Hipsters should avoid writing fiction where a certain city is a main character...
Yesterday I read a book by a Ukrainian writer about Kyiv. I was so disappointed. Despite a lot of writing mistakes, the overall impression of the story and the way the author wanted to describe the city: 3 out of 10.
When you write fiction where a certain city is a main character, please, don't do this:
1. Your target audience is the city! Not only the youth in age 25+
I know, right, there is always a target audience. But then don't emphasize that you are writing about the city specifically. Then you are writing about youth people in this city.
My mom would not get this book, I'm 100% sure. She will be like whaaaaaat, ok I know the street, I know the district, but what the hell do these lines have to do with the city overall,
2. Don't point too much to the current era
We know there are airpods, iPhones, and all this stuff. But when the guy answers mother's call he doesn't do it by double tapping the right airpod for god sake, he just answers. It doesn't matter how. It annoyed me so much.
3. If you talk about the way the city tastes it has to be the taste everyone can experience
Ok, once again, target audience blah blah blah matters, but then back to the #1. I hate mentioning certain bars or restaurants not everyone knows about. It's not a Yelp or Foursquare. The book is not about the hipsters in the city, it's about the city (at least it was stated this way by the author).
4. If you call it an "ode to the city" then cover not only the neighborhood you grew up in
Or at least, call it a fiction-memoir
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