What's the quickest way to learn about an area you've never been to before

[Le Jacquelope]

so you can write at least semi-believably about it?

Say I've never been to Tuscany, Italy, but I'd like to write one scene about a guy who says he owns a villa in Tuscany, Italy, and it turns out he's not lying.

How do you go about it so a real Italian person doesn't scream "BULL****!" at you in the reader remarks?

 

[DerelictionOfSanity]

I'm not sure if you can ever fool an actual resident. I think the best approach might be to have a long conversation with someone who lives there/has been there.

 

[cloudy]

I'm not sure if you can ever fool an actual resident. I think the best approach might be to have a long conversation with someone who lives there/has been there.

Yep, that and read, read, read everything you can find about it - or at least those things that are important to the storyline.

 

[galaxygoddess]

Lol, lemme find what I've been printing out for my boss the past few months.

He has a relative who's living there or visiting or something, who sends us these hilarious "diary pages" daily. I print them out and stick them in a file.

 

[Carnevil9]

Travel books are good. Fodors (I think) always starts off with an essay about the local color. Insight Guides (published by the travel channel) have lots of great details, and great photos. Go down to the Barnes & Noble Library and start browsing!

Also, the United Airlines magazine highlights a three-day tour ("Three Perfect Days") by a local resident in some destination each month. I save those just in case I ever need to write about a specific city.......Carney

 

[kendo1]

If only Dan Brown had done this.

 

[Le Jacquelope]

Travel books are good. Fodors (I think) always starts off with an essay about the local color. Insight Guides (published by the travel channel) have lots of great details, and great photos. Go down to the Barnes & Noble Library and start browsing!

Also, the United Airlines magazine highlights a three-day tour ("Three Perfect Days") by a local resident in some destination each month. I save those just in case I ever need to write about a specific city.......Carney

Wow... that's a pretty good idea right there.

 

[TxRad]

For here in the states, Google has a new street photo feature that goes along with real estate that can let you look at a neighborhood in a 360 view.

I haven't tried it but there was an article around about it being to realistic and an invasion of privacy by one group.

 

[DeeZire]

The movie 'Under the Tuscan Sun' ? (Just a wild guess- haven't seen it.)