A great way to research a city your character is going to spend some time in, is to spend some time in it yourself. Nothing beats being there. But I can’t always pick up and visit every location I want to use in my book, or spend months there. I usually can swing a week, if I’m lucky.
So I took the advice of another writer and take tons of pictures and notes while I’m there. When I get back, I subscribe to the local paper, or follow a local’s blog or “What’s Happening in ______” city site. Knowing there’s an annual music festival in Portland in February or that Obama spoke at UC Irvine’s commencement in June can be woven in to create a ‘real feel’ to your writing. And since online life is eternal, even if I forget something, I never have a problem going back to see what was happening in May of last year at the coast in Lincoln City, Oregon.
Weaving real details into my story anchors it and creates interest. I pick up books by my favorite authors because they are so well-grounded in place.
And don’t forget to ask for email addresses or phone #s of experts you meet or interview for follow-up questions. No matter how complete I think the interview was, I always have more questions once I start to write the scene.
A self-admitted book addict, Valerie was the kid with the flashlight under her pillow. A life of travel with exposure to many different cultures led to a pervasive interest in people, with degrees & teaching credentials in Cultural Anthropology & English.