I was born in the 90's so my only way of knowing how the 60's was is old books, movies and parents(adults.) I really want to set my story in the 60's but here I am looking at all this and I realized this is a lot for my mind to comprehend. I mean I'm sure they talked a little different, what did they wear? Was there slang? What kind of cars were there? Where did they hang out? Is it even worth all this research for just a simple (well, i wouldn't call it simple but yeah.) story. I have a way /not/ to write it in the 60's but I think the story would be so much better if I did. Then I have one other question that I wasn't sure where to ask, is there such a thing as describing too much? I've been told I say too much about my characters and their surroundings.(not from the story I've posted here.)
The 60's was an entire decade, and one which saw a lot of change. The early 60's saw the Cuban Missile Crisis, the Bay of Pigs invasion, Elvis, President Kennedy's assassination, a lot of fear about the Cold War and Russia. The middle 60's saw the Beatles phenomenon, the Watts Riots, Harlem, and the escalation of the war in Vietnam. The late 60's brought us the massive anti-war protests, Neil Armstrong's moon landing, Woodstock, Star Trek, and the first salvo's of the feminist movement. The language changed dramatically over the decade too. So you'll need to narrow down the time period a bit for your reasearch. As to your second question, my answer is probably surprising, considering my writing style. Yes, there is such a thing as too much description. The plot needs to keep moving, so once you've set the stage, the reader has the mind-pictures he or she needs. Besides, sometimes you want the reader to fill in the details from their own thoughts. For example, if your male lead meets the most stunning woman he has ever seen, you may be better off letting the reader fill in the details, because one of the details you would write down might clash with the reader's idea of the most gorgeous woman ever. You need to choose where more description improves the story, and where it gets in the way.
What type of story is it going to be? Mystery, war, romance, thriller? And where/when is it set? It will make it a lot easier to give you advice.
Oddly enough it's going to be a humorous story, and it would take place about 20 years after the end of WWII, i think that's the war I'm going for, the one with Hitler? Wow, I feel like an idiot right about now.
Haha. Yeah, WWII was with Hitler. And also, I do think there's such thing as describing to much. Good luck.
i was in my 20s and raising my first 5 kids in the 60s, so if you want any details, just drop me a line... love and hugs, maia maia3maia@hotmail.com
Not really =P I'm thinking maybe this wasn't the best idea. I'm going either with a more modern date or I am turning this story back to it's original idea.
