Sydney & Location Research

It's no secret that I love Sydney. If you've read any of my eBooks, you'll know that most of them are set here. It was never an intentional thing for me, it just came naturally. I would sit down, start planning or writing, and wow - the characters were walking around some part of Sydney.

And to be honest with you, I love doing that. I love casting my tales somewhere within the city boundaries, and putting the reader in a place they more than likely have never been to. I mean, as a reader, most of the books I read are set in the US or somewhere else I've never visited. And I love that! I love the way a writer can throw you into a scenerio somewhere else in the world and let your imagination run wild.

So, even though Sydney is a city I've worked in and visit often, when it comes to details I still like to get them right. For some reason, when I sit down and write a scene I find that some of the nitty-gritty details get a little fuzzy in my mind. This year, the hubby, daughter and I have been going to some of these locations on weekends. I take our digital camera, snap as many shots as I can and just feel the surroundings, watch the people that happen to be there at the time. It's a fantastic way to research specific details.

Now I'm going to share a few pics I've snapped so far this year...

This is in the Chinese Garden of Friendship, Darling Harbour:

This is in The Rocks:

This is in Circular Quay:

Of course, then there are other places that I can never actually visit. Like Breena for instance. This is the faerie land featured in my Fae-Hunters series. Although it only exists in my mind, the details are just as vivid as the places I can actually visit.

The next place I want to research is Savannah, Georgia in the USA. It sounds like such a lovely place. I can't wait for my virtual visit. ;)

So tell me... as a reader, do you enjoy reading a book set in places you've never experienced before? And as a writer, do you like to set your stories in places around you, other locations, or a bit of both?


Yolanda
http://www.yolandasfetsos.com/