Writing about other countries

Hi Ellis:

I'm Canadian, but my Canadian secret agents roam the world from Cairo to Nice to Tripoli.

Thanks,

Ethan

Do imaginary countries count? Or historical ones? (I can't help but think that this would cover a massive portion of the speculative and historical fiction writers!)

I write about England, France, the USA and China, or elements of these countries come through in my work; else, I write about imaginary places.

I live in the US but I am writing about England in WW1 (if they had been steampunk and a bit odd).

I have written about lots of countries, less of mine.

Lately I'm in the Caribbeans in 1719...

From the USA, but my story takes place in 15th century Hungary and Romania (Walachia).

Scottish, living in Prague, but some stories take place in 1920s Canada, England, Egypt, France... oh, and space.

ellisshuman said:

Hello all,

I am wondering how many writers out there are writing about other countries?

Click to expand...

Live in the USA, but just finished a novel set in 12th C. Ireland/Scotland.

My next project is set in my native Pennsylvania.

I'm a Canadian living in Sri Lanka. I write stories based in... other worlds, other planets. I don't usually write stuff based on Earth. But then, I'm scifi/fantasy.

I try to insult as many other countries as possible, not just my home country.

Born in Toronto, Canada, and now live in Japan. Most of my stuff is fantasy on other worlds, although many of my characters come from Portland, Oregon or parts of the Pacific NorthWest. And yes, I have to do research on those areas just to get the place names right. (Foreign worlds need not apply, though).

I've traveled a bit, and I am American. But I'd honestly say, there are countries I'd be more confident about writing about than some of the states here in the US. So, writing about other countries, some, easy. Some parts of my own country? I'd feel stupid trying to write about without doing extensive research.

tim290280 said:

I try to insult as many other countries as possible, not just my home country.

Click to expand...

Sir, we may be kindred spirits in that respect.

ellisshuman said:

I live in Israel, but my novel is set in Bulgaria.

Click to expand...

My novel-length MS is set in Israel, but I don't live in Bulgaria.

Live in Germany, have setting in the USA, the UK and France. Also, in fantasy worlds and their countries. They don't count, right?

I've always wondered about this myself, as I like to be as accurate as possible when it comes to setting and surrounding (I figure the paranormal beings I have populating my work are unusual enough). I want to write about characters in other countries, but as I've never been anywhere overseas, I don't want native readers to the countries I am trying to depict to laugh at my work.

I live in Germany but my novels take place in the USA and Canada...and the Underworld

I'm from Croatia; and due to the fact that I write non fiction, I don't have some special place. I like to call myself a world traveler.

I'm here, there, and everywhere.

I live in Scotland and write about Scotland, but I've made up an imaginary part of the country as I don't feel like I can write well about a place I know in reality. Maybe that's strange but I sometimes find too much reality gets in the way of fiction.

similar to ethan above (post #2) international intrigue takes my characters to iceland, morocco, costa rica and others

I'm Canadian, and I write Epic Fantasy. Soooo, I mostly make up cultures and different places. Does that count?

I am about to start a sequel that will take place partly in Istanbul. I am American.

I beg all of you. If you are writing a story based in a country you have not been to, please have a beta reader who has spent time in that country.

I hate reading a book about a place I've been, and the writer gets the place details wrong. It is so distracting!

Well you can't write about other countries until you have visited them. And when you have done that, you need to have a clear conscious and that is something most do not have.

I'm Belgian and part of my novel is set in Texas (well, an alternate version of Texas, but still). The town is fictional, though.

I think Google Earth/Maps are great assets when dealing with real-world location to which you cannot physically travel—so is the Internet in general, including this forum. You can really research locations in depth.

Sunburn said:

Well you can't write about other countries until you have visited them. And when you have done that, you need to have a clear conscious and that is something most do not have.

Click to expand...

I doubt Tolkien went to Middle Earth.