NaNoWriMo 2016 Project

Day 7 - Cultural Setting & Research

Friday, Oct. 07
Required: Cultural Setting ▼
Describe the cultural, political and/or religious setting in your novel. What do your societies believe? In what practices do they engage? What kind of government rules your world? What laws or rules of society are in place? Who enforces them? How successful is enforcement of laws and rules? How does this setting impact your protagonist?

I am writing a contemporary fiction novel so the cultural, political and religious aspects are much like I live in today, here in Southern Ontario, Canada. In the town of Kitchener Waterloo with some additions of Guelph to mix it up a little.
My characters are white Canadians with White Anglo Saxon and European backgrounds. They are middle class people learning to find their way in the world. Establish careers and find love... and losing love. Following hearts and dreams.
Taygen's background is English, Irish and Scottish descent. Her family is from northern Ontario. Carson's background is Polish and German. He is Kitchener - born and bred. Her family is much more laid back, and his is anal and perfectionistic. Opposites in temperament and backgrounds.
Alex is also English, Irish and Scottish descent and he is originally from the Huntsville area - northern Ontario.... he is much more in tune with Taygen... and she is with him as well.
I am not sure if I will have my characters overly religious, but spiritual seekers (Taygen) of a sort - finding who she is supposed to be out of the rubble of a broken relationship that stunted who she was.
Taygen feels stifled by the more traditional values her husband, Carson posses... he is subtly controlling and bullying her, as he pushes at her with guilt. He supports her need to work outside the home in a career she loves, but only in that it brings in an income and does not push him away - he does not understand why she must spend so much time planning and organizing for her LTO classes. He also does not understand her need to write and sees it as a waste of time as it does not bring in income - like his own hobbies - fixing computers and cars (fixing and detailing). He sees her reading as a waste of time as well - often she is reading to improve her own writing. He does not get that.


Bonus: Research OR World Building ▼
Research: For reality-based fiction, research aspects of your novel that will lend credibility to your writing.
World Building: For fantasy, science fiction, or other speculative fiction, develop the history, geology, ecology, and/or maps for your world. Update your character, setting, and/or definitions databases with any new information (if applicable.)

I have taken several walks and made notes about the area Taygen will live. Determining how long and far it is between where she will live and the school she works at - Suddaby Public school. I have also supplied several times at that school to get a sense of the old wonderfulness of the building.... and the students who go there.

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