Making the setting clear

Thorberta

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Here's a small thing I'm struggling with: I'm writing in the last quarter of the 18th century, set in what would today be part of Canada but was at that time the colony of Nova Scotia. I know it's good to make the setting clear up front, and I do, as far as the names of nearby towns. The problem is all the towns I'm referencing are named after towns in England, so off the bat a reader would assume they're reading something set in England. On the other hand, it's awkward for the main character to reference the name of the colony and every time I try to put it in it sounds strange. It's easier to reference Nova Scotia later in the second chapter (which is where I have my first reference at the moment) but is this too late? How can I get around this? Thanks!
 

Woollybear

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I'm not a historical fiction writer but I'd think you could go with other things distinct between the two. Were there indigenous cultures at the time, or any different currency, or foodstuffs?

Snakes. Wolves. Reindeer.

??

dialect? Absence of castles and whatnot? :) I'm trying.
 

angeliz2k

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Put "YEAR, Nova Scotia" at the top of chapter 1.

:)

That and any attendant blurbs or descriptions should clue in your reader.

Also, there are things in Canada that they do not have in Great Britain (and vice-versa), and the landscape will be different. Your descriptions are probably going to have clues that this is not the Old World. Also, you may not need to reference "Nova Scotia" in dialogue or exposition, but you could always have some reference Great Britain or the journey over, or what have you.
 

frimble3

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What you can use for references depends on exactly where in the last quarter of the 18th century you are. There were wars, revolts, different groups moving in (the French colonists called it Acadia, did they not?)
In general, I'd use Angeliz2K's solution "Put 'YEAR, Nova Scotia' at the top of chapter 1."
Simple and straightforward.

And, who is your audience (yes, I know, eventually AMPAP) but are you in England or Canada? Canadians won't need as many hints as English people.
Heck, I was in my late teens before I realized that Halifax, Hull and Edmonton were towns in England.

You might also try referring to the place as 'the Colony', especially in mixed group of characters who might have different backgrounds, as well as different names for the place.
 
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Thorberta

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Hmmm...I'm trying to think of books I've read lately that state the date and place upfront. Would it be strange if I put the place and year only on the first chapter? See, the thing is, after a few chapters the story goes to sea and a lot of the locations by chapter would end up 'somewhere in the Atlantic' and generally most books I've read that put the date and place tend to do it consistently in the chapter headings or parts etc.

In the first chapter the story starts off in the middle of nowhere with only the MC, but references Liverpool and Halifax. By the second chapter the MC has gone to Liverpool and there are references to Nova Scotia and American sailors from Boston and the American Revolutionary War, so at that point everything is hopefully clearer.

I'm Canadian which, I suppose, would make my audience Canadian, but I had an American beta reader from Florida who said they were a little confused about things in the first chapter. There are some clues in the descriptions in the first chapter in the flora and fauna I describe (e.g. chickadees) that it's not set in England, but for someone not familiar with much of the flora and fauna of either location it doesn't help.

Thanks for all the suggestions!
 

Marissa D

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Just put the time/place bit at the start of chapter one. The story can usually take care of itself after that. :)

Also, don't forget that books have covers and back cover blurbs that orient readers as to where and when a story is taking place. The time/place thing in chapter one is refine that.
 

tallus83

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Have your character comment on the weather being a certain way for Nova Scotia. The wind coming from the south right out of the Atlantic, for instance.
 

Roxxsmom

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I don't know whether or not modern agents and editors like the date and location at the chapter heading approach or not anymore. I'm sure I've read books that do this that aren't terribly old, but I've run across people who claim to dislike the approach. It doesn't bother me, and it may be the way to go if you need to jump into the story with an action scene where there isn't time for any static description or reflection on setting.

There are a couple of other approaches, depending on narrative viewpoint.

If in omniscient, or in a reflective first person, you could simply state where the story is taking place at the beginning of chapter 1 within the narrative.

The winter of [year] was harsher than any in living memory, even for the Nova Scotia colony...

If in a more immediate or limited narrative viewpoint, you could start with an observation or reflection that is central to the viewpoint character.

Sue hunched her shoulders against the relentless, North-Sea wind and clutched her bonnet with a thickly gloved hand, but she couldn't stop her heavy skirts from flapping around her legs. She'd expected cold when she'd come to Nova Scotia, of course, but this was ridiculous. If only she hadn't spent all her money on the boat fare...


Note, that many suggest novels not start with weather descriptions, but I once did an informal count of the kindle books on my ipad (most written in recent years), and a surprisingly high percentage of novels do mention weather in the opening sentence even. It's a way of establishing setting without breaking narrative viewpoint (since weather is something people tend to notice) for those writing within a character viewpoint at a ""close" or "deeper" narrative distance.

Obviously it's not a deal breaker for publishers, if it serves a narrative purpose and leads to something relevant within the opening scene.
 
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Dan Rhys

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I would imagine mentioning the endless pines and hills and the comparative roominess of the North American locale would allow for a good distinction.