502393746.post-4056372181108973182011-06-08T12:49:32.120-04:002011-06-08T12:49:32.120-04:00So true, Paula. When in doubt, make the place fic...So true, Paula. When in doubt, make the place fictitious.<br />Having said that, even after visiting a place, we don't know it intimately, so I get very nervous writing cities I've only visited and explored briefly. I love Google, and find that virtual tours of places are very helpful too. Aren't copy editors supposed to catch those obvious inaccuracies?<br />Enjoyed the blog.Lynne Marshallhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17156587180087372120noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7305640310502393746.post-15019347441845098622011-06-08T12:36:00.908-04:002011-06-08T12:36:00.908-04:00Wow, thank you all so much for visiting and leavin...Wow, thank you all so much for visiting and leaving comments for me. <br />It seems we're all agreed that location 'errors' are extremely irritating, and that thorough research is essential.<br />As Gilli said, even when using a place you know, sometimes it's better to change the name. I've done that with the village in my second book, 'Fragrance of Violets'. I've also 'moved' it a few miles into a different valley in the Lake District (just to confuse anyone who knows that part of England!)Paula Martinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10040623635956769807noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7305640310502393746.post-54269393381914773912011-06-08T10:31:09.994-04:002011-06-08T10:31:09.994-04:00Hi Paula. I can easily forgive a mistake in an eso...Hi Paula. I can easily forgive a mistake in an esoteric detail, especially if the story grabs me. After all, it's fiction! But I cringe at an error on something that's easily found out, and it throws me right out of the story.Linda Banchehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18143074276306710646noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7305640310502393746.post-71950823344081710832011-06-08T10:07:19.557-04:002011-06-08T10:07:19.557-04:00Hi Paula, obvious inaccuracies bother me, especial...Hi Paula, obvious inaccuracies bother me, especially when it's something the writer could have easily checked! I try to set my books in places I know well to avoid just that problem.JENNIFER WILCKhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16218241106543538422noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7305640310502393746.post-72638034981371867912011-06-08T10:02:12.205-04:002011-06-08T10:02:12.205-04:00Hi Paula
Very interesting post. I'm a bit lik...Hi Paula<br />Very interesting post. I'm a bit like Gilli I think, in that I don't tend to set my stories in a specific place, rather a general area. Although many of my locations are based on actual areas in Wales. I draw very much on the landscape and terrain of the area but since I write futuristic and fantasy I do tend to take some 'artistic liberty.<br /><br />However if I mention a town or village that actually exists, I'll make very sure I get my facts right!Hywela Lynhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13789711554354184386noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7305640310502393746.post-41332618720205735902011-06-08T09:58:46.289-04:002011-06-08T09:58:46.289-04:00Excellent Post, Paula, and your examples do highli...Excellent Post, Paula, and your examples do highlight the need for accuracy - good excuse for more travelling!Rosemary Gemmellhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09311840205603508422noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7305640310502393746.post-43701446036326341732011-06-08T09:37:29.930-04:002011-06-08T09:37:29.930-04:00I agree, Paula. But when I write - tho I do choose...I agree, Paula. But when I write - tho I do choose locations I know for sense of place and atmosphere - I make up the place names. I want the flexibility to invent and change the details to suit my story. For e.g. I want to be able to say, "the house on the valley side was lit by the setting sun..." without disgruntled readers contacting me with the complaint that the sun sets behind the hills in that specific valley.Gilli Allanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13234069151918319605noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7305640310502393746.post-77644086196226688402011-06-08T09:34:00.135-04:002011-06-08T09:34:00.135-04:00Setting is really important in a novel. It can bec...Setting is really important in a novel. It can become almost like a character in and of itself. I agree...it's so important to get it right.<br /><br />Because of that, I tend to use places I've been as the setting for my books. That way, I can get even the minute details right. If I'm not using a place I've actually been, I do as much research as possible. It actually tends to make the writing a little trickier for me.Debra St. Johnhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07154130275058459169noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7305640310502393746.post-75364754154244729952011-06-08T09:24:00.404-04:002011-06-08T09:24:00.404-04:00I researched my book, The heart of a warrior for a...I researched my book, The heart of a warrior for a year before i wrote it. I had to know everything about the Navajo culture and the area that my fictional reservation would be in. Good luck with your book paula.Margaret Westhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13719830854358035869noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7305640310502393746.post-37916962086479536222011-06-08T08:51:59.083-04:002011-06-08T08:51:59.083-04:00Location (and knowledge of same) is as important i...Location (and knowledge of same) is as important in writing as in real estate.jrlindermuthhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09204855909246670628noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7305640310502393746.post-62589223489918909102011-06-08T08:25:40.974-04:002011-06-08T08:25:40.974-04:00I'm with you there, things that I know - and t...I'm with you there, things that I know - and that the author clearly hasn't bothered to do the bear modicum of research about drive me bonkers. There areso many ways to find these things out, even if you can't go there. I knew very little about the landscape of what was Bohemia in my latest, but Google Earth was fabulously useful!Erasteshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02203293017233301227noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7305640310502393746.post-11958195761694901872011-06-08T08:08:06.709-04:002011-06-08T08:08:06.709-04:00Hi Paula,
You blog-trotter you, I'm having a ...Hi Paula,<br /><br />You blog-trotter you, I'm having a tough time keeping up. I must have been waiting at wrong bus stop!! ;)<br /><br />Oh so true about knowing a place before starting a novel. As you so rightly said, someone out there likely lives in that place so make sure of your facts. Research, research and research again or go check it out for yourself. <br /><br />best<br />FFrancine Howarthhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02326542867876257042noreply@blogger.com