What do you guys think about putting certain years in books? Does it ruin the story for you, or do you not mind it? I'm asking because my book takes place during certain years: 2014-2016. It also has references to 2011, the year something major happened to the MC. Do you think it matters that if I get this book published someday, the last event is already in the past?
If it's vital to the plot - in other words if the reader needs to know these dates, then I can't see how it can be avoided. If these events happened in 2011, 2014-16, then it shouldn't matter when it's being read. They're simply settings in the plot.
The only real problem with dates is when they're set in the future, especially the near future. Reason being if you're lucky enough to get published anyone reading your book beyond the year it's set will be able to see how wrong your prediction of the future was. Case in point, look how wrong Back to the Future got 2015
My general thought is that if you can say "two years ago" or "two years after" then go with that. If there's something about that year that's important to the setting - eg, it was pre-9/11 in the US and things take place in an airport - then timestamp it, sure. But if it doesn't matter, I'd avoid spelling it out. Let it appear to be contemporary for as long as possible. In one of my rl-set projects, I know what years characters were born in, when certain events happened, etc, but it's just for my own housekeeping. It's enough for the reader to understand that the mc grew up in the nineties from context - they don't need the exact year. eta: That said, the inclusion wouldn't bother me - I'd just most likely completely forget I'd read it.
He asked if the "last event being in the past" would be a problem. But his entire book is already in the past, it's 2017.
I reckon you don't need to mention a date unless it's really important to the story. If something that influences the story directly has happened in a certain year, then you need to deal with it, obviously, but if you want the story to feel contemporary—at least for a while—avoid giving dates as much as you can. If you're writing a book centred around some young person graduating from high school 'next year' you can probably keep the date open. That way, the story will feel contemporary for a bit longer. However, if your story references certain things that are connected to a certain date (9/11, for instance) then being more precise about the date of your story might be a good idea. Imagine, for example, if you're writing a book set firmly in 2015, and you do mention the date. That means people reading it now will automatically fix it in the recent past, which might influence how they see the story. If you don't mention the date, however, the reader can fully immerse him/herself in the story as if it's happening 'now.' Putting a date on the story can create distance and make the story seem slightly out of date. If that matters, maybe don't do it. If you're writing historical fiction, though, or any story set in 'the past,' then it's a good idea to let the reader know when the story takes place. Imagine a reader picking up a book set in 'Victorian' times, but not knowing if it's set in the late 1830s, just after she took the throne, or just after the turn of the 20th century, when she died. A lot happened during that period which will influence the story a lot. In fact, the changes during her reign were almost as extensive as the changes we experienced in the 20th century. So it's a good idea to make that kind of date as specific as you can.
