What sort of angle are you looking for? I've a close friend who works for Electronic Arts UK (specifically she's a community representative) and I used to be close with someone who goes to most major game events in London. On the other hand, I live with an Englishman who spends a lot of his free time playing online games with people who live there - and I'm under the impression they only leave their own homes to go to work rather than attending game-related events.
Hello mate, I am a typical Londoner, born and bred, and you have posed a very difficult question. London is much a city divided by class structure. In west London and the city, it very much the wealthy, white upper class and the aristocrats. It is here you will find all typical British stereotypes such as red telephone boxes and black cabs. Towards the south west and north west, you have the wealthy middle class. Now where i come from, Newham, which is located in inner London(east london), you have a very multicultural environment full of Indians, Pakistanis, Nigerian, Ghanians and a strong Caribbean scene in south and East London. London is hard to describe in one sentence because there so many different facets to this strange but wonderful city i call home.
Ditto to the guy above me. London is very multicultural, but some areas have a larger concentration of a certain ethnic groups. I would best describe London as being a very old looking city. If you go to most megacities nowadays they will have alot of modern buildings and skyscrapers. London doesn't really have that. I find Leicester Square a "nerdy" place. Theres Trocadero there, along with a number of large cinemas, arcades and the Believe it or Not museum. Oh and inside Trocadero there's probably the largest gaming cafe in England. It's called Gamerbase. Hope that helps!!
Thanks, you guys. That's really helpful! Actually, I'd like to know a little more about your friend's job. The character I have in mind is a programmer/game designer, and I'd like to know more about that. Aw, they don't go to conventions? Hopefully they at least go to those Dr. Who orchestra concerts. I've seen a couple on TV, and those are pretty hilarious.
She mostly helps with the organisation of events and talks with fans of EA's games via their official forums (both the UK-specific forum plus a more general English-language forum, I think). Plus she provides technical help to some extent - usually before giving up and forwarding them to the tech staff. I think she is able to do a lot of her work from home but I do know she needs to send a report once a week to the company with feedback from the community. As well as reporting glitches/bugs she also forwards some of the fan's ideas. I know she also gets a lot of abuse too from people who are having problems with their games (or who feel as if they haven't received their money's worth for their content). She also travels to many of the events EA host within England (possibly to other areas of Britain too, but I'm not sure). I don't know of her experience with others, but I was personally asked by her a few years back to go to a private event and play a game early in order to write an article on a specific feature of the game (if you're familiar with The Sims 3: it was the CAS feature). I would have gone too if I'd have been able to take the time off to travel to England. As far as I'm aware, at events like this there will be other community representatives plus two game designers there to answer questions.
I read a book by an American that was set in the UK. It was really annoying because her 'English' characters used American terms. (such as railroad instead of railway) Just something to watch out for
Heh OP, take that! Ha...London. Well, bring it on, I'm an expert, uhm, in some respects. IT story, yip...you could start off researching an area called silicon roundabout where all the start-ups congregate. Then Reading, Canary Wharf for the chiefs. IBM on the South Bank. You need a pal. You write it then have a UKer proof. There's all sorts of ways round this problem for you that would be effective, for comedy especially. Tex flies to London and Bud can't make it so imagines all the places he'd love to see but never will. 'Ow ma gosh, thad Londin brij so priddy with ther queen sittin there an all.' That sort of thing.. Good luck, have fun, cuz)in.
I currently live in England-Sheffield and only visited London for 2 weeks last spring. It's busy, busy, busy, sooo many shops (I'm comparing to the very quiet streets of Sheffield), many options, many people and many pubs and bars mostly old fashioned and English style. One thing I noticed though, You can find almost all the nationalities of the world in there. It's very rare to hear someone speak English while walking, most of them are from different countries coming for either study or tourism. It's a fun busting place, I love it but it's very expensive compared to My sweet city of Sheffield. You can't define British people. Actually, having been to few cities in there myself, each city can be treated as a different country. People in Liverpool are different from those in Manchester, and those differ from those in London and those in Sheffield. Believe me they are different in tradition, language and behaviour. What I noticed though is that British people like to joke with sarcasm. I love that. =D I love where I live, Sheffield is the quietest, most peaceful place I've been to in England, so glad I am studying there. You need to do a lot of research if you want to write about it when you've never been there, and careful with what is a fact and what is a mere opinion.
