Tips For Writing Small Towns
The Everybody Knows Everybody
Usually false. If you lived in a town of 300 people, you might know of everybody, but it’s unlikely you would know each and every person’s individual bask story, job, and family life. As the number goes up, the less likely it is that everybody knows everybody.
In my state the more rural you go the more conservative it gets, but it certainly doesn’t mean that everyone who lives in a small town is racist. When a small town has a higher population than the surrounding area, including tourists/seasonal activity, those towns tend to be more ‘accepting.’ Towns along coasts (sea towns, port towns, whatever you want to call them) also tend to be less conservative, as they usually get a larger number of tourists.
Everyone loves/hates living in a small town
In books and movies small town characters often either love living in a small town or hate it. In real life it’s more complicated. Give you characters complicated relationships with their small town life.
I’m so sick and tired of seeing small towns in movies with huge high schools. Most small towns don’t even have their own high school or even middle school, usually it’s combined with nearby towns. (That also depends on how far apart the residents are spread out.) If it’s a combined-town school then yes, there will be a good number of students.
Before I answer this question I’ll split small towns into two groups:
Tourist/seasonal towns, business towns, commuter towns, and low population towns.
Have a low number of full time residents
Are by the ocean, mountains, national park or something else that would draw visitors
Have an ‘off’ season where tourists don’t visit as much
Are considered vacation places
There’s a wide range, but if you take in the seasonals to count middle-upper class
Towns that people live in because of their career
Such as college towns, mill towns, and factory towns
When businesses fail these towns will plummet into poverty
Are mostly lower middle class
Commuter towns are towns located by highways or larger towns (such as port towns and other business towns)
These towns are different than suburbs because they are not close enough to a large city
Are mostly middle class, there will be residents who commute to larger towns for jobs such as lawyers and doctors
The stereotypical small town
Often located in “the middle of nowhere”
Can either be spread out or very close together
Are found in rural parts of states
Are mostly lower middle class
Of course, every small town is different! My experience comes from New England small towns, but feel free to add on to this post!
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