Creating a world for your story to take place in can be a lot of fun. At come points, a story will take the reader into a city where an adventure or series of adventures will take place. Make sure that your city is realistic before taking your readers there for a visit.
There are certain things that you should know about your city before you decide to write it into your story. By simply following a few guidelines about city-story creation, you will introduce your reader to a location that they can truly relate to.
Population:
How populated is your city? Is it a small town where everyone knows each other? Is it a sprawling city where everyone is insignificant and a number? Is it a midsized town that is used to bridge two major cities?
Population of a city can play a major role in some aspects of storytelling. A busy city is going to have a lot of traffic, and may impeded the character's ability to travel from one area to another. I once read a story where a character was able to travel from one side of Chicago to the other in the span of about ten minutes. Unless you are in a plane, this is impossible.
In the first example, I mentioned a small town were everyone knows everyone else. There should be attention drawn to the main character if she is entering this town for the first time. Most small towns are uncomfortable with strangers unless the town is open to travelers.
Higher populated towns will have a wider variety of items to buy. Have a scene where the main character purchases the latest iPod in the middle of a small hick-town is unrealistic.
Slang:
Many cities will have slang that is not used anywhere else. Take Louisiana for instance. Some people in the northern part of the state have no clue what people are saying in the Bayou. In New Jersey, someone from the city will not be able to have an understandable conversation with someone who grew up in the Pine Barrens.
Lore and Urban Legends:
In big cities you will find urban legends. In small towns, you will find local lore. It might be the house that people will stay away from because it may be haunted. The lore might come in the shape of a giant fish that the locals have been trying to catch for years.
Everyone grew up with some kind of tall tale in their neighborhood. Most of us will still remember these tales years later, and will be able to recite them word for word. Put them in a tale, even if they have nothing to do with your story. It will help the reliability of your story.
Buildings:
Do not put a skyscraper in the middle of a small town in rural America. D not expect your reader to believe that there is a thatch hut in the middle of Manhattan. While being extremes, they point out the same point. Make sure that a building fits an area before attempting to describe it to your reader.
These are just a few tips to keep in mind when creating your next city for your main characters. Many people forget that locations in your story are sometimes as important to the story as the main characters that are visiting them. You spend a lot of time creating the characters. Try to spend a little more on the locations they go to.
No comments:
Post a Comment