I need to set my story in America...

Roly

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My agent suggested it. It was originally set in Toronto but I guess Americ-centric stories will appeal to a 'wider' audience. Well, okay. I wanna get published so whatever no big.

The problem is I want the place to be big city-ish. I also want it to be somewhere around a large body of water where there's a harbour nearby that also doubles as a commercial-ish area --> ie, people walk past this large body of water, there are shops near it, etc. I might keep it around Lake Ontario, but I don't necessarily have to.

I don't want it to be New York City or anything though because I just don't know enough about that city to portray it believably. Then again I don't know much about ANY American city so I guess I'm screwed either way. Unless...I don't know. NYC is just a big beast to tackle if you really don't know much about it. Plus it's rather cliche.

Maybe somewhere in New York State? She goes to a really rich private school on scholarship (NOT a boarding school), so it has to be a place that would believably have such a school and a population of rich kids able to attend it. I chose Toronto specifically because it, like other big cities I suppose, have those divisions of classes (and is also multicultural - the school itself is multicultural so the city should also be...right?)

On top of that, my main character is black (with Nigerian roots, like me) and lower middle class but lives in a somewhat suburban-ish area. I need to set the story in a place where she could believably live (preferably a multicultural area).

I don't know, it was easier to set this in Toronto, but now that I have to set this in America it's just creating whole new problems for me. At the same time I'm trying to get published by American publishers who probably prefer everything to be Americentric unless there's a really good reason not to be (ie - about some other so-called 'exotic' country or time period, if not an entirely different world). It's a bit of a headache but I've at least conceded to that since it's pretty much the way the industry is so....

Anyway, if you can help me out, I'd really really appreciate it.
 
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backslashbaby

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I prefer reading about places like Canada, myself. Or places far away in the US, because they may as well be differen countries :)

Baltimore came to mind from your post. My brother lives in Baltimore.

It's not much at all like Canada, though. It's a bit South African for the US if you ask me, with the sorts of politics involved (guns, violence, race issues). Like South Africa, it's also very cosmopolitan. It depends on where you go and what you do.
 

Ferret

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New York sounds like a good possibilty. Seattle and San Francisco might be a good fit for your story too. Or you could create a fake American city.

(Although I'm an American and have no problem reading novels that take place in other countries.)
 

Char

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Well, I for one, would love to read more books set in Canada. But I'm Canadian (albeit living in the U.S.), so that might have something to do with it.
 

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Strong vote here for New Orleans. It's sandwiched between Lake Pontchartrain and the Mississippi River. The riverfront, particularly through the French Quarter, is both one of the world's largest port complexes and home to hundreds of shops from tourist T-shirt places to upscale clothing boutiques.

Your heroine would probably live in Gentilly (traditionally the wealthier black enclave, but now mixed-income, mixed-race and with a suburbanish feel). Lots of pretty tree-lined streets, though it does border more poverty-stricken areas.

There's a HUGE wealthy population and tons of super-exclusive private schools, but scholarships are fairly plentiful. New Orleans was one of the first places in the American South to support a large population of free people of color, so there's a reasonably high number of blacks and other minorities with old family money. Thus, the exclusive private schools also tend to be muticultural.

If you do go with New Orleans, I would caution you to do some research to get it "right." I just started a wonderful book called "Madame Vieux Carre: The French Quarter in the Twentieth Century" by Scott Ellis. Although it only discusses the French Quarter neighborhood, you can extrapolate a great deal of what gives New Orleans its unique flair. I lived in New Orleans from 2001 to 2010 and still spend a lot of time in the city, so I'm happy to answer any specific questions.

Best of luck with whatever you decide!
 

fourlittlebees

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I'm with the pfft. Toronto is a major city in North America... it's not like you set it somewhere no one has ever heard of.

THAT being said, Rochester, NY is right across the lake from you. Climate is just about identical (more snow). Major metro area hovers around a million people, and there are at least two seriously ritzy private schools: Harley and Allendale-Columbia. You have the same lake (although Rochester's lakefront isn't near downtown like Toronto), etc. Malls somewhat comparable to Eaton... not nearly as much theater... I'm trying to think of what else.
 

Chris P

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New Orleans would be awesome, as would Chicago or, if you wanted a smaller city, Milwaukee.

I think what your agent said is silly.
 

Kitty Pryde

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San Francisco! Check out a private school there like st ignatius, quite a fancy pants private school but they do give scholarships. or even a public magnet school like lowell high--it's pretty hard to get in to and you get a education equal or better than the fancy-pantsiest of private schools. Both schools are fairly diverse and so is the area. I think you get the effect you want if your character is the only coming from a less awesome neighborhood like bayview/hunter's point or the mission or something.

Good luck! It's certainly frustrating that you need to change your setting to increase marketability.
 

Ari Meermans

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I don't believe you need to relocate your setting. (Margaret Atwood would probably agree with me.)

