The chosen setting of a novel presents to the author hundreds of little description decisions that must be made throughout the plot in order to sell the authenticity of the story. A novel that takes place in 1998, for example, will be very different in many ways than one that takes place in 2008.
Take a look at developments in technology over the past ten years. Since the end of the '90s we've seen Internet usage demographics go from 'just tech-savvy urbanites' to 'everyone and her grandparents.' DVD players have all but replaced VHS. In 1999, most of my music was still on cassette tape. I didn't have time to buy all the CDs I wanted before MP3 music files became the rage. Televisions were still bulky boxes with 32-inch screens sitting atop consoles, and although the technology to stop, rewind, and digitally record live TV has been around for twenty-five years, TiVo didn't become a household word until the middle of the first decade after the Millennium.
I still haven't made a firm decision about the setting of my WIP. The original premise hinges on a random, computer-generated phone call by a telemarketer selling long distance telephone service. I could stick with that premise and set the novel in the early 2000s. If I do, then when the antagonist sets out to hunt down the protagonist with only her first and last name and an area code, I'll have to decide what devices he uses to locate her. The Internet? In 2001 and 2002, a "Google" search wouldn't pull up very much on an ordinary person in her early 20s. Even if you were Feeling Lucky. WhitePages.com? MySpace? Would my reclusive, thirty-something bad guy even have a computer at his house? And on the road, would he know how to find or use an Internet café? I'd have to figure out what other options he would have at his disposal.
Option number two is to move the setting to modern day. To do so, I'd have to tweak the premise. Do we even have telemarketers anymore? I get calls from credit card company affiliates wanting to sell me protection packages against identity theft. Maybe old Ray works for one of those? Does he have a laptop computer to take on the road with him? Does Julie have a FaceBook profile? (I tried to find a "Julie Knotts" on FaceBook, just for the fun of it. There were literally thousands of people who came up.)
At this point, the logic problems to work through seem endless. Clearly, depending on the setting I choose, I have more research ahead of me.
How does technology impact your current story? Do you have to think about it, or is it irrelevant? Do you have to create any technology of your own?
33 comments:
I still get telemarketers for life insurance, credit consolodation, home security systems, charities, and the like.
One of my manuscripts deals with time travel so I really have to pay attention to the technology as I write it. My charrie is from the early nineties. He'd never seen a flat screen television before.
My novel is set in a post-apocalyptic future, so I'm sorta blending new technology that I made up with old stuff that would have been around right about now. It's fairly difficult!
Yep, I still get telemarketers, too - even tho I am on the DNC list!
I made a point to be very careful about leaving out the mention of specific technology. I don't want a time stamp on my WiP. I think the only thing I mention (and just once) is a cell phone, but I figured we're going on 20 years of common usage now, so it should be safe ;)
Seeing as I'm currently writing a science fiction novel, I have to invent a lot of technology ... ;-) Since I've never warmed to the whole constantly-connected, phones-that-do-everything-and-make-omelettes craze, I worry that my portrayal of the future may be a bit anachronistic ... but I've chosen to specifically describe some elements as a backlash against that tendency.
Because I don't usually write SF, I had to do a huge amount of thinking to get a system that was cohesive put together ... widgets and all.
For my wip it's irrelevant, but I see where technology makes all the diffence. Right now, I'm struggling trying to find the perfect town or city to set my story in. Settings are so important!
My novel is set in present day but I don't have the same problems you do. I think the only form of technology Genna uses is her cell phone. I don't even mention anything else.
It's funny, but I was thinking about your book the other day after one of your posts and I was under the impression it was set in the 80's. How weird is that?
Great question! Since my whole story uses technology - the TV, anyway - it definitely impacts it. Also, my characters use Facebook, Twitter, etc to launch campaigns, so I've found it much easier to set it in the modern day. I like to keep it simple to eliminate the number of hoops I have to jump through.
Technology doesn't play a huge role in most of my stories to start with, but I agree, it's in the author's interest to get it right. Nice post.
Great topic! You've just identified the biggest reason I've avoided anything historical. The devil is in those details!
I'm always thinking about time period because I write either way in the past (medieval) or way in the future (sci fi). Great post!
This is an interesting question. I try to be aware of what technological advancements will have existed during the time that the piece takes place. It gets so frustrating when I find out something I was sure I had ten years ago didn't come about until five years ago! But it's definitely a good idea to be accurate, especially when it comes to [present] everyday technology.
that picture is awesome - but also makes me dizzy.
since i write fantasy mostly, i often don't have any modern technology. Or when i do, it's steampunk or whatever i want to make up.
ahhh i love speculative genres
My WIP is very technology dependent and although I could change the era with a considerable amount of effort, why should I? My first novel is split between the 1970's and the present time, and the emerging technology is what actually drives some of the plot.
Christi~ It sounds like you have a lot of the same issues to consider as I do.
Summer~ My hat's off to you! Let your imagination run, girl :)
Tara~ Interesting to not want to time stamp your WiP...I like that.
Lindsay~ I think SF has to be one of the most challenging genres as far as technology is concerned. Best of luck with your project!
Kimberly~ Setting is important -- I've pinpointed my cities, but that decision was a long time coming. Good luck with it!
Piedmont~ The 80s would be a fun era to write in, but for this story it's the...2000s (what do we call the first ten years?? I'm still unsure!)
Talli~ You're so right: keeping it as simple as possible is the best route with stuff like this!
Crimey~ Yes, sometimes it's a subject you can't get away from.
Portia~ That's the truth, sista!
