When my first novel was published, my local Homer newspaper
wrote an article about me, which then got picked up by the big-time Anchorage paper, where it went online and people got to comment on it. That’s when
things got interesting. Someone sniped about the fact that I’d set the series
in Southern California rather than Alaska. “Is Alaska too real for her?” they
wondered.
Well, first of all, that’s just silly. Every place is real
to those who live there. And I’m writing fiction, so frankly, none of it is
“real.” I stated my case at length with that commenter -- completely in my own
head, of course, since I’m not one for online arguments. Salient points: I
started writing the series before I moved to Alaska. I wasn’t slighting my new
state – I just didn’t know it well enough yet to set something there. Also, for
that series I wanted the setting to be the kind of environment that SoCal
offered. Something that wouldn’t take the focus away from the characters, the story
and the romance.
The fact is, when you set something in Alaska, it’s hard to
make Alaska stay in the background. It dominates, with its extreme weather and
its magnificence and complicated characters. If your story takes place in the
summer, you have to mention the endless daylight, and vice versa for winter.
You have to know exactly where the story takes place – the harsh Interior?
Rainy Southeast? Above the tree-line Nome? They’re completely different. There
is no such thing as a “generic” Alaska setting. How do you incorporate all that
rich, fascinating detail without Alaska becoming a full-fledged character in
your story?
Once I moved to Alaska, my friends often asked me if I was
going to set something here. “Sure, someday,” I always answered. What was I
waiting for? “But I just moved here. I have to get a feel for it first.” But I’ve
set other stories in places I don’t know intimately. I can learn enough from
brief visits and from cruising the Internet, reading websites and scanning
photos. Hey, that’s what Google Earth is for.
But Alaska … feels different. As a relative newcomer of only
seven years, I don’t want to set something here until I feel that I can do this
place justice. I want to get the details right, but much of that can be
determined by doing research. More importantly, I want to get the spirit right.
I wouldn’t want to write a book set in Alaska that feels as if it could take
place anywhere with snow. There’s something about Alaska that sinks into your
soul and fills you with awe. I think it’s a mark of respect for the state that
I haven’t set anything here yet. I have no doubt the time will come when I
write an Alaska story. Every day I spend here brings me closer to earning that
moment.
What do you think? How knowledgeable should an author be with the place where his or her books are set? Is it better to live there, or can enough be learned through research?
Jennifer Bernard's latest release is FOUR WEDDINGS AND A FIREMAN. Click the cover for more.
