Writing from Here to There

Most of us love the fact that books can take us out of our ordinary lives and transport us to distant lands. But how does an author create a story that can do that?

Many novelists root their stories in places they’ve once lived. Barbara Kingsolver, for instance, spent part of her childhood in the Congo, which lends verisimilitude to her terrific novel, The Poisonwood Bible. And while The Stockholm Octavo is set in the 18th Century, the novel was doubtless inspired by the nine years author Karen Engelmann lived in Sweden.

“Write what you know,” writers are told. But what if you’ve lived only in one place, and you find your hometown of minimal literary interest? Living in the Southwest may not inspire dreams of becoming the next Tony Hillerman. And while Jane Smiley set A Thousand Acres in Iowa, your novel might demand a quite different setting.

So, if something lies far beyond your experience, you’ve got to put some extra effort into creating scenes. If you’re writing a political thriller, for instance, you may want to visit Washington, D.C. If you’re writing a courtroom drama, sit in on a trial. You get the idea.
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