I think you need to be a little more specific than 'London'. Including the outer suburbs it has a population as large as some small countries. For example, more people live in the town than in all of Scotland. London is separated into bourghs with their own culture and local feel. For example, Kensington and Peckham would be polar opposites. Areas also continue to evolve over time. Camden has become a cultural and tourism hub which it never really used to be and has a very distinct vibe unique to that locality. Id suggest you try to get a general idea of the type of characters you want to work with. From that you can work out from their personalities and financial capabilities a few areas of London that would be likely hotspots for them. Then you can just intensively research those localities to get a good feel for what those particular areas are like. London is just too wide a scope on its own.
I grew up in England and lived in London for one year. Hated it. Hate it to the core of everything that it is. It's a horrible, crowded, dingy place where everything is dirty, everyone's in rush and no one gives two cents about anyone else, there's congestion pretty much all the time, the tube (underground) is the most claustrophobic place on earth with exposed pipes and cobwebs and wires EVERYWHERE, on top of being stuffy, crowded, dark and just generally utterly horrible. Some of the tube lines are horribly labelled and makes it hard to navigate (although Northern Line is good, actually, the line I used all the time - but get this, one of the 2 southern branches are almost always closed). You have 2 choices to make when you live there - do you wanna be cramped like a hamster while paying through the nose, but live in a relatively safe area? Or do you wanna put your life at risk but at least have some kind of affordable(ish) living space? And this is in a shared house (and a lounge is a thing of luxury). If you want your own flat you better be prepared to live on, well, nothing, because for a studio flat (eg. 1 room where you sleep, cook, and hang out) you're looking at roughly £200 per week, excluding bills at the cheapest. And it's of course a given that buses wait for nobody - even if you've run down 2 streets and the driver can very well see you. And the cost of travel will take a great big delicious chunk off your arm (£72 when I was living there for tube and bus, covering only zones 2-3 - and London has about 8 zones if I remember correctly, with zone 1 being the centre) Going into the centre was always quite a sight. You get to observe from your double-decker bus how people roam like ants around the streets. It's a solid flood of people with not even a little bit of space between, it's like congestion all over again. And if you did want to avoid the horrible and dirty parts of town, then you'll have to be filthy rich because you're just not gonna be able to afford any of its novelties and gems if you're not rich. Otherwise you'll just have to be extra adventurous and be willing to roam the streets all day looking for deal, which does exist, but you gotta really look for it. I don't miss it. And I'll never return for the rest of my life if I can help it. For a visit, sure that could be fun, but you'd have to put me at gun point to get me to ever live there again. The above description is for North London - that's the area I lived in and hung out in. I lived in Golders Green, which is a massive Jewish area, so there's Orthodox Jews aplenty and Kosher shops. Which is an interesting change because I came from a city with a Muslim minority, so I was used to seeing Halal rather than Kosher lol.
I've been to London and Great Britain a number of times and found the best way to get to know the people is find a popular spot (pub, park, etc.) and just interact. If you can find a spot where those from the UK get together in your area, that would be the best way to get to know them. It doesn't give a completely accurate depiction, but watching shows produced by the BBC might give you a feel for the culture.
Ahhh, that Mcdonalds poster, so sweet. Yeah, but it's a city? You can live on your beach, but you'll get bored eventually, or she will. Anyway, cooking. Chicken thighs, again. You hate London ..? Well let me tell you little fella chicken thighs take the biscuit, bloody 3 times a week, hairy chicken. I mean that deserves a novel. May do a poll for this.
