The University of Coimbra in Portugal was established in 1290, more than a century BEFORE the founding of the Aztec Empire or the Inca Empire.  Intrigued?

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That’s not all…  The university library protects its books from insects in the same way it had done for centuries – by keeping a colony of bats in the library.  Each night after closing, workers cover the credenzas with sheets of leather.  The bats consume insects in the library during the night.  Each morning, the workers removed the bat guano before opening the library.

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Many authors choose settings that are familiar to them (see Stephen King and Maine).  I tend to choose settings that have left an indelible mark on me.  I am not saying that I got it right and Mr. King got it wrong!  As authors, we create works of art that change a reader’s thoughts, emotions, and beliefs.  You cannot change someone’s thoughts, emotions, and beliefs by following a single formula.  There is no one right way to write; there is no one right way to choose settings for your novel.

 

Examples of settings in my novel

With that said, the following are some of the places I chose for my settings and the interesting stories behind them:

• Brooklyn Bridge – In the middle of the Brooklyn Bridge is a plaque displaying the names of the engineers.  The first chief engineer, John A. Roebling, started the design work in 1867.  In 1869, while working on fixing the location of where the bridge would be built, his foot was crushed by a ferry and John died from tetanus twenty-four days later.  John’s son, Washington A. Roebling, took over as the chief engineer.  Washington spent hours in pressurized underwater chambers where the foundations for the bridge’s two towers were being built.  What no one knew at that time was a sickness known as “the bends,” which resulted from sudden decompression when leaving the pressurized underwater chambers without first depressurizing slowly.  The bends left Washington partially blind, deaf, mute, paralyzed, and unable to visit the building site.  Washington’s wife, Emily Warren Roebling, initially served as the liaison between her husband and the other engineers and workers.  Eventually, she learned so much about engineering that she served as the de facto chief engineer for the next ten years, up to the completion of the bridge.  In the middle of the Brooklyn Bridge was a plaque displaying the names of the chief engineers – John A. Roebling and Washington A. Roebling.

• Barnard College and Columbia University – Barnard College was established by Columbia University to keep women out of the University.  In the late 1800s, there were public demands for Columbia University to allow women to enroll.  However, the Board of Trustees voted against coeducation.  In reaction to the negative press, the University established Barnard College, an all-female college, in 1889.  In the 1970s, Columbia University wanted to merge with Barnard College to raise its standards for admission and to restore Columbia as one of the top undergraduate programs in the country.  After a few years of negotiations (begging?), Barnard College agreed to a co-educational arrangement with Columbia University.  In 1983, Columbia University admitted women to its undergraduate programs for the first time.  You read that date correctly – women were first admitted to Columbia University’s undergraduate programs in 1983!

 

How the settings are built into the story

As you can probably tell from the description of the places above, one of the themes of the story is the oppression of women.  I emphasize this theme in my description of the settings.  Below is an excerpt from my novel on Columbia University:

Every detail of Columbia University spoke of its wealth and history.  Inscribed across the Library of Columbia University was a reminder of Columbia University’s aristocratic heritage – that it was founded in the province of New York by royal charter in the reign of George II.  Directly facing the Library of Columbia University was another equally impressive library built in the French neoclassical style.  Inscribed across that library were names of philosophers, poets, playwrights, statesmen, and other famous men (yes, they were all men) from ancient Greece and Rome.  Inside the buildings were wood-paneled walls graced by portraits of old men. 

The grandiose façade, the intricate carvings, the opulence – everything at Columbia University reminded me that women did not belong here, that I did not belong here. 

 

Researching the settings

The depth of my research on a setting is based on the extent I use that setting.  If the setting is mentioned in passing, my research may be limited to a “walk-through” on Google Maps and other online research.  If the setting is a tourist attraction, websites like Expedia and Travelocity are great too.  However, if the setting is used extensively, I will visit it in person (if practicable to do so).  Below are some pictures of my visit to the Columbia University, the Brooklyn Bridge, and Barnard College.

 

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So, how do you choose your settings?  Send me your thoughts through the Keep in Touch page.  I plan to compile the views I hear and write about things I learned from you.