How To Write a Scene About a Place You Have Never Visited

Gotta love colloquialisms! I had never heard that before either. Then again. . .I never said "fixin' to" instead of "gonna" or "going to" before I lived here long enough.

Haha. Probably so. You know, when I moved to TX I learned that sugar also refers to kisses. Give me some sugar. LOL. Usually, you hear parents tell that to their children or grandchildren.

I guess I didn't see this when you published it. I grew up in central IL not too far from the IN border. The waitress dialogue made me giggle a little, but only because that sounds like more of a southern thing. . . calling people sugar and honey, that is. Maybe I've been in TX too long. This time of year is a good time for the Midwest, I think. Seems like there's never much of a fall down here.

Good advice. It's amazing what worlds the internet can open, along with a little imagination.

Great work, and fabulous ideas, as always. I for one, happen to be drawn to the area that I grew up in, which is the most comfortable for me. This gives me cause to open my mind and perhaps even my heart, just a tad.

I loved this article, Bill. How do we write about a place without actually “being there”? I think we all face this challenge at one time or another, since we are often advised to “write what you know.” So how do these two scenarios equate? It begins with research…our best friend -- and nemesis. Well, at least it’s my nemesis at times. :-) You have described this art and skill, perfectly. Thank you!

billybuc

Thanks for the quick answer.

I guess my mind doesn't think subject then verb?

Maybe, I will try to rewrite my scene with foot before walk. lol

Very helpful information here. Good point about pictures on the internet. I guess you could also go onto Google Streetview and have a look around whatever place you want to write about as well.

billybuc

Good Morning

I have been pondering my story since you explained the vernacular, and passive, active modes.

Here is my ponder, in a scene where there is only a character, most likely the main character, there can't be more than two ways to describe what the character is thinking and seeing.

So there is either a story narrative from outside the character, or it is the words of the character. Those words would have to be native to the character, while a narrative can strike any tone.

In my scene was there a better approach for the reader to follow the character?

Fiction Tenderfoot

Right. I've taken up your challenge and have sent you an email with the attached story. There, I did it. :)

This is interesting Billy directing imagination with research and facts..it's def something I have to practice more of as there are many places that I haven't yet got to that I want to include in my books..good to have your example, thanks..

Cheers

You were great describing that scene Bill! I could actually picture it all in my mind very clearly.

That almost sounds like a challenge. I think this might be out of my comfort zone but I may just take you up on it.

Great use of imagination.

So did he get the job or not? What happened in Malibu that made him leave his life and try to start again? You're not going to leave me hanging, are you? ;)

A great hub showing how we can write about places that we have never visited and yes you are so right the only limitations are those that we pose on ourselves. I guess we have to break free and explore, Google is of great help.

The same goes for historical fiction, as in, "Emperor Julius Caesar strolled along the Appian Way and stopped for a hamburger at Cleopatra's Dinerus."

You're very good at what you do, and I like specifically that you share how you go about your craft (e.g., resources) so that others can follow in your footsteps. Nicely done.

Gee whiz Bill, I couldn't write that kind of setting based on the fact you had for Franklin! What a great exercise in writing!

Good advice, Bill. I often find myself wanting to write about places I've never been to and usually I pull up the old faithful Google and do a bit of research. Thanks for the tips and keep on keeping on.

Well Bill, just like everyone else I was impressed and drawn in. You sure know how to flesh out a scene. This was a great example for those of us still learning. I may have to try this exercise and see where it takes me.

Thanks so very much for your continual sharing and showing us the way.

Voted up, useful, awesome, and interesting.

Excellent article and nice little story. You really did give a sense of place. Did the guy ever find work? Did he hook up with the waitress?

