Dela--- where?
Every writer knows you're supposed to "write what you know", but for some reason I never wanted to write about my home state. Even if the setting was a faithful depiction of someplace I knew, most Most of my stories took place in unspecified locations or, if necessary, some unnamed town in southern Pennsylvania.
Why Pennsylvania? I don't know. I guess it sounds more writerly than the truth.
I'm sure this made sense when I was a teenager, since all I wanted to do was leave my home town. But even after coming home, finding peace, and putting down roots I still have this aversion to committing the place to the page.
Three years ago (ish) I started writing this novel set in a college town. My college town. I tweaked the names of streets and buildings, applied a little creative license to geography, but it's my.home.town. The setting is so obvious that an alumni was able to identify it after reading just a few pages.
And yet, still, I've not once written the name. I've thought about it, but something always stops me.
Now, today, I've written in the Deer Park, one of our cherished local landmarks - complete with a summary of it's colorful "history" and location relative to interstate roads. I didn't call it that, but there it is. I might as well write down coordinates.
What does this mean? I don't really know.
But I suspect, my dear state, I might be ready to put you on the map.
Why Pennsylvania? I don't know. I guess it sounds more writerly than the truth.
I'm sure this made sense when I was a teenager, since all I wanted to do was leave my home town. But even after coming home, finding peace, and putting down roots I still have this aversion to committing the place to the page.
Three years ago (ish) I started writing this novel set in a college town. My college town. I tweaked the names of streets and buildings, applied a little creative license to geography, but it's my.home.town. The setting is so obvious that an alumni was able to identify it after reading just a few pages.
And yet, still, I've not once written the name. I've thought about it, but something always stops me.
Now, today, I've written in the Deer Park, one of our cherished local landmarks - complete with a summary of it's colorful "history" and location relative to interstate roads. I didn't call it that, but there it is. I might as well write down coordinates.
What does this mean? I don't really know.
But I suspect, my dear state, I might be ready to put you on the map.