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Position:Home>Books & Authors> I want to write a fiction book that takes place in Alaska, but I have never beenQuestion: I want to write a fiction book that takes place in Alaska, but I have never been there!. Is this a bad idea!? The book is about three best friends who journey on a class field trip to a remote Inuit community!. An avolanche strikes the community, revealing a secret goldmine, and the three girls are the first to discover it!. What do you think!?Www@QuestionHome@Com
Best Answer - Chosen by Asker: First of all, I want to say I think you have a good story line!. It sounds interesting and could be a very good book!. To answer your question, I don't think it's bad to write about a place that you've never been!. But I would advise doing a LOT of research about Alaska and avalanches in order to write the story accurately!. To be honest, it would be amazing if you could take a trip there!. It'd give you the advantages of being able to describe the place, not just the looks, but the feelings you get!. You'd also be able to get a feeling for the people there, what they're like, how they talk, how friendly they are!. also, you'd be able to find out about their main stores, where the hang outs are, what their favorite things to do are!. But if you can't go to Alaska, which is understandable, trips aren't always something easy to take!. I think you can still get the picture right to write your book!. Here's what I'd suggest!. Go online and look through pictures of Alaska!. Tons of pictures!. You need to be able to describe Alaska and what you'd see if you were there!. Try to find people from Alaska to talk to!. Do you have a myspace!? If yes, look up people in Alaska and try to make friends!. Explain you have a book to write!. Or you could even use Yahoo Answers to ask people if they're from Alaska and would be willing to help you out!. Start doing tons of research on Alaska!. Find out what they have, what people like to do, what type of wildlife you'd see on occasion, what the weather is really like!. I have a friend in Alaska and I happen to know the weather wasn't anything like what I would have expected!. She might be able to asnwer any questions about Alaska if you'd like!. You can contact me through my profile on here and I'll ask her!. I can give her an email to contact you at or whatever!. I really think talking to people there would be a good start!. It'd give you a good feel for what your character and her friends should be like!. And what the people they meet are like!. You need to learn the atmosphere you'd find there!. Hope this helps and good luck :)Www@QuestionHome@Com Yes and No!. Yes because IT IS fiction so you can base it in any time era you want and picture as you want!. No because knowing the area would help and you can put more detail in your story!. Then again you can always interview or talk to someone that is a native and/or resident of Alaska to know more!. also I would not put that much detail out there about a book you want to do!. Someone could steal the idea and put it out as their own!. I wouldn't so you have nothing to worry about!. :)Www@QuestionHome@Com What plant is it that blooms and indicates winter is just weeks away!? What were the two different routes people took during the Gold Rush!? Which towns in the Alaska panhandle can be accessed by road from other parts of Alaska!? Why might one want to visit Anan Island!? How would one get there!? How many buildings are on Anan Island!? What certificate would one receive upon visiting Kotzebue!? What are the different groups of Native Alaskans and which part of Alaska does each inhabit!? What is the significance of a totem pole!? Have you ever read James Michener's Alaska!? Have you ever read Tisha!? What are the major industries in Alaska!? What big celebration takes place in Barrow each year!? What is the history of the Iditarod!? What does the race commemorate!? What is the major industry of St!. Petersburg!? Flags from how many different nations have flown over Alaska!? Who was William Seward!? What derogatory phrase was associated with his name!? Where is Mount McKinley!? Who was Susan Butcher!? Who was Balto!? What great feat did he accomplish!? What is permafrost!? How does it impact the lives of the people of Alaska!? What do Alaskans call the other states!? What is a sourdough!? What is the ALCAN!? Can a grizzly climb a tree!? How many different types of salmon are found in Alaska!? How do juvenile bald eagles look different from the adults!? Who designed the Alaska state flag!? What is the Alaska state capital and why is this controversial!? Why is Alaska known as the land of the midnight sun!? Why did bush pilots carry pine branches in their planes!? What restrictions are there on small private planes today!? How many police are there in Glacier Bay!? What types of whales might one see in Glacier Bay!? There is one rather long road in Alaska which is restricted!. Where is this road!? What is a blanket toss and why was it important!? NOTE: I do not live in Alaska!. Www@QuestionHome@Com It's not impossible, but it is harder!. If you can't afford to visit, you have to do a ton of research!. You'll need: maps, weather charts, Alaska-focused websites to show you where things are, maybe blogs of people who live in Alaska to get to know the region's idioms, dialects, etc!. My first novel was about a girl who got stuck in Amarillo, Texas, when her car broke down!. I've only spent one day in Amarillo and knew nothing about the city, so I did a lot of work with GoogleEarth, Amarillo's websites, and so forth!. I still haven't sold that book, but not because of the setting - I just don't think it's ready yet!. Your idea for the story sounds intriguing, and I wouldn't let your lack of knowledge about Alaska stop you!. Good luck!Www@QuestionHome@Com I think the idea could be really nice and you know: It's not bad you've never been to Alaska!. If you're serious about the story, it's a good reason to get on the next (affordable) flight! (because yes, I think that to describe a place you need to know it first hand!. It's feeling, it's colours, etc!.)Www@QuestionHome@Com Make up for it with research!. Read all you can about Alaska--climate, geography, culture, etc!. Talk to people who have lived in or visited Alaska!. Bram Stoker never set foot in Transylvania, but he still managed to write Dracula believably!. Www@QuestionHome@Com |