I should have titled this post "How where you live influences your writing" but that's so much more boring :) Anyhow, the topic in general has been lurking in my mind during the past week: how being from a small town in rural California (yeah, there is such a thing as rural CA), has influenced where I set my books. As I wander around this city, I find myself thinking about how different it is to live where there's always stores open (especially late, like they are here), there's a metro that can take you anywhere quickly and cheaply, there are tourists lurking around, and well, it's busy! Growing up in the country, things were quiet--and very, very different. And this has been a big influence on my stories.
Now, don't get me wrong--I have put my characters into cities vastly different places from some little town (in centuries way different from this one), but the bulk of what I write isn't set in NYC, or even San Francisco which I know quite well. I just don't feel as comfortable, and don't have the ability to layer in as much detail as I normally like. I'm sure there are authors out there who manage this much better than I do :)
So, here's what I'm wondering: have you noticed that you tend to use settings that are more familiar to you in your stories? Or do you enjoy a setting that is totally different than what's outside your door?
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