Ever have a yearning to
set your book in a distant land? For the record, I’m talking earthbound here,
not some other galaxy. Not that there’s anything wrong with that, it just
doesn’t suit the purposes of this article. What I refer to are exotic locales,
far-away places that you’ve never been to before and undoubtedly wish you had.
The question is – how can
you set a book in Botswana, Africa, if you’ve never prowled through the
savannah? The answer may be easier than you’d think. Three words – global
satellite imagery. It’s one of the best things to come down the pipe for us
writer types. From the comfort of our recliners we can zoom in and spy on
virtually any place on the planet. You can measure distance, determine the
geographical lay of the land, scope out cities, find street names in Paris, New
York, or Istanbul. Get directions, note landmarks, this is nearly the next best
thing to traveling there yourself.
My favorite site is Google
Earth and the latest edition now has 3D capability. How cool is that? Here’s a
sampling of some sites I’ve used.
http://earth.google.com
www.globexplorer.com
http://www.terraserver.com
But the research has just
begun. There’s much more needed to give your location an intimacy that feels
genuine. One important factor is weather. For example, our winter is Australia’s
summer. So what if like me, you’re story’s set in Africa and you’ve painted a
beautiful sunny day, but your timeline has the characters there during monsoon
season? There are sites that offer atmospheric data, weather patterns, average
temperatures, ocean currents, even shipping lanes.
www.NOAA.gov
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (limited to USA’s side of the
planet)
www.weather.com
(both sides of the planet)
Which leads us to
Greenwich Meantime (GMT). Wonder what time it is in Botswana, Africa? Well, its
eight hours ahead of USA’s Central Time Zone. Check out these sites for your
desired story location.
http://wwp.greenwich2000.com
http://www.timeanddate.com/worldclock/
Okay, now we’re rolling.
Let’s get deeper into what makes a country tick, the dry and factual of profiles
and statistics. What does their flag look like? What is their current political
climate? Are there hot zones? Need to research population demographics?
Languages and religions? How about the country’s natural resources, currency,
maritime claims, economies, or historical data? It’s all here at this one highly
informative site hosted by USA’s own Central Intelligence Agency.
https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/index.html
Once you’ve done all that
homework, it’s time for the fun part. Tourism sites are a wealth of information
and always highlight the best things a country has to offer. They can give a
great perspective on local flavor and color, flora and fauna, culture and
diversity. The list here can be endless, so I chose two that I used and liked
for my stories as an example of what they can offer.
http://www.botswana-tourism.gov.bw/index_f.html
http://www.stlucia.org/
Another nice benefit of
tourism sites is that, at your request they mail brochures, catalogs, photos,
and other paraphernalia. But I should tell you this practice comes with a
warning label. Because if you’re like me, having all those tempting papers in
your hand only feeds the travel bug that lurks ever-ready to pounce.
Lastly, I’ll mention one
more online resource for detailed information. Lots of people write trip
critiques or publish small journals of their travels that are chock full of
tips, hints, things to look for or avoid. And sometimes, they can spark ideas.
www.TripAdvisor.com
www.MyTripJournal.com
Also, go to your favorite
search engine and type in your story location next to words like critique or
journal. Or experiment with words like beware, fantasy, adventure, or other
descriptive. You’ll be surprised at some of the stuff that pops up.
By the time you’ve hit all
these sites, printed off enough material to burn an ink cartridge, and fired up
those travel-induced endorphins, you should have enough ammunition at your
fingertips to successfully paint a world you’ve never actually seen.
After all, we’re writers.
It’s what we do.
***
Monica McCabe writes
romantic adventures set in far-flung locales and has a secret wish to be a
travel writer and get paid to be on perpetual vacation. Until then you can catch
up with her on her website at
www.monicamccabe.net
and read about her Alaskan adventures.