Yes, Bill, that was a trick question. I was playing "Gotcha" and you guessed right. There really are bayous in the Ozark Mountains, a strange but true phenomenon. We kids grew up swimming in them because they were much warmer than the rivers. The bit about the train was from personal experiences, too. In fact when I went into labor with my second child, I was immediately taken to the hospital and the doctor sarcastically quipped, "she was afraid she would be caught by a train." Today there is an overpass across that bayou in town, much to everyone's relief. So, I was just funnin' you, but you are too smart! Have a great day -- stay warm, it's 9 degrees here.

Another great how-to lesson. Small as my island is, there are some sites I have not visited; I tell myself I have to visit. Just a self-imposed limitation, right? Thanks for this practical guide.

Awesome, Bill. You did it so well. All can't do so beautifully. Even if you have knowledge, putting it in words so beautiful and splendid, it is an art all can't possess.

Thanks for this sharing of your knowledge.

You've created a great composition, Bill. It really does sound realistic! Thanks for a very useful demonstration.

You are so creative, Bill! :-)

billybuc

Thanks, I am limbering up my typing fingers.

Ready to go.

Well-done! You have a vivid imagination. wonderful exercise. I would love to visit Hawaii someday. I could try this exercise with travel. thank you for this useful information.

I used to do more creative writing, but I've kind of gotten away from it for a couple of years. You inspire me to give it another go!

billybuc

Note to Jaye Wisdom

Please feel free to use the scene and post it as it would be interesting to see where it takes you.

Alancaster149

Looks like Brad's on the right track, although using the vernacular doesn't always work. Cutting down on the passive verbs helps the movement as well, not so much of the '-ing'; use more 'active' language that pushes the narrative and dialogue.

I don't really know what that means, and if I had to write to the drum beat, it wouldn't be fun.

billybuc

I like the exercises, but writing a whole story, not so sure.

Maybe as I continue reading your mailbag, I might go deeper into thinking about writing something larger.

I look forward to some more challenging exercises. It could be like training for a mental marathon. lol

Thanks

Wonderful advice and examples. You know, I just finished my first novel, and I thought over and over again about how much more difficult, if not impossible, it would have been for me to have done it w/o the internet!

Friend Bill, this has some really great information that may help me with the book I put aside five years ago because I didn't have time to research it. By the way, I've just completed an article that I haven't had time to publish related to something like this, so what a coincidence. Maybe I'll get to pushing that button soon. In the meantime, let me give you a little test. Do you see anything odd about this scenario about a woman on her way to pick up her kids at the movies? (Other than the fact that I did use brand names because that's what we do in the South unless it's a coke.)

"Jennifer’s old car chugged along Central Avenue leaving a trail of smoke behind. The air conditioner was on its second summer of disrepair, having long ago leaked the last of the AutoZone freon. The windows were down, and the humid air was stifling in the 99 degree heat. She wiped her face with the last Kleenex and licked her dry lips in anticipation of the fresh pitcher of Kool-Aid awaiting her and the children at home.

A long wail pierced the air through the open windows. Oh, no, she thought, I hoped I could get across the bridge and not get trapped by that darned train. She was approaching the bridge across the bayou that bisected the little Ozark Mountain town. Parallel to the bayou were the railroad tracks, and being trapped by a train for 10 to 20 minutes was everybody’s nightmare. It was the only bridge across the wide sandy stream 30 feet below."

Have a Prosperous New Year 2015 Bill.

Looks like Brad's on the right track, although using the vernacular doesn't always work. Cutting down on the passive verbs helps the movement as well, not so much of the '-ing'; use more 'active' language that pushes the narrative and dialogue.

The first location description reads like New Orleans. Is that right?

I've used physical maps of areas I haven't been to. In my books I'm in the 11th Century, so the scenery was much more wooded with thatched wooden buildings, alehouses and inns dotted about. 'Cities' were usually only inhabited by thousands (even the population of London in the 11th Century wasn't more than about 1% of its current figure). They were smelly places at best, but busy by day. There were 'stews', districts beyond the law where harlots plied their trade and their customers could be anyone from noblemen down to ships' crews. One stew in London came under the jurisdiction of the Bishop of Southwark and he had a jail known as 'the Clink' for debtors.

