Location, location, location.....

Setting is a HUGE deal in any book, especially romance. It's a character all it's own with strengths and weaknesses, quirks and personality. It helps your characters, and hinders them, too. It can cause tension or help lessen it. Setting can cause conflict. It can save a character. No book can survive without a vivid setting.

Recently I've become kind of obsessed with the small town setting. Small towns just have a vibe of their own. A slower pace, a simpler feel. And there's always a fun cast of quirky characters to go along. Gotta have a gossip mill! The best conflict comes from it! Small towns have problems that become your character's problems. I didn't grow up in a small town, so it kind of fascinates me. The workings of a small town are so different from that of a city setting.

Do you love a small town setting? Or do you prefer city? Or is there something else??

Book settings- Big City vs. Small Town

When I sat down and started crafting my first book, I naturally set it in a city setting, since that is where I grew up. It was comfortable for me. I went on to write a few more books, also set in cities. The fast-pace excitement of a city setting fit the story.

I wrote a novella and set it in a small town. I wanted to try it out. And I liked it. It was interesting to see the drama that unfolded with the quirky characters you find in that setting. The gossip mill never stops churning! It was addicting and I went on to write a few more books set in small towns.

There is so much to love about a book set in a city, especially if it's a well known major city, like NYC. I set my Karma books there. There is so much excitement in a big city, so much going on. There are all kinds of ways the setting can affect the plot and characters. I have been to NY a couple times, so I can envision it from experience, but there is soooooo much online about NYC that the research is so simple to do. When you set a book in a real city, you have to make sure the details are accurate and with a big city, it's very easy to do. And I think readers enjoy reading about these places. They may be places they might not ever get to visit in real life.

Small towns are so fun to write about. I tend to completely make mine up though, and the crazy quirky people who live there. There is a certain charm to a small town, quaint and cute, but that doesn't mean there isn't drama. My husband grew up in a small town, and I see how everyone knows everything about everyone who lives there. It's hard to keep things secret, and that can definitely add to the drama in a book.

Tonight I am hosting this week's #ChickLitChat on Twitter and my topic is city vs small town. What we love, what we hate, how where we grew up or live currently affects our opinions. Come on by and share your opinions!! 8 PM EST, use the hashtag to join in!