Aubrie~ Yes, all the historical fiction writers have to be careful to portray their details correctly. It's as important as SF!
E.Elle~ A wrong techie detail will throw a whole story on its side for the reader. It's so important to verify the details!
Falen~ I'm in awe of spec fi writers. I tried the genre twice, for a contest, and it was a disaster. LOL
DL~ I just have to meet the challenge head-on. Your 70s story sounds interesting!
Thanks for your comments everyone! I love hearing from you :))
Wow Nicki, what a gorgeous new 'lifting' on your beautiful blog! Well done my dear friend.
Thank you, Philip!!
The only time I've had to worry about technology was when I was writing sci-fi or future fic. Most of the time my stuff is pretty contemporary and simple that way. If I need to know the name of something or how it works, I just go ask my husband. :)
This is a good question. I think the technology should be on an as-need basis. I wouldn't add it for the sake of sounding young and hip, but to make the time and place seem realistic. That sounds how you mean to use it as well.
Interesting post. I always try to pick a time period that my stories take place in. Even it's only two years earlier than the current date, I feel it's important to know the details of the time period to create an accurate setting. By the way, I'm passing the "Creative Writing Award" on to you. I've been digging through your archives, and I love your style. The topics you post are all very insightful and interesting to read as well. Come get your award, and add it to your trophy shelf if you like. Good luck, and keep writing!
This is such a difficult topic to dance around! Especially since technology is ever-changing, and a reference of out of date technology can instantly age a story (if it's supposed to be set in modern day).
In my book, I had a hard time deciphering if I should use texting... which is so prevalent to today's teens... but who knows? In a few years, it could be a thing of the past and teens could be communicating telepathically - lol! I ended up including texting minimally in the story, and trying not to worry about whether or not this technological detail will age my book in the future.
It's such a tricky topic though! Good luck finding a technological balance you're comfortable with! :)
Technology is such an important part of the setting - and it's so important to get it right!
I'm lucky with my Steampunk - I get to make up most of the technology - it's fun!!
Awesome post, Nicole! My second novel took place in the future in a fictional city, so I made up some technology. I basically upgraded cell phone communication by getting rid of phone numbers and instead dialing by a user name, just as an example. I'm a technology geek, so I try to give this area of research lots of thought.
I don't need technology in my writing, the story line is about a girl who is beaten and left for dead in a river, she is given a gift and must catch the killer before he hurt anyone else. It's a lot of fun!
This is why I tend to stick with fantasy, where NO technology exists. Makes my life easier. Haha. Okay. Not really, but I can pretend. One of my stories happens present day though, and I've been having to be careful I don't date it too terribly. In a couple of years technology will probably shift again.
Good luck on your novel writing. Sounds good :)
My story isn't contemporary, but I didn't model it after a certain period of time, so I did have to do some reading about the technology of the era, including what techniques were used to set bones. However, for my current work, technology is rather irrelevant to most things, since my characters couldn't have afforded most advanced stuff anyway.
This is such an important issue. My wip is about time travel, so I have to be really careful about it. My characters travel from 2022 back to 2012. The 2022 part is actually easier (and more fun) than 2012.
First of all, I CANNOT get over how visually beautiful your blog is! It's fantastic! Nice choices all around!
Second of all, what a great question! The concept of technology affects my story in that it's mostly absent. My story is set in a fictional world, that is about the equivalent of the late 1700s, early 1800s. So, I have to be careful to make sure I understand things like... how letter could be delivered, what materials could be used for buildings, and basic ship/sailing terminology. But, in many ways I'm thankful that my characters can't have iPhones or computers. It makes things simpler sometimes. : ) Good luck with your choices!
I have an award for you over on my blog!!! Check it out when you get a chance :)
My first book is set in space with another race, so I didn't have to worry about earth technology. But I understand your concerns with setting - technology has changed so fast. When I researched for a post on the transformation from VCR tapes to DVDs and beyond, I was amazed at how fast things changed in a very short period of time.
And thank you for following my blog!
I've wrestled with this question a lot trying to write contemporary YA. I found myself needing to strip away a lot of the technological crutches so commonly used by teens today, especially the cell phone. If you can just call for help whenever, it removes SO much dramatic potential. I worked in back story in which my MC destroyed her phone in a fit of temper and her mom won't replace it, at least not immediately.
I also had the electricity difference between US and UK to limit my MC's access to a computer--she has to go to her uncle's office to IM or e-mail.
Ah, technology.
I write dystopian, so I have a lot of technology. And yes, I get to make it up. I love it. I didn't really research (other than asking my friend who works at a software company), but I went off of things we have now. Like in my book, there's a device that will identify anyone by scanning their irises. And that kind of stuff is going on now. So it's based a bit on reality, but taken to a whole new level.
Nicki--This is a great question, and the choice of setting and related technology can affect a WIP a great deal, as you point out. Consider Avatar: sure it's a retelling of the Pocahontas/John Smith story, but the use of the Avatar technology and ability of the main characters to "infiltrate" the tribe through this technology completely re-arranges the plot and character dynamics--so much so that one might argue that it is, indeed, a different story.
For the problem in your WIP, I understand where your troubles lie. Reading the description I wondered if the function provided by the telemarketer call could be satisfied by one of those spam or phishing emails.
Anyway, great post, and thanks for stopping by my place and becoming a follower.
Dear Nicole,
An excellent post and trip down technology memory lane.
I still have a few cassettes! But all the VHS tapes are long gone.
And I DON'T miss dial-up.
By the way, ever visited http://www.archive.org ?
Thanks for a fantastic post!
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