Evadale, TX -- help a writer out? (Harlingen, Jasper: neighborhoods, movie theaters)

[dizziedup]

Hey, guys, new to the forum and hoping to get some help on a project of mine. I'm a 20-year old (currently unpublished) writer working on a piece that I've set in Evadale, TX.

The only problem is, while I have plenty of memories of growing up in Harlingen, TX, I don't know a thing about Evadale.

Since the story I'm working on is fictional, I obviously have room for creativity. But I know that I would be royally ticked off if someone misrepresented my hometown, and I don't want to portray Evadale incorrectly.

So I'm asking for help. I want to know everything I can learn about Evadale. I've done a few google searches, checked wikipedia, and even read the Evadale ISD handbook, but I don't feel like I understand enough to provide a complete setting for the characters.

But all the information online can't compete with first-hand knowledge. What's the town really like? Does everyone literally know everyone else? Do Evadale Texans have "Texan accents"? (Harlingen Texans largely do not.) How important are high school sports -- if at all? What sort of unique/interesting features would any Evadale resident be aware of? What kind of hang outs are there in Evadale (pool halls, bowling alleys, movie theaters, etc.)? What do high-school aged kids typically do on the weekends? What are the neighborhoods like? Vegetation? Any fun local legends? How strict is the school's dress code (lol)? What's the general atmosphere of the town (sleepy, busy, average, etc.)?

Any information would be really helpful, and if you feel like you'd rather speak to me directly, I'd be glad to hear from you and I'll provide my e-mail if I get any interest!

Please keep in mind, I'm making no promises to even complete the manuscript. Obviously, I want to, and I'm very excited about this, but there's no way to tell if this will become anything. I'm just looking for information, but I thought it would only be fair to explain why I'm being so nosy.

Thanks for your time!

[edubya]

Out of curiosity, what made you want to set your story in a town you know nothing about?

[dizziedup]

I saw that coming...

I didn't want to set it in Harlingen because it wasn't the right setting. So I had to find a different, smaller place. I'm dead set on Texas, though, and it's got to be a small town.

I decided on East Texas because I wanted it to be pretty far from California (that's just for plot purposes). Basically, I chose Jasper county as a good general location and narrowed it down by looking through the list of cities on wikipedia. Evadale was more or less what I was looking for, as far as I could tell from the statistics I found online. Plus, "Evadale" rolls off the tongue pretty nicely, too.

I'm really set on using Evadale, but if anyone's got compelling reasons for me to switch, I'm game to hear them.

And frankly, I'm not afraid to do a little bit of work to produce the kind of novel I'd like to read. I've been writing about towns I know about for years, and I've never been so involved as when I started writing a story set in a town I know *little* about.

Reason enough?

[D-Towner]

If you want a truly artistic environment in Texas that is rural, try Marfa.

[edubya]

Sounds good to me. Wish I knew something about the town to help you out.

[dizziedup]

Marfa is waaaay too close to California, sorry. Also, the "artistic" aspect of it is definitely not going to fly for the kind of context I need. Thanks for the suggestion, though.

[loves2read]

contact the chamber of commerce in evadale
contact the local library
contact the local county historial society

frankly I think you bit off more than you can chew
if you have picked this county then I bet there is something "newsworthy" associated with it that you are trying to hype for your book...
that means you should invest some first hand research--go there--learn what you want to write about

[teatime]

I agree with the others. If you choose to set a story in a real location, then you need to spend time there. Anything else will feel contrived and you will lose credibility. If you can't spend time there, then either choose a different town or make up a town name.

[texdav]

I agree it tsakes really getting to know a place if you eant to use it as a setting.Especailly the people and that takes some more lengthy stay. I have been to evadale many times;but really all that showed me was that it is much likie alot of est teas with friendly people and a very country feel.

[dizziedup]

I'm not looking for something "newsworthy." The piece I'm writing is just supposed to be a fictional novel using a real-life location. Plenty of authors do that -- Stephenie Meyer of "Twilight" fame is a good recent example because, if I remember correctly, she only visited Forks, WA *after* she wrote her book -- and I don't see why I can't.

I know what I'm writing about. It's more about the characters and their lives than the actual town they are in. I just want information on Evadale because it's necessary to create a convincing and realistic setting. I can't describe how the lilacs smell if lilacs don't grow there and I can't talk about how the locals go muddin' if that's not an East Texas thing! I'm from the RGV, originally, and if I know anything about Texas, I know that regional differences exist and can be very noticeable.

Also, I don't want editors tossing me into a slush pile for obvious mistakes or an obvious lack of attention to setting. Even worse would be having real-life Evadale residents raise a fuss because some idiot girl up north decided she could use their town without even bothering to check what the only high school's team colors are. Like I mentioned before, I'd be royally ticked if someone completely misrepresented my hometown... out of respect for others, I'd rather do the extra work to make sure my facts are straight.

Thanks for the suggestions! Ya'll have been really helpful!

~Jinx