Researching novel - cities for affluent college kids in Martha's Vineyard?

[ladyinma]

Sounds great, Leslie! I do think it'll take considerable work to get "there" ("there" being understanding New England culture, at least well enough to--as you say--capture some of its complexity), but sounds like you're well-prepared to dig in and excited for the challenge. This forum is a good resource, as you say, and definitely a good start. I suppose I wasn't sure if this was sort of a plug-in/substitute for deeper research, but sounds like it's more of a jumping off point, which is good.

Best of luck!

[GeoffD]

Originally Posted by chicagoliz

Where did you come up with this? Did I miss where OP said the father married a wealthy woman?

Err... I quoted the post from the OP where she says that.

It's about a fairly middle-class young woman who goes to spend the summer with her wealthy father and step-mother in MV.

Unless I have my birds 'n the bees thing wrong, a middle class young woman who has a wealthy father and step-mother typically means her middle class father remarried a wealthy woman. Otherwise, how could she have been middle class?

[LeslieDH]

@GeoffD

You're correct. Her father is middle class, though an extremely successful doctor, and remarries a wealthy woman from a prominent family (old money).

[Beachcomber4]

Originally Posted by MikePRU

The son of one of my co-workers got a job cleaning pools on MV for the summer a bunch of years ago. He ended up meeting Maury Povich's son and now they're best buds. They have some kind of fishing business together now that they operate during the summer. Sounds like the basis for a good book! In all seriousness, I thought spending the summer as a pool boy on MV would be a great premise for a book.

I'd also add that a lot of well to do kids don't come to MV to work for the summer because a lot of staff live in pretty poor conditions that wealthy kids wouldn't tolerate.

That would be a great book. It's a case if mistaken identity when a controversial talk snow host, his stunning and witty former network wife and teenage son move to a sleepy Cape Cod neighborhood. The townspeople are disappointed not to be getting a GOAT and and angel, the neighbors are worried but it all turns for the best when the biggest scandal of it all is that the talk show host stops dyeing his hair during the off season. The Povich family assimilated to Cape Cod and neighborhood eccentricities well.

Celebrity couples spark excitement in Sandwich - News - capecodtimes.com - Hyannis, MA

[GeoffD]

Here's a link to the Google map of the high rent district on Edgartown Harbor. If you're old money on the Vineyard, that's the location. I haven't been there since Ernie Boch, Junior inherited his father's house. It used to have totally over the top garish landscaping. Greek statues with fountains that didn't fit the buttoned down classic New England harborfront look. I'm sure his son got rid of the worst of it.

https://www.google.com/maps/place/Ed...!4d-70.5133599

http://www.rt1automile.com/web/duck/...vineyard24.jpg

[beachykeen17]

I don't think the vineyard is the kind of place you can write about without knowing it first hand. It will ring hollow. Like the way no actor can do a Boston accent unless they are from Boston. It may sound OK to people from Iowa, but all of New England is just cringing inside.

[chicagoliz]

Originally Posted by beachykeen17

I don't think the vineyard is the kind of place you can write about without knowing it first hand. It will ring hollow. Like the way no actor can do a Boston accent unless they are from Boston. It may sound OK to people from Iowa, but all of New England is just cringing inside.

I do agree that OP needs to visit. There are so many people in the U.S. who are familiar with New England and MV that if it's not done right, a lot of people will be alienated. It's not like she's writing about a small town in a far away country where a very small number of people in the U.S. will have familiarity. And if it's set on M.V., a big part of the marketing would be in the area. So if it's not right, it's a nonstarter.