One thing that hasn't changed in the last millennium is crime and violence, although the nature has changed, and nobody uses stocks any more. Nor do we have Norman knights or barons claiming their rights to the bride on the wedding night, or the 'murdrum fine' imposed for killing them when we get fed up.

Just what did we do before the internet? This is a neat example of how to research and make a realistic scene. It may be more difficult 'moving' to another country, say me writing about New York or Washington. Possibly nail the location but the flow of characters speech may not be effective. I wonder how many 'top selling authors' have a researcher on staff. Thanks again Bill - your time is our gain. Cheers Maj

a very useful tool you just printed and published for us... I get my scenes from police logs and from cold cases.. but I can relate and use the internet to travel.. maybe my next piece will be used in this fashion maybe I can pull it off :) thanks for the Knowledge.. and keeping all of us in the know

This note is for Brad, and it's about your example of free-flowing writing. The scene you wrote suggested to me two premises for a story, and you could probably think of a few more. You really should use that scene and see what you can make of it. Don't let the creativity you put into it go to waste. Even though you think you don't "do" fiction, you'll never know until you try.

Jaye

Thanks to the Internet we can enjoy a virtual experience of any unknown city/country so much easier and faster than writers before us. You have done a great job, describing Franklin, Indiana as if your were there in person. Congratulations!

I could see, hear, and almost smell Franklin, Indiana, from your description, even without the photos of the courthouse and downtown street. Betty's dialogue helped set the tone, and your writing helped me visit the Midwest town of Franklin without leaving my chair. Excellent demonstration, Bill!

Voted Up++

Jaye

Thank you for the good ideas.

Greatly written and thought of. Your message is always clear to me.

I see that research is a key factor in writing. You are amazing! I liked the name of the diner. lol. The waitress was so familiar. I must have seen her sometime, someplace. Thank's again for helping us to be better writers.

Shhh, Bill! If you make it look so easy everyone will do it. :)

Great advise. Checking the weather in different seasons and the locations of things is a great idea. And with Google Earth and street view it's even easier to describe buildings and streets, no fiction necessary.

I'm with Heidi; I wish we could justify travel expenses like that on our tax returns. Even I might try my hand at fiction if that were the case.

Google. Wikipedia. I have a bone to pick with you two!

I do have a serious question though.

You mentioned that you practice free-flow writing often. You've mentioned in other articles that you form an outline for your novels. Do you find that when you begin to flesh in your novel and your writing starts to flow that your outline changes, or do you stay within the confines of your original line of thinking?

billybuc

Thanks for your kind words and encouragement. It was a mystery to me as I created it without thinking. I don't read fiction so I am without a reference, so I guess. Sometimes I get lucky.

Each step was created on the fly with no direction being chosen for what would happen next. When I stopped, I hadn't even thought of what was coming next.

Anyway, it was fun.

Thanks again.

billybuc

That is great, but what about a place that doesn't exist?

It was apparently morning, I am guessing, but I am not sure. It feels like morning, a summertime morning. The kind where it is comfortable, and yet there are no sounds of life, no birds, no rustling of little creatures.

I can't see the Sun directly, but I sense that it must there somewhere because there is a dawn like light getting stronger by the minute. It feels like I have awakened from a sound sleep, yet I don't remember when I was last awake.

I have only been awake for several minutes and now I realize, I don't know where I am. Quickly looking around me, I see that I am in some area where there are many trees, and shrubbery, and none of it looks familiar. In just several minutes, the light has gotten brighter, and it continues to do so. I realize, that I was down of the ground when I woke up. I was dressed in a suit that I recognized as being one of my suits. I had on a crisp white tailored shirt, with a dark blue tie that had an imprinted pattern on it in black and maroon shades of color. I was wearing a classy looking black belt with a shiny brass buckle.

