Post #3399415
2026-06-06 15:53 UTC
#WritersCoffeeClub June 6: How do you write about places you’ve never been?
I actually *do* have an answer for this, because I have at least one scene set in a place in San Francisco that I never visited the inside of. I research the place as thoroughly as I can, getting interior photos if possible, and then make sure the scene doesn't have any details that I can't verify. (It's surprising how much you can get away with *not* specifying about a setting, if you really want to.)
Replies (1)
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@kagan@wandering.shop 2026-06-07 15:34
#WritersCoffeeClub June 7: Do you avoid expressions, idioms, colloquialisms, or embrace them? I definitely embrace them in dialogue, as it helps with realism. Since my characters are modern people, they speak in a normal, modern vernacular. I try not to overdo it, of course, but sometimes a character really does need to say something like "double-you tee eh eff?" In narrative, I still don't mind them if they fit, but I try to make sure they won't break the flow or style of the narrative voice.