Ok so I am English, and currently live just outside of London. Its a busy bustling modern city with many faces. It has many different cultures within the city. Like most places it has the nice affluent areas, poorer areas, and places you just dont go after dark. (or even in the day tbh). That made me chuckle out loud. Yes there is a gang in east london, there are many, and in west london and south and north. Gang culture is actually becoming a real problem within poorer areas, the knife, drug and gun problems are rapidly growing. (I have several close friends in the Met police). But then a mile or two up the road fro these areas and you could be driving through a completely different area. There is also different districts in the centre. The 'city' is often referred to when people mean financial related business, there is the main shopping places, high fashion and designer brands, bond street, saville row. Then there is places that people go for a more left field vibe, camden, portobello road, political bases, houses of parliement, downing street etc. Fleet street still linked with the media newspaper world (although most of it has moved now) I maybe wrong, but i imagine its similar to big cities in the states with such diversity, maybe look to them for inspiration (sorry assuming your from the states) but then be careful to use more british based dialogue. Like someone mentions, underground not subway. This makes me think of a US film that was made or a made for tv type film, about the life of JK Rowling, meant to be based in england in the main part but all american terms (although in its defense, thats prob because it was produced for an american audience) but it took away any authenticity about it.
I think your best bet would be to immerse yourself in works from, and concerning London. I would agree that you definitely need to be very familiar with the lexicon (and never, ever, write using Cockney rhyming slang), just one line such as 'Martin struggled with his keys, pushing the unlock button before dropping his bags in the trunk,' and you've blown the whole illusion. Avoid big budget films which are obviously designed for an American audience (ahem, Richard Curtis). I think Ken Loach has done a few films set in London ('Ladybird, Ladybird' springs to mind). Also worth a look is 'Attack the Block,' and the TV series Sherlock if you want a more modern lower-class experience. 'Luther' is also a fantastic example of London life (TV show on BBC). Just keep looking for new material until you're sure you can channel London life effectively (this may take many months or years of immersion), or far better, actually visit London, obviously avoiding doing the touristy things. Just wipe away any stereotypes. We don't drink that much tea, rarely say 'bloody hell' and almost-never have charming butlers named Gregory. Personally I'd avoid writing about a real city where I have never lived, but if you must, make sure you're informed.
I live in North East England. I love London, my daughter used to live there. London has some of the finest palaces, museums, art galleries, theaters, hotels, restaurants, shops, parks and markets in the world. London - Big Ben, Buckingham Palace, West Minister Abbey, The Tower, Number 10, The Houses Of Parliament, The Palladium, The London Eye, Portrait Gallery, Harrod's, The Tube etc, etc, etc... Well worth a visit, no matter what your interests are, there is something there for everyone.
Speak for yourself. Tea is my addiction (we all have one, be it chocolate or something harder) well tea is mine.
This is pretty much my impression of London. Have to agree strongly with this. I'm a little concerned that you don't realise how big the project is, esp as you're hanging on to terms that have been "corrected". Here's my two pennies worth: - Starting by asking for personal accounts is a bad idea. People have different opinions and impressions, and unless you also get our cultural and social backgrounds, it's not going to give you a good picture. - Going to London would be a good idea. Consider it for your next holiday. - Start by reading modern books set in London and watching films set in London or filmed in London. Get the biggest, widest picture you can. This will give you a better "feel" than asking individuals, and you can always come back and ask for personal imput later. - Use google to make the most complete American-English translation dictionary (and then if you want, ask people to check it/contribute to it - but only after you've made it as complete as you can). - Get an English friend who can read through your script and point out obvious flaws/attitude problems. I have one story which starts off in America (only first couple of chapters, though) and I have really struggled just to create this part of the picture, even after asking Americans to look at it - because they were from the wrong parts of America. I then have two very different American characters, who have to remain American in two very different ways, even after they come to England. If, however, you're writing about an Englishman in England, you're going to struggle even more than my Americans in England, because the whole thing has to be entirely seamless. - Who is your audience? Are they American/Canadian/English etcetera? How much of your book is set in London? Do you contrast London to the other city you mentioned?
