As the title of this post implies, I’ve been time traveling lately to the 1980s.
That’s the era where I set my latest story, which takes
place in New York City. I drew on my own recollections of that place and time
in creating my tale, but also immersed myself in contemporary images and news
stories. I wanted both to jog my memory and to ensure that my portrait was accurate.
Nothing takes a reader out of a story faster than an anachronism.
In the eighties, people smoked in the lobby of the
Metropolitan Opera. They vied to make it past the velvet rope at Danceteria. They
dined at Windows on the World at the top of the World Trade Center and hung out
at Howard Johnson’s in Times Square, surrounded by peep shows and XXX theaters.
And they wore leg warmers, which I made sure my protagonist did as well. So ubiquitous were those particular items of clothing that they inspired the name of an “ultimate 80’s tribute band” whose show I’ll be enjoying this weekend.
In choosing what to wear to the Leg Warmers concert, I
skipped the namesake accessory but did acquire some ripped jeans, fingerless
gloves, and neon jewelry. Luckily, I am posting this before I attend, so I have
no pictures to share.
When I searched for “eighties outfit ideas” online, I discovered
that the 2025 notion of such an ensemble does not particularly reflect my own
experience. Back in the day, I didn’t wear much neon outside of aerobics
classes, and my college wardrobe was informed more by the preppy boom than the
downtown club scene.
That dissonance begs the question of what authenticity means for my wardrobe, and for my story. If people associate a particular era with a limited set of cliches, is it imperative to use them? If my eighties characters don’t have big hair, are they believable? Are there particular catchphrases they must use or bands they must reference?
The historical fiction writers I know do their research and work
hard to create as accurate a representation of their time period as possible.
For readers, part of the enjoyment of these works is expanding their knowledge
as they plunge into the world of the past.
The 1980s don’t qualify as historical just yet. At least I
hope not. Still, I had to find my own balance between the kind of familiar references
that help situate readers in an era (hello shoulder pads) and equally true but
less well-known details that can deepen my audience’s immersion in the milieu
of the times.
It was a new challenge for me and I won’t know how well I
pulled it off until that story comes out sometime in the future. But right now,
this weekend, I’m buckling on my fanny pack and heading back to the past.
What matters to you as a writer or a reader when a work is
set in the past?