Looking down at my feet, I saw a pair of black shoes. These were the shoes that I would wear when I was going out to some formal occasion. I searched the pockets of the suit jacket, and pants, as well as the shirt pocket.

I thought for sure that I would find something in the pockets, but to my surprise, they were as clean as if I had just picked them up from the cleaners. Although, there was not cleaning ticket on any of the clothes.

Where was my wallet, the black trifold one with all my credit cars, folding money, and driver's license. I didn't have my Citizen's Blue Angel wrist watch on my wrist. I would wear it on either wrist depending on what I was doing with my hands. The watch was only ornamental as I would use my phone for determine the time.

I looked around in the immediate area for any signs of these items, but the ground was unusually baron in a thirty foot circle around me. This was strange as the trees and shrubs beyond it were in an apparent random pattern.

Where was I, and how can I determine my location? I thought that if I knew where I was, it would give me a clue as to how I might haven't gotten here.

The sky was a dull whitish illumination when I first woke up, but now it was a very soothing light blue, unbroken by any clouds or disturbances. Dawn had broken and it was up and on its way to morning. I must have unconsciously gotten up onto my feet, as now I realized that I was standing. The light was brightest from behind me, so I must be facing West, as I ruled out dusk because the light was getting brighter behind me.

Which direction should I go first to see if there was anything familiar about the immediate area. My current visibility was limited by the trees that were surrounding me, and close as forty feet away. They gave no clue to what I would find beyond, that is if there was a point beyond them.

I remembered a phrase from the past, that said "Go West Young Man", and that seemed as good as any choice that could be made under the circumstances. So that is what I did, I moved my feet a step at a time. Quickly at first, until I made it past the end of the circular clearing that I was in since I woke up.

The ground cover past the clearing was rough, and filled with unmanicured growth. It made the journey out slow as I had to make sure of my footing and I didn't want to soil my shoes or pants.

I walked through this forest like scenery just trying to head west until I was out of it. This required me navigating around clusters of trees, trees of various sizes, types, and age. Thee was no path to guide me through it. The ground was flat, but I had the feeling that I was going uphill, or it could have been that I was not a person that exercised regularly.

After what seemed to be an hour since my journey started, I could see what looked like another clearing like the one that I had just left not too long ago.

As I approached the clearing, I saw something that made me realize........

If you want to find out more, then buy the book. Just joking.

Now you know why I don't do fiction.

I am amazed at books I have read to find out the author only went by research! Another brilliant point! + Not signed in so can't share but voting up and across!

Bill that was absolutely brilliant! You are so talented. Thank you for the tips.

There's plenty of choice, bill. You can enjoy a cool orange and mango or a ginger beer (not alcoholic). The essence is a relaxed evening amongst like-minded people. You'd be very welcome. See you later! :))

Ann

Bill, you make it sound so easy. All of us have the internet for research, but it takes more than that. You have a special gift of being able to paint a picture with your words. The scenery feels real and (just as important) the people are real. I am ready for the next chapter. Maybe some day we will learn a bit more about Betty and the blue-eyed stranger from Malibu.

Have a great day my friend. No writing for this old girl today. I'm going out to work in the garden--something I haven't done since October.

Very cool. I think I like my imagination more than the reality so I probably am not too word about authenticity. -- I should work on that.

You sure you haven't been there, bill? I was convinced, that's for certain!

We have to use everything at our disposal and then some. The internet does make research much easier.

As you say, if we don't try, we'll never get anywhere.

Great reading for Wednesday evening. Off to book club later to read some poetry! No one has time to read anything longer over Christmas so we just gather, drink a glass of something, read a couple of poems and chat.

Enjoy your evening, bill!

Ann

Thank goodness for the Internet! Although in years past, writers could maybe justify some travel expenses to "get inspiration?" Let's see, I think I need to write about Fiji (which sounds really good right now with it being 1 degree here this AM). Think that will fly on my tax return? Okay, seriously, good points about using the amazing tools we have available on our desktops. Voted up and useful of course!

Oh man this is great.