tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9152710377778718003.post6273200575363675778..comments2023-10-25T08:47:36.436-07:00Comments on L: The Setting Can Screw You: A Cautionary TaleLiv Rancourthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13171029958375171223noreply@blogger.comBlogger12125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9152710377778718003.post-25126324496760949982015-05-20T06:26:08.146-07:002015-05-20T06:26:08.146-07:00You have to wonder what the director was thinking....You have to wonder what the director was thinking. Like, people are going to notice the mountains (or lack thereof). I have never seen Sleepless In Seattle, but apparently it plays fast & loose with our local geography, too. Goofy.Liv Rancourthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13171029958375171223noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9152710377778718003.post-33619632915731983972015-05-19T14:26:22.495-07:002015-05-19T14:26:22.495-07:00This kinda reminds me of how in the movie, 'Co...This kinda reminds me of how in the movie, 'Congo', there's like an establishing shot of Houston with the mountains visible. The problem is that Houston could not possibly be any flatter. It's kinda funny :) Mike Schulenberghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07150989011176710430noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9152710377778718003.post-65032208903162661602015-05-19T06:58:24.867-07:002015-05-19T06:58:24.867-07:00I figured you might recognize it, Ellen. And I wil...I figured you might recognize it, Ellen. And I will say I think it's totally possible to set a book in Seattle without ever mentioning traffic - unless the characters spend the whole time running up and down I5. Because the trip from Seattle to Tacoma is longer than what it shows on the map.<br />Liv Rancourthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13171029958375171223noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9152710377778718003.post-15277589308777904592015-05-19T03:13:32.210-07:002015-05-19T03:13:32.210-07:00Sure, Liv. Just make sure you call the subway a M...Sure, Liv. Just make sure you call the subway a Metro.Linda Maye Adamshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07203020058437093901noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9152710377778718003.post-79977317646363667772015-05-19T01:27:32.340-07:002015-05-19T01:27:32.340-07:00Still, I'm pretty sure only a Seattle resident...Still, I'm pretty sure only a Seattle resident would throw the kindle at the wall for that... Interestingly, I've read a fair few set in Seattle recently, and I don't recall much about Tacoma Seattle traffic... although in one there was CONSIDERABLE traffic at the Canadian border en route to Vancouver. :-)<br /><br />I do agree that setting and worldbuilding an research is important, though. The fewer readers to throw their books, the better!<br /><br />(I reckon I know which book you're talking about too...)Ellen Gregoryhttp://ellenvgregory.com/noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9152710377778718003.post-33865411519383648772015-05-18T15:00:55.799-07:002015-05-18T15:00:55.799-07:00No worries, Elizabeth. I get "Liz" a lot...No worries, Elizabeth. I get "Liz" a lot - and I bet your fingers type it automatically, since it's technically your name. When my DC piece is finished, I may well track you down.<br />;)<br />Thanks!Liv Rancourthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13171029958375171223noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9152710377778718003.post-4158940619396380462015-05-18T14:55:57.451-07:002015-05-18T14:55:57.451-07:00Crap, I meant Liv. LIV!
Sorry about that! And in a...Crap, I meant Liv. LIV!<br />Sorry about that! And in an offer to beta-read as well. Sigh.Elizabeth Corvahttp://www.elizabethcorva.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9152710377778718003.post-47104146664584898152015-05-18T14:54:35.384-07:002015-05-18T14:54:35.384-07:00Liz, I live and work in DC and will be glad to bet...Liz, I live and work in DC and will be glad to beta read for you as well.Elizabeth Corvahttp://www.elizabethcorva.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9152710377778718003.post-84471687654604900612015-05-18T10:43:07.902-07:002015-05-18T10:43:07.902-07:00Seems like if you're going to use an existing ...Seems like if you're going to use an existing building in your story, you should, I don't know, look at a picture, maybe? Because I'd do the same thing you did, Eileen. It's a suspension of disbelief kind of thing, and if an author blows that with me, I spend the rest of the book turning every little factoid around in my mind instead of paying attention to the plot.<br />Thanks for checking in!Liv Rancourthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13171029958375171223noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9152710377778718003.post-47538337147689790922015-05-18T10:22:21.829-07:002015-05-18T10:22:21.829-07:00I was reading a story set in Dublin and was totall...I was reading a story set in Dublin and was totally immersed in it. Until the characters met "On the steps of the GPO" and I ground to a screeching halt. The GPO in Dublin doesn't have steps, it's one of the few wheelchir accessible buildings there. So I spent the rest of the book looking for mistakes and not caring about the characters. Eileen Gormleyhttp://www.cytolene.wordpress.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9152710377778718003.post-90466987426090850162015-05-18T07:03:33.659-07:002015-05-18T07:03:33.659-07:00It's totally a pick-your-battles thing, Linda!...It's totally a pick-your-battles thing, Linda! And the thing is, there are so many good resources - on-line newspapers, real-estate information, individual neighborhood blogs - that there's really no excuse for missing the big stuff, and even some of the little stuff. For example (rant alert) the MC who worked in Tacoma LIVED on Goose Island, which apparently is outside of Chicago. With as many islands as there are in Puget Sound, why didn't the author choose something that actually existed?! It totally affected my ability to enjoy the story. <br /><br />Hmm...I am working on something that takes place in DC. Maybe I'll see if you can beta read for me when it's done? Thanks for the comments....Liv Rancourthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13171029958375171223noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9152710377778718003.post-82871124543572169092015-05-18T03:28:33.897-07:002015-05-18T03:28:33.897-07:00I think it's more of to pick your battles on w...I think it's more of to pick your battles on what you need to know. Writers get hung up on researching novels like they're doing term papers, trying to please the 1% of the audience who might know. I was stationed in Washington State for 6 years, but I wouldn't have caught the traffic part because I haven't been there since 1995 If the author hadn't done her research, I would have picked up on it by vagueness of the location. I would expect someone familiar with the location or having done the research to mention rain and city names like Gig Harbor, Olympia, Nisqually, and maybe kid a newbie about mispronouncing Pullyup.<br /><br />NCIS is set in Washington, DC. If you didn't live here, you probably wouldn't know that they get a lot wrong. They've said they were going to race off from the Washington Naval Yard to Norfolk in an hour, which is 4 hours away if the traffic is good. But they've had a big picture of the Metro map displayed, called it a Metro and not a subway (we don't call it a subway), and have used names of local cities. They've even had Gibbs go down and watch the Unknown Soldier sentries. Again, you had to be there to know if it was a blue screen and he could not have possibly stood where they had him standing. If I'd only visited DC once or two, I'd never know other parts were wrong because the parts were right. In fact, one of the worst setting-books I read set here was because the author took one big picture DC item (Supreme Court) and did no other setting whatsoever. Using well-known street names and mentioning the Capitol and the Washington Monument would have gone a long ways on setting.Linda Maye Adamshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07203020058437093901noreply@blogger.com