I think I have the best hubby ever. He’s my biggest supporter. He just gets me.
I selected a small town in northwest Pennsylvania as a model location for the novel I’m writing. It was easier for me to “see” the characters in the town if I had an actual place to work with. I researched the high school, the hospital, various businesses and the streets and houses in the real town. I found houses for sale online and looked at images of the interiors and exteriors. I made those houses the houses where my main characters live.
To help with the visualization, my hubby suggested a day trip (or an overnight trip) to look around the real town. I’m not much of a traveler and usually resist going anywhere, but doing research for my book sounded like a fun and interesting idea.
We stayed at a nice bed and breakfast located not too far away from the model for my fictional town. We ended up driving around and through my model town, and I got to photograph various locations. I took pictures of the high school, various stores, businesses and streets. We went to the houses I had found for my characters to live in. The house I selected for my hero has since been purchased so I was careful when photographing that one. I didn’t want someone calling the cops about this crazy lady taking cell phone pictures of their new home. We had a meal at the Applebee’s in town, and we stopped at the Wal-Mart – all things my characters would do.
I think I have the best hubby ever, and I loved that he indulged his silly writer wife as she gawked around at a small town not all that different from where we live in upstate New York. I certainly could have used my imagination to create the settings I needed, but then I wouldn’t have had this great weekend away with the man I love.
You certainly do! What a great idea to research your book!
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Thanks, he’s a great guy. He always has good ideas.
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I’m glad your husband is supportive of your research/writing. We learned at writers group how important it is to get the facts straight when using a real locale. Simple things like knowing which side of the street has the morning sun will make your story more believable.
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He’s the best. 😀
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I don’t think these trips are silly. They’re vital to grasping the fine details that bring a landscape to life. I’m glad you too are married to a man who gets that. 🙂
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Those types of men are the best. 🙂
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