Ok so ive been researching all over and i cant seem to find a place that would be good for my novel.My characters are young and wealthy so i was thinking either somewhere in california or NYC but those places seemed to be so overused.Its really hard to write without knowing the location because i want the location to play a big part in the story. I want it to be a real place.So does anyone know where might be a good location?Please be specific.Thanks to anyone who try's helping me.
I don't think any city has been over used but if you want somewhere else you need to give us more of a background. How did your characters make their money? San Fran for instance would suit Techies. Bogota would suit drugs mules. Krakow would suit coal miners.
Where are you located? Do you want to do a lot of research or is there something closer and more familiar to you that might be easier to write about. Depending on what kind of story you want and the slick setting you can pick something as laid back and diverse as Toronto, more low key - like San Diego, or something as posh as Beverly Hills. I usually pattern my cities after Toronto, Niagara Falls, or St. Catherines cause I know them reasonabley well. Even if they're given false names. Maybe google some cities and see what sparks your interest.
im in jersey wich isn't exactly wealthy and i haven't really traveled much so i wouldn't know much about places outside of jersey and thanks im gonna look more into that.
well i was actually thinking san diego after doing some research but the only problem is i know nothing about it.does anyone know where a wealthy place in san diego for rich young adults would be?
If the setting plays a big part in the story, you should probably pick a city you know well. If you haven't traveled much outside of Jersey (I assume you mean New Jersey, right?), then set it there. I'm sure there are wealthy people in New Jersey (where does Bruce Springsteen live?). If you want to set your story someplace "exotic" you've never been to, you'd better prepare yourself for a LOT of research. Basic facts are available all over the internet instantly, but they won't give you a feel for what life is like in that exotic place, what kind of people live there, how they speak, what kinds of foods they eat, how they see themselves in relation to the rest of the country and the rest of the world. You'll have to read novels about the place. Read histories of the place. Immerse yourself in it as much as you can so you get a feel for the place. That sure sounds like a lot of work, and it is. That's why writers most often set their stories in their own home towns. (The exception, of course, is sci-fi and fantasy literature - in that case, writers set their stories in imaginary worlds.)
Particularly since you want the location to be a key part of the story, you really need to know it well. Ideally, it would be a place where you've lived for some period of time. If not, you need to have visited at least once. I'm assuming you have at least some familiarity with either NYC or Philly? Can you start going to one of those cities on a frequent basis? (Of those two, there's one for which I'd have a definite preference to frequent.) And who cares if they're overused? They're used a lot because a lot of people live there and like them.
It's your story. Choice of setting is one of the decisions you must make. But don't shy away from a setting because it is "overused."
It's your story! You pick! Rich people can live anywhere. That's the benefit of being rich. You can live wherever you please with no cost spared.
Seconding this - it'd be interesting if the setting wasn't your typical "rich folks" setting. Every state has a high-end district with luxury homes and chic shopping centers. Who says your characters' wealth didn't come from an ultra-successful factory that sells farming equipment or something?
