Non USA/Europe located story

[SyleusSnow]

Maybe if you talked about drinking screech and kissing cod it would be more of a giveaway.

True, except the locals don't do either... dat stuff der's just fer the mainlanders, b'y

 

[JakobKings]

I started writing with the US audience in mind, then I quickly gave it up after realising that was pointless. My Aussie-based stories reflect what I hear every day and most are based in areas I know, and I have a reasonable number of followers. I work with a couple of Indian writers who don't Anglicise their stories or names at all, and they have a good following. Stick to the names of your country. It adds character to your characters.

As for story and chapter length - you'll get fans for any length. A Lit page is around 3750 words, and a story of 2-3 pages seems to be what a lot of readers like. Having said that, I have a couple of stories over 40k words which aren't chaptered. They do have scene breaks where needed.

Thanks!

 

[ronde]

I don't live in Europe or the United States, so my stories aren't set in those places. I created a fictional city in my country and the characters are there. Normally, I don't pay much attention to geographical details, it's a generic city. But the culture is clearly not American or European.
So I ask you: would that bother the reader? Would the reader stop reading something because it's not set in Europe/USA?
I try to "translate" the names of the original stories. Thiago becomes James, Marco becomes Mark, Júlia becomes Julie, Cássia becomes Cassy, and so on.
What do you think?
By the way: what is the ideal length for each chapter? When to publish a story in one go and when to divide it into chapters?
Thank you!

I have written about places not in the US or in Europe and have done well with them. I think the key is that you research enough of the language and culture that a reader living in that country will at least understand what you're writing about. If you also live in that country, you need to explain a little about the customs and culture so the reader will have a reason for what your characters do. I doubt most readers outside of Italy would understand what The Battle of the Oranges is anymore than they would understand "Punkin Chunkin" in the US or the Maasai "aduma" unless you give them a short explanation.

I do attempt to make names seem appropriate for the country because the correct name lends authenticity to the story. The only thing to be careful about is that some languages designate gender by a different spelling of the same basic name. Readers who speak that language will call you out if you use the feminine version for a male character and vice versa.

There is no real "ideal" length for a chapter. It needs to be long enough to present the characters, execute the plot and write an ending for that part of the story. Anything less will leave the reader waiting for the end and anything more will just seem like you added words to stretch the length.

 

[oneagainst]

I started writing with the US audience in mind, then I quickly gave it up after realising that was pointless. My Aussie-based stories reflect what I hear every day and most are based in areas I know, and I have a reasonable number of followers. I work with a couple of Indian writers who don't Anglicise their stories or names at all, and they have a good following. Stick to the names of your country. It adds character to your characters.

In sanitising words, I just go as far as not flipping the US reader out of the story with an obvious discrepancy. Therefore, characters go to the bathroom rather than the crapper, or the toilet or the WC or the dunny. They hail cabs from the curb because it's halfway between the sidewalk and the pavement or the same thing depending on your geographical reference to the Atlantic.

I've written everything in a real city, but obfuscated enough that one reader thinks it's Chicago - which means it can look like it's anywhere and the reader's free to fill in the details in their head. Your duty to the reader is to not put a speedbump in place that pops them out of the story while they're reading. Unless you point out specifically that they're on Bondi beach going for a schooner after getting rescued from the rip by the clubbies.

Oh, and I never mention Aluminium.

 

[onehitwanda]

Unless you point out specifically that they're on Bondi beach going for a schooner after getting rescued from the rip by the clubbies.

Tonight, on Bondi Rescue:

* Kerrbox puts Vaseline on Hoppo's surfboard just before a big race.
* Shark
* Brown Snake causes chaos in the paddle pool
* Shark
* Shirtless man gets drunk and kicks off
* Shark

 

[oneagainst]

M mate's a clubbie up north bondi (translation: he belongs to the [amateur i.e. volunteer, unpaid] surf lifesaving club) and apparently, they go out on the boards and pull a swimmer out of the rip, just in time for the Bondi Rescue boys to rock up and take the win and do their piece to camera about how it was such a great outcome, etc.

Magic of TV.

 

[NoTalentHack]

 

[oneagainst]

View attachment 2281118

So, to refute, we would be forced to get to know Texans?

 

[Rustyoznail]

M mate's a clubbie up north bondi (translation: he belongs to the [amateur i.e. volunteer, unpaid] surf lifesaving club) and apparently, they go out on the boards and pull a swimmer out of the rip, just in time for the Bondi Rescue boys to rock up and take the win and do their piece to camera about how it was such a great outcome, etc.

Magic of TV.

Bondi Rescue is not completely real? Shock Horror!

Next you'll be telling me the Real Housewives of Sydney don't cook.

 

[AchtungNight]

So, to refute, we would be forced to get to know Texans?

There’s nothing wrong with knowing Texans. If you think otherwise, well, I’m from Texas and them’s fighting words.

 

[BBlaketbv]

So I ask you: would that bother the reader? Would the reader stop reading something because it's not set in Europe/USA?
This does not bother me. But there can be major cultural differences. In that case I think it would be best to describe this in the story. Maybe make it part of the background story. Different locations can be fun and exciting. Might be a good opportunity to slightly educate some readers about foreign cultures as well.

I try to "translate" the names of the original stories. Thiago becomes James, Marco becomes Mark, Júlia becomes Julie, Cássia becomes Cassy, and so on.
As long as I can read the name and imagine how it is pronounced, it is perfectly alright. Somebody mentioned before that keeping the names might make the story more immersive, I agree with that.
Thiago, Marco, Júlia, Cássia, those are names that are short and easy to understand, no need to change them.
Names like عبد ال or 陈 would be a problem. I simply can't read that. Abdul and Chén, which should be their English names, are fine.

By the way: what is the ideal length for each chapter? When to publish a story in one go and when to divide it into chapters?
Based on personal experience: 15k to 20k words should be the maximum length of a chapter. If the chapter is longer than that I might stop reading.
3k words is the minimum. If chapters are shorter than that, they usually don't have enough detail for my taste.

 

[KeithD]

would that bother the reader? Would the reader stop reading something because it's not set in Europe/USA?

There is no "the reader." There are a multitude of individual readers with individual likes and dislikes. Write as and from what you yourself like. You will connect with readers interested in/tolerating that.