If you feel you must change the setting to the U.S. and don't really want New York City, why not Seattle, WA. or Portland, OR? Both are port cities, have great shopping near the water and are definitely multi-cultural.

Having made those suggestions, I still don't agree that you need to change your setting.
 

Anaquana

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From the few chapters I read for you, I don't see why changing it to America is necessary. You do a great job of pulling the reader in and making it feel like "home". And, unless it changes later in the book, you don't really beat the reader over the head with *where* the story is taking place.
 

Storyteller5

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Yep, I am Canadian too and I have to agree with the others who support staying in TO. I don't reject books because they take place on the wrong side of the border. Your story isn't the city, is it? I'm thinking it's the characters. Good luck!
 

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It's a shame you are being told you need to change it. If you feel you must or you want to do it, I have been told many times that Toronto and Chicago are very similar cities. I lived in Chicago for 8 years (in the suburbs now) and visited Toronto on business several times. I think it's pretty true.

I also think the other things you've talked about: rich private schools, multi-cultural, etc. would all be believable here.

Though, every city has something to offer and saying Toronto and Chicago are exactly the same is not true. It's a shame you need to change it. Could you get away with not?
 

Roly

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Thanks everyone.

Ugh it's really such a big decision...I want to keep it in Toronto but then I can't be sure editors aren't gonna turn that into a strike against me. Just like some editors say they don't care what race or sexuality the MC is, you never know when it really gets down to it (plus there's marketing to get passed).

Ugh sometimes I wonder why agents/editors/publishers can't be more honest about just how restrictive the industry is. It's just such bullshit in some interviews/twitter convos. Stop giving people false hope and at least have the balls to say what's really going on.

I have this little bit in my story:

“However, there is currently little information about the boy or why he tried to drown himself in ____ just offshore ____ in the middle of the afternoon,” said the news anchor.
*story stuff....*
Main Character watched as a lanky blonde man jumped off the docks/____/whatever. The screen shook as Cell Phone Girl shrieked, “Oh my god!” along with the rest of the tourists. A crowd gathered along the boardwalk/sidewalk/street/ground/whatever and more rushed into the shot, desperate for a good view as the man pulled a naked teen out of the lake/river/strait/bay/whatever.
He laid the boy’s drenched body on the boardwalk, threw his black pea coat over him and began performing CPR. Water trickled from the boy’s matted brown hair into eyes that didn’t open. Cell Phone Girl tried to get closer to the action, but she was soon swept away in the sea of onlookers. The screen cut off.
lol as you can probably tell I'm trying to play mad libs here. I've done a bit of research on San Fran so I know that I might be able to use the Golden Gate Strait just offshore....something. I dunno. Is there a boardwalk or docks or something on the ground level that someone can jump off of and dive straight into it and climb out?

What about Seattle or Portland? Or Chicago or...wherever.

And actually, I also need a city that has some woods in some kind of forest/park...well I'm sure most cities have woods lol.

And New Orleans is a great suggestion except I'm kind of intimidate by just how culturally rich it is. I feel like since I don't know enough about it I can't set my story there unless I can do justice to the setting. It sucks because like anaquana said the story isn't really ABOUT the setting. Well, anyway I don't want to sound like I'm complaining. My agent's great and I know she's not the only one who's come to this conclusion. She's actually right honestly: setting it in America will probably increase it's marketability. It's just frustrating that this is the case mostly because marketing/editors/publishers apparently don't want to take a chance on difference.

Anyway I would appreciate more of your thoughts concerning the above quote/mad libs game lol!
 
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Kitty Pryde

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San Fran--The Golden Gate Bridge is, very sadly, the most popular place in the world to commit suicide: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Golden_gate_bridge#Suicides (it's only wikipedia but this part of the article is pretty upsetting, reader beware).

San Fran also has Golden Gate Park, which has all sorts of awesome places--gardens, forests, parkland, conservatories, lakes, museums, memorials... Plus there's Golden Gate Natl Recreation Area.

I set a kids' novel in fantasy-san-fran, and it was awesome to write about. the mission! fisherman's wharf! the bay! the ocean! the bridges! union square! the fog! the hills! chinatown!

(I feel like a travel agent up in here...)
 

Roly

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Wow that's really sad :( But I'm not surprised by the article... :( :(

I wonder, though, because one of my characters jumps off somewhere to save him from drowning and pulls him back on shore - where would he do that from? I always see pictures of the golden gate bridge, but I don't see any pictures of the actual ground level. For example, I know there's a southeast visitor area called Strauss Plaza near the Golden Gate...but is it right up against the Golden gate Strait (ie people can jump right into the water and pull someone back onto the shore while other people are watching and taking pictures)?

