TIMELESS REFERENCES VERSUS MODERN REFERENCES IN NOVEL WRITING
Posted on April 7, 2019
Something I take into consideration with each book I write is how many modern references I include. Technology, pop culture and fashion are areas I have to carefully mine. I also consider dialogue as well. Themes, roles, circumstances, and settings tend to evoke a timeless feel in my novels if I correctly handle the four core areas mentioned above.
You want to strike a balance with the references. Too many and the book will feel dated within a few years. In most cases, I rarely splice in zeitgeist dialogue. Technology is tricky, but I keep it to a minimum. And as far as clothing my characters, I keep it simple. It helps that many of most of my characters are preteens. I do a little more when they are teens or in their twenties. Luckily, folks are diving into my books for the imagination and magic and not to see if I know what's trending in Spring fashion these days.
I think the best way to show you how I deal with this question is to examine a few of my novels.
I'll start with two of my books that wallow in a specific decade. The Powers That Flee and Ghost Coast are set in the eighties, specifically amid nerd culture. The references are dated and plentiful but that's okay when one's penning a period piece. It gave me the opportunity to really go heavy on the references. Otter pops, Klondike bars, Izod shirts, Kitty Pride back when she first joined the X-Men and even mention of rocker Corey Hart all made their way into these books and helped set the feel for each novel.
In the Irving Wishbutton series, I don't have to address modern references because it takes place in another dimension at a magic school. It's refreshing that no one in the story runs around with a cell phone in their hand. Now with the author sections, I did have to reference computers and such but I made sure the feel was still timeless.
Monsters in Boxers is one that actually had to be infused with a more modern sensibility. The original was written back in 2000 and there was no mention of cell phones. When I rewrote the book a few years back, I had to work more modern sensibilities into it. The cell phones actually became critical components as they allowed Jason and company to receive cryptic texts from the future. It also gave Amy the chance to use her powers to better effect. The dialogue in that series, especially the snappy banter of Troy and Reggie, has a modern feel but still reads as timeless.
We Kill Humans is probably the book where I tried to really create teens that reflect the modern teenager. Not much tech is needed in it as the world is a broken place, and they are scraping by without modern conveniences as they fight an alien invasion. The same approach is evident in my zombie series, Turncoats. The teens are relevant and also timeless as they face the undead. Neither book needs to address fashion much. Fleeing the undead or savage alien hybrids tends to make one not worry about if their sneakers are hip and current.
Here Is Where I . . . Wield a Really Big Sword is the most invested in the modern world. The opening scene of the main character playing online is taken from my gaming experiences along with what my son does when he's hogging our PS4. It helps that I have a thirst for modern pop culture just as much as love being thrown back into the eighties and nineties.
I'd say embrace using tech in your modern stories but shy away from referencing specific things like My Space as those details can go the way of the dodo very quickly. Keep fashion to a minimum. Utilize pop culture references just enough to ensconce your cast in their era and really streamline the dialogue so you don't have anyone spouting off stale and dated slang. So being on fleek and thirsty just won't hold up well a few years, even months, from now.