Small towns can have character. They can practically be characters of their own, if written well enough. Small towns can be claustrophobic, ordinary, unique, quirky, or adorable. Setting your book in a small town that you get to create completely, without worrying about real places and tourist attractions that your reader might already know because it’s a large, well-known (or known at all) city. I love reading books that take place in small towns.
So why do so many characters hate small towns so much? Why is “getting the hell out of this boring town” such a popular plot point in contemporary and paranormal books alike?
In my Top Ten Tuesday this past week, one of the things I want to see in more books is vivid towns. I want to see these small towns that have character and quirkiness and are interesting. I live in a small-ish town (about 11,000 or 12,000 people, I think) – not the kind of place where you’re sure to recognize everyone at the supermarket or whatever, but it’s much more likely to happen than in a big city, and there are some quirky little small town events and a parade that starts just down the street from my house and such. Sure, I wish there were more things in my town – namely, a bookstore that I don’t have to drive at least 20 or 30 minutes to get to – and I enjoy seeing some “big city” things when I’m actually in a big city, but that’s just visiting. I love living in a small town that has some character, and I love reading about towns that have even more quirkiness and character.
So why do I have to read so many character’s inner monologues complaining about small town life? There’s a difference between wanting to get out and visit the world and hating the place you were born or grew up in. I want to see some characters that enjoy leaving but loving coming back home just as much.
I’m sure this is more a personal thing. I remember, when I was looking at colleges, seeing a lot of warnings about colleges that were in small towns, far away from big cities. They were the type of towns I lived in and liked, but I kept reading about people complaining about feeling like they were in a bubble and such. So I get that many people would feel the same as some of these characters, but can’t there be some characters who reflect my own feelings as well?
Am I the only small town person or small town-loving person who feels this way? I really hope not – after all, how can I guilt authors into writing what I want if I’m the lone voice complaining?
But seriously – please stop with the small town hate.
The Reading Shelf 
Well, I like small towns! They’re quaint and full of interesting people, if you ask me. But I can see why wanting to get out is such a common aim. People want more opportunities and are often tired of all the residents knowing what everyone’s deal is. Plus, there often isn’t a whole lot of things to do if you’re not the kind that has a load of personal hobbies. I had a friend who studied abroad in a small university town. She was so bored out of her wits that she transferred to a university located in a big city instead.
Yeah, I definitely understand why people don’t always like small towns and there are times I wish there was more happening in my town or that singers I liked came to my state, let alone a larger city more than a few hours away, but I wish more books would reflect people who actually like small towns. People can be different – and quirky, small towns can be so interesting to read about! It’s great to see someone else who feels the same about small towns!
I can understand why some people may not like small towns, in the end, I guess they think they’re not that interesting. Some people dream of late nights and city lights and when they’re given a town, they’re let down. I’m such an accidental poet! But I really towns, especially in para-novels; they add a atmosphere of being with the same people, people you should trust, but don’t. I think that’s brilliant. I’m sure you’re not alone Genevieve 🙂
Yeah, I know I’m not alone (at least based on the comments so far), I just wish authors would agree with me more often! I feel like it’s getting to be a little lazy, plopping your character into a small town that they hate in order to add some internal conflict. I just want a few characters who are in small towns and actually love it!
As a teenager, I HATED living in a small town. There was nothing to do and everyone knew my business before I did. Small town gossip is something that STILL follows me, after I’ve been home for a weekend.
While I can appreciate the finer things a small town has to offer now, and I eventually grew to love going home for a visit, I totally understand why so many characters yearn to spread their wings.
And while I’m nostalgic about living in a small town, choosing to remember the things that made it the absolute best place to grow up, I would never consider moving back there permanently. Visiting for a weekend is plenty 🙂 Haha
I can definitely understand that – I live in a town that’s big enough that small town gossip isn’t really a thing unless something BIG happened, but I went to a local private school, so I can relate there. My problem is mainly that small town hate seems to be thrown in to add unneeded tension, or it doesn’t quite feel genuine to the character. In three paragraphs, I feel like your dislike of small towns is deeper than many character’s, which is a bit of a problem!
But yeah, I definitely understand what you’re saying, and there are also times where I just wish I could live in a big city, but it just doesn’t seem to be me, at least right now. Maybe I’ll change my mind later!
I have to admit, I’ve never really thought of it this way. I definitely identify more with the characters who hate their small towns! The town I grew up in was about half the size of yours–5,000ish people.
I hated my town for a variety of reasons, but the main one was this: my dad is the police department’s ONLY investigator. That means when crime happens(mostly burglaries and assaults in my town), he’s the person at the forefront. EVERYONE knows him. EVERYONE. So I’m not Stormy, the girl who graduated from high school, the girl who played an instrument in the band with sixty other kids, or the girl on the tennis team. I’m “Officer C’s” daughter to the rest of the town ninety percent of the time. And I think that’s why I identify with small town hate so much–I never got to feel like I had my own identity in that town, separate of my family.
That being said, obviously my viewpoint isn’t universal, and it would be nice for a character to like their town. I have friends now who grew up in a different small town, and they’re sisters. One of them really disliked it and never wants to move back. The other wants to finish college as soon as possible and move back because she LOVES her town.
That would be so frustrating. My parents both work in bigger cities nearby, but I know what that’s like a little since my mom is pretty involved in some areas of the community – definitely not to that extreme though.
If a character had a similar experience, I don’t think I would be so annoyed. These characters too often don’t have good reasons, they’re just general – “oh, nothing happens here,” “I’ve never been anywhere else” – they’ve valid reasons until you reach the point where they seem to be the only reasons in YA. I wouldn’t mind this trope if there was some variety to it.
But yeah, I’d also just like just a FEW characters that actually like their little towns.