I'm not a fan of London either. I have to say, when I first visited London the first thing I noticed was that it just wasn't what I thought it would be - the London I saw was mostly a very dirty and unfriendly place; only the famous sights where welcoming, but very flashy and touristy.
If you're going to write about London town, go and live there for a few years. It's impossible to get anything near authentic without at least doing that. You have to take in the great city with all five senses.
Speaking of tea, adding milk to it is really a uniquely British thing, as far as I'm aware. Certainly none of France, Germany, Czech Republic, Hong Kong/China, or Japan drink tea with milk in it. (well in HK you might, but it tastes different and wasn't Chinese to begin with) And as for me, I actually don't have an addiction to any hot drink really. I drink English tea, fruit tea, white tea, green tea, Chinese/Japanese tea, coffee, hot chocolate, honey water and hot water. Overall, I get bored after too much of one thing and switch.
I do hope this is not strictly true, although I don't know yet because my book isn't finished. I already wrote a novella set in London which had really good reception especially from readers from London, and I have never lived in London. I live in the UK for the past 10 years though, I am married to a guy who lived in London for a long time, and I have family there. But I can't say that I spent enormous amounts of time there at all. This time around, I agonised over what city to set this in, and London is the most "Universal" place. So I am not focusing on the town as a whole, and I am borrowing elements from other places I lived in, but I am checking my geography and all of my beta readers have detailed knowledge of what it's like to live there, so hopefully they'll pick up on any mistakes. So I think it is possible to write about it without living there for several years. ps. Milk in your tea is not uniquely British. It is common in Australia and New Zealand as well as anywhere with a lot of recently emigrated Brits, Scots, Irish etc.
I've been to Hong Kong, and they definitely drink milk tea over there. According to a manga I watched, Japanese people do too, though perhaps they drink it cold. I don't know. In any case, Rowena, asking people for their personal impressions is entirely the point. It's not so much about the London that is, per say, that I'm looking for at the moment, but a London that people identify with. I want to know how people feel about it, so that I know human reactions to going there. It's not only about finding out about Britain, but also how a character feels being there and would describe it. There's more personality that way. Especially if I go there and my opinion differs from y'all's in some way. There's a better depth of characterization.
My point, Gonissa, is that personal impressions ARE likely to be helpful to you, but you need a basis function, as it were, upon which to set these impressions. It's a bit like asking people what they feel about dogs, and owning a dog, and living with a dog, when you have no idea what kind of an animal a dog is. As they tell you their impressions, you will get ideas about what dogs are like: dogs are hairy, dogs pant, dogs are dirty, dogs run around a lot... But you will also get contradictory bits of information because of personal differences and the range of dogs out there - dogs are large, dogs are small, dogs are friendly or violent... This is fine IF you get both pieces of contrasting information, and you may not. You will be left with the impression that all dogs are very nervous, refuse to eat peas or walk on concrete, scream when they go to the vets, and like beer (my grandparents' dog). If nobody else has said their dog doesn't like beer, you're going to write about very odd dogs because you won't know to use the beer drinking as a novelty factor. So yes, get personal impressions. But not first.
I live in the UK and have been to London lots of times, so I wont tell you anything obvious, only that people look at you as those they'd rather kill you than say 'hello'. I think writing about a place you've never been isn't going to work. I mean it's not like writing about Mars in Sci-fi, many have been and live in London, they'll pick up instantly that you haven't been there. As a reader when you discover the author hasn't a clue you stop respecting them and often stop reading. If there is no way you could visit London, either do a huge amount of research (but I'm not sure even that would be enough) or set your novel somewhere you do know. Good Luck!
