Hi, So I'm sketching out a novel that has been bouncing around my head for a while now, but I'm having real trouble pinning it to a time period, and I feel its pretty crucial to whether the story works or not. Broadly, its the later half of the 20th century, but could feasably be any time from 1950s - present. I'm feeling late 60s/70s/early 80s, but I'm really not sure. Central to the plot is a meeting of clases and cultures.... I want there to be a feeling of change in the air; harsh, cold, gritty modernity meeting stuffy tradition that have changed little over the centuries, bringing both energy and hope, and conflict and alienation. The story is set around a group of students at a redbrick/Russell group university, Oxford/Bristol/Durham etc; 1.A Brideshead Revisted type sheltered, stilting boy from a minor aristocratic family 2. A Hooray Henry, 'Rah', wealthy boy with City banker aspirations, skiing and flash Austin Martins 3. A middle class marriage stock, plain, inexperienced, 'nerdy' girl 4. An outgoing, flirtatious pashmina wearing upper class girl, 2nd cousin to 1, but bored of the company she encounters 5. A lower middle class girl come good. Domestic abuse at home, she worked hard at school, was a nerdy outcast at first and is now blossoming at uni. 6. 5's boyfriend, a clever rebel from a poor lower/middle background, attending polytechnic OR in low paid job OR on the dole. Highly cynical. Kicks out against trends and mainstream culture. Given the right period; punk inclinations, drug taking, into photography, outsider art. Factually, I want a period where university access is starting to open up, and a student from a state school with a troubled home life would be encouraged and supported in her application, but where lack of money and a criminal/bad behaviour record is still a major issue. A time where you can simultaneously have sheltered, war time era-esque kids, jetsetting opulent types, and rebels. 5 and 1 get together, and the story is told retrospectively through their eyes as a quietly married suburban couple, 15/20/25 years on. They are still the removed, reticent, sheltered characters they were when younger. I want there to be a feeling that the old world is fading, and a sea change is coming, but hasnt come yet, and at the end of the day, doesnt touch everyone. Any help at all would be appreciated!
I'm not really sure why but from what you've discribed this sounds like it should be set in the late 70s early 80s.
I agree, sounds like 70's moving into 80's, maybe more emphasis on the 80's, whats the time span of the story? (Also sounds like you've thought this through a lot, if you've started working on it, post some up).
