I have come to the conclusion that authors place their stories in three places: big cities, small towns, or made up worlds. Naturally, there are exceptions, but this generalization holds true in most cases. You rarely see the main setting for a fictional story in a town like Lewisville, TX. It's not nearly as big as Dallas, but it holds around 50,000 people, so it definitely isn't little.
But why is this? Why is Suburbia forgotten or ignored?
My theory is no story is placed there because nothing really exciting happens there. Small towns have their scandals and divisions that make them interesting. Big cities are a writer's jackpot with all the potential to make fictional magic. And there is literally no limit when it comes to a made-up world. And the suburbs are just...there. People go about their business. There is a lot of networking and some scandal, but not everyone is in on everyone else's lives. It isn't picturesque and it isn't bustling.
It's normal. Average. Plain, even.
Yes, I can be talking about where I grew up. I could also be talking about where you grew up.
But think about it. Suburbia provides for a great place to grow up. Adventure is found in weird places and small acts of rebellion happen. In fact, small cities would be the perfect place for a story because it could show normalcy and then throw in something that isn't normal. You can make extraordinary things happen in an ordinary place with a little setting placement.
Unfortunately, I am not transcending the norm. My book is placed in New York (the city and Albany). But I can almost guarantee that my next setting will be in Suburbia. You can hold me to it.
So, fellow writers of the world, I challenge you to embrace Suburbia. And I'll lead the charge.
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