Thanks for all your continued help guys! Yeah I think Princess Dairies are set in San Fran right? lol
 

Kitty Pryde

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Umm, well, as a pedestrian or cyclist, it's like any other bridge, just frickin enormous. You enter and there's a wide sidewalk type area you can walk/bike/linger on. It has a large railing on either side to keep people from jumping or going into traffic. You couldn't really jump in the water from shore because there are rocks and things IIRC. It'd also be quite a long swim...the bridge is nearly 2 miles long! I've crossed it on my bike before. If someone wanted to rescue a jumper, they would need to be on the bridge, or in a nearby boat--lots of tour boats and private boats are usually tootling around underneath.

ETA: It might sound silly, but the cartoon The Mighty B is set in san fran, and makes extremely good use of the city in many episodes--you see the hills and parks and tourist spots, and the painted ladies and the counterculture and all sorts. I dunno about Princess Diaries, but Rachel Cohn's Gingerbread series is set partly in San Fran, and also makes good use of the city. AW's own John Levitt has a UF series set in SF too.

Wow that's really sad :( But I'm not surprised by the article... :( :(

I wonder, though, because one of my characters jumps off somewhere to save him from drowning and pulls him back on shore - where would he do that from? I always see pictures of the golden gate bridge, but I don't see any pictures of the actual ground level. For example, I know there's a southeast visitor area called Strauss Plaza near the Golden Gate...but is it right up against the Golden gate Strait (ie people can jump right into the water and pull someone back onto the shore while other people are watching and taking pictures)?

Thanks for all your continued help guys! Yeah I think Princess Dairies are set in San Fran right? lol
 
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Roly

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Yeah it makes more sense where I originally set it. Here the person who 'attempted suicide' didn't actually attempt suicide...he fell from the sky, literally (it's fantasy), which is why the Bridge itself doesn't really come into it. So originally the Rescuer jumped off the docks and pulled him on shore but that probably won't work if I'm setting it near Golden Gate Strait with all the rocks. Though it would depend how big those rocks are maybe I don't know. The 'suicide' guy fell (from the sky) into the water really close to the shore.

Maybe there's a place in one of the other cities that works? I really don't know :(
 

pezie

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Wow that's really sad :( But I'm not surprised by the article... :( :(

I wonder, though, because one of my characters jumps off somewhere to save him from drowning and pulls him back on shore - where would he do that from? I always see pictures of the golden gate bridge, but I don't see any pictures of the actual ground level. For example, I know there's a southeast visitor area called Strauss Plaza near the Golden Gate...but is it right up against the Golden gate Strait (ie people can jump right into the water and pull someone back onto the shore while other people are watching and taking pictures)?

Thanks for all your continued help guys! Yeah I think Princess Dairies are set in San Fran right? lol

I don't want to push Chicago on you, but I do think there would be areas here you could have the scenario you are describing. A few I'm thinking of: North Avenue Beach (Lake Michigan). There is a sidewalk along the southern edge of the beach that walks out to a pier. One side of this sidewalk borders grass and sandy beach, the other is kind of a breakwater/drop off into the Lake. People sit out there all the time, so it's feasible it would have a lot of bystanders and there have been drownings in that area (if someone fell into the breakwater side). If he is wearing a peacoat, I'm assuming it's cold outside, which would add to the urgency and the climate here would be right for that (hypothermia risk along w/ drowning).

The other part of the Lake that everyone reading would likely know is Navy Pier and around the Lake Michigan Lighthouses, there are a lot of rocks, etc. Any time of year, there would be a lot of tourists to witness the jump.

The only issues is that in either circumstance, the height would not be the thing that would kill a person, it would be rough water, low temps and things like that.

A person could maybe jump into the Chicago River from one of the many drawbridges and a person standing on the banks could possibly jump in after.

IDK. San Francisco is a fabulous city though, I just don't know if a rescuer would have a chance by jumping off the bridge after a person.
 

Chris P

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What about a river near the large body of water? The Chicago River (ETA: haha pezie! I hadn't read your post before I posted) has tons of bridges before it enters Lake Michigan, or if it's in another city there's sure to be a river with a lower bridge nearby. Use Google Maps/Google Earth and view the photos or street view to see how it looks from the ground.

To be honest, I'd say keep in Toronto. Most of us Americans don't know Canada's still its own country anyway :sarcasm
 

Thump

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See, I think this is one of those cases where're you have to put your foot down and stick with the location. Your agent, if s/he is worth his/her salt, will do their best to sell it. I think this is just your agent having weird ideas about what sells.

A lot of bestselling novels are set in much more exotic places than Toronto... I'm sure editors won't turn down your ms. just because it's not set in the US!
 

wheelwriter

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I agree that if Toronto best fits the story, then Toronto makes the most sense. I'm from the U.S. and I'd have no problem reading about something based in Canada.

Seems silly.

But it is what it is, so another idea would be Boston, MA.
 

Drachen Jager

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Chicago is pretty similar to Toronto in many ways.

If you want New York state, Buffalo could fit. IMO Chicago is the American city closest in feel to Toronto. You wouldn't have to adjust too much of it to fit. Use google maps and google streetview to get a feel for the place and maybe pick up one of those tourist guidebooks.