Swirl3d

Hi,

So I'm sketching out a novel that has been bouncing around my head for a while now, but I'm having real trouble pinning it to a time period, and I feel its pretty crucial to whether the story works or not.

Broadly, its the later half of the 20th century, but could feasably be any time from 1950s - present. I'm feeling late 60s/70s/early 80s, but I'm really not sure.

Central to the plot is a meeting of clases and cultures.... I want there to be a feeling of change in the air; harsh, cold, gritty modernity meeting stuffy tradition that have changed little over the centuries, bringing both energy and hope, and conflict and alienation.


The story is set around a group of students at a redbrick/Russell group university, Oxford/Bristol/Durham etc;

1.A Brideshead Revisted type sheltered, stilting boy from a minor aristocratic family
2. A Hooray Henry, 'Rah', wealthy boy with City banker aspirations, skiing and flash Austin Martins
3. A middle class marriage stock, plain, inexperienced, 'nerdy' girl
4. An outgoing, flirtatious pashmina wearing upper class girl, 2nd cousin to 1, but bored of the company she encounters

5. A lower middle class girl come good. Domestic abuse at home, she worked hard at school, was a nerdy outcast at first and is now blossoming at uni.

6. 5's boyfriend, a clever rebel from a poor lower/middle background, attending polytechnic OR in low paid job OR on the dole. Highly cynical. Kicks out against trends and mainstream culture. Given the right period; punk inclinations, drug taking, into photography, outsider art.


Factually, I want a period where university access is starting to open up, and a student from a state school with a troubled home life would be encouraged and supported in her application, but where lack of money and a criminal/bad behaviour record is still a major issue.

A time where you can simultaneously have sheltered, war time era-esque kids, jetsetting opulent types, and rebels.

5 and 1 get together, and the story is told retrospectively through their eyes as a quietly married suburban couple, 15/20/25 years on. They are still the removed, reticent, sheltered characters they were when younger.

I want there to be a feeling that the old world is fading, and a sea change is coming, but hasnt come yet, and at the end of the day, doesnt touch everyone.

Any help at all would be appreciated!

The Backward OX

Does it really matter? You have so much detail there that the average punter’s eyes will glaze over and won’t really be able to pick it if you get it wrong. Me, I’d say late sixties-late eighties. But that’s only me. Although were Hooray Henrys still around that recently? Not too sure. If it’s really critical why not Google a few key words about changes in university entrance requirements? Fifteen or twenty minutes browsing the Web should give you everything you want. The important thing with Web browsing is to be creative with your search terms. Perfect practice for a budding writer.
Btw, it’s Aston Martin.

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Mike C

A really nice, trite gathering of social stereotypes. Who cares when it's set?

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QuothTheRaven

It sounds like setting it a bit earlier would be better. Perhaps the industrial revolution?

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hobbish

If it was set during the industrial revolution, all of the characters would be #1. All male too. I hope that was a joke.

Sadly ox, people like that are still a sizeable chunk of university education today.

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Swirl3d

I do think time period is important. Even if they dont realise it, people will pick up if something is incongrous, and this is in the recent past, so people will be more sensitive to it. Besides, who writes for the average reader?!

Swirl3d

Mike C, I understand your point, but I portrayed them simplisitcally just to give a rough idea of the characters. Besides, they're based on people I know, so, social stereotypes or not, I feel they a valid characters.

Swirl3d

QuothTheRaven- I think there's less scope for development earlier on; during the industrial revolution real change was still a long way off, and class boundaries much more insurpassable. I want it to be set when options are truly opening up, and that a person from a poor family could at least have a chance at a redbrick university.

Swirl3d

hobbish- Thanks, the point about women is especially true!

Thank you all for your comments

rumpole40k

Sounds like the 60's to me

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Seeker

Late 50s - the 60s were an era of change, the late 50s would just be the precursor, and some of the people in the story can be Jack Kerouac types. --- i.e. change is coming, but we just don't quite see it yet.