Request for information about New York City's garment district
I'm editing my novel, Girlfriends. It takes place in New York City
in the 1980's. I have done extensive book research on the novel.
Now, I'm working to get personal stories about the city. I'd
love to hear about New York City's garment district and what
the shops look and are run like - personal stories.
The main characters in my novel are an actress and a playwrite
who works part-time in the garment district until her writing takes
off.
Other people's experiences won't put vitality into your novel. It'll
read like a book report instead of a book. Although essential, research
won't do the job either. Suggestion: Stomp around the garment district
from dawn to dusk for a few days. It's fascinating. You can't deliver a
credible description of something so well known and dynamic without
experiencing it firsthand. The physical environment of Manhattan itself
sets the stage. The garment district is interwoven with it and can't be
isolated.
Not only is firsthand experience essential to get a feel for the
environment, you really need to mingle with the people who haunt that part of
Manhattan. It's the people who make the garment district, or any other part of
NYC, unique and distinctive. Take the trip. NY is an unforgettable place.
You'll find more inspiration than you can shake a stick at.