Books - The Great Escape

A nice haul of gently used books from a recent visit to a local store.

A good book can transport the reader through space and time. Authors provide a mental retreat that evokes emotion and makes people feel as if they are really somewhere else, experiencing an alternate reality alongside the characters. We read to learn, but everyone deserves to escape sometimes.

As a writer, when we can’t always visit every place we write about, how do we bring the world to life on the page? For my book, Shadows of the Fathers, I wrote about places I have been and others I haven’t, but the goal is to do enough research to ensure the reader can never tell the difference. When you cannot travel to a location, digital tools are your best friend for understanding space, geography, and architecture.

Here are a few ideas that work for writing or just to learn more about a place that interests you:

Google or Apple maps: Don’t just look at the map from overhead. You can virtually walk the streets. Look at parked cars, holes in fences, changes in elevation, and even curb heights.

Local Digital Hangouts: Join Subreddits or Facebook groups for a specific place. You’ll learn what people are like, and their likes and dislikes.

Video Tours: These are the best. Search YouTube for "[City] walking tour,” “[City] driving,” or "[City] POV." Videos are better than pictures because you have dimension and sound.

Real Estate Sites: Look at interior photos of homes in the area you are writing about to understand the architecture, layout, and "vibe" of daily life. 

Social Media Geotags: Search social media platforms like Instagram by location to view recent posts. This reveals everyday reality rather than curated photos. Mundane can be good, and give you gold nuggets that bring your words to life.

Check the Weather: Your assumption about a place's climate may be incorrect.

Read: There are plenty of books and online articles that talk about places. You can gain historical context and understand the economic or political struggles that define a place's character. Look for the soul of a city that even a tourist might miss, like the unspoken social rules, the local slang, or the unique culture. Also, reading engages more senses. What does the air smell like? If it’s hot, is it also humid, or more of a dry heat? How does the sun feel closer to the equator as compared to the sun in Kansas?

Some writers hate research or feel that it slows down the process. Some keep it vague, with their story set in Anytown, USA. Some just write what they know. Personally, I like to learn about and research a new place either by traveling there or by using the suggestions above. Readers get to escape when the book hits the shelves, but writers get to experience it first.

CC