Writing Paris: Stepping into the World of My Historical Fiction Novel

There are cities you visit, and cities you return to. Paris has always been the latter for me, drawing me back year after year, as inevitably as the tide returning to shore.

I didn’t plan to set two thirds of my novel in Paris. I knew early on that it would begin aboard Titanic’s sister ship, the RMS Olympic, and that it would move into a European city shaped by the early years of the First World War. What I didn’t know at first was which city that would be.

When Paris revealed itself as the natural choice, I was delighted. It felt both wonderful and daunting to write my characters into one of the most beautiful and iconic cities in the world.

The Conciergerie on the Île de la Cité, in Paris’s 1st arrondissement.

When I research a novel, I do things a little differently than most authors. I write the entire first draft before I ever travel. Once it’s complete, I visit the locations of the story, grounding the revision in reality. By the time I arrive, I know what matters to the story, which allows me to focus on the details that will strengthen the next draft. Because so much of Paris remains recognizable from the early twentieth century, I’m able to walk the same streets and pass the same landmarks as my characters, adding a layer of authentic detail to the scenes.

As such, this trip isn’t about sightseeing. It’s about letting the characters of my novel reveal themselves and their story through the places they lived—how they moved through their neighborhoods, what their daily surroundings looked like, and how those environments shaped their lives. That firsthand understanding allows me to revise the setting more clearly and accurately.

I’ll be spending time in the four Parisian arrondissements that appear in the novel. Arrondissements are the city’s distinct districts, each with its own layout, rhythm, and character. Spending time in each one allows me to understand how streets connect, how far places are from one another, and how neighborhoods feel at different times of day. Together, they form the Paris of my story.

The Louvre Museum, in Paris’s 1st arrondissement.

A Historic Paris

The 1st arrondissement is one of Paris’s oldest and most formal districts, known for its wide streets, open spaces, and symmetrical layout. For centuries, it has been the center of political and public life. In the novel, this arrondissement is where Nora, my heroine, lives during her early time in Paris.  

While I’m in the 1st arrondissement, I’ll be spending time at the Hôtel Ritz Paris and the Hôtel de Crillon, walking through Place Vendome, and visiting some of the historic jewelry houses that have long defined this part of the city, including Cartier, Boucheron, and Chaumet. In the novel, Nora stays at the Hôtel de Crillon, which in 1914 was a preferred hotel for first-class Americans in Paris. Experiencing the hotel and the area that surrounds it firsthand will help me better understand the atmosphere that shaped her early days in the city.

The Eiffel Tower, rising above the Seine in Paris’s 7th arrondissement.

A Residential Paris

The 7th arrondissement is quieter and more residential than many parts of Paris. It’s an area defined by orderly streets, government buildings, and long-established neighborhoods. It’s Haussmann-designed buildings give it a restrained elegance.

In the novel, a close friend of Nora lives in the 7th, making it an important part of her Paris life. While I’m here, I’ll be paying attention to what residential Paris looks like — apartment buildings, side streets, and the rhythm of the neighborhood — while imagining how this same area would have appeared in 1914.

The Pont Neuf—the oldest bridge in Paris—at the heart of the Île de la Cité.

The Oldest Paris

The Île de la Cité sits at the geographic and historic center of Paris, surrounded by the Seine River. It’s a compact island densely packed with landmarks that have been in use for centuries, including Notre-Dame and Sainte-Chapelle.

Nora’s colleague's work is centered on the Île de la Cité, a family atelier that survived tragedy and is about to face it again. It’s position along the Seine makes it a fitting setting for this part of the story.

The Panthéon rising above the streets of the Latin Quarter.

The 5th arrondissement, also known as the Latin Quarter, is one of Paris’s oldest neighborhoods. It’s defined by narrow streets, an irregular layout, and deep medieval roots. Home to the Sorbonne and well-known bookshops, it has long been associated with scholars and students alike. This historic area offers a striking contrast to the more formal districts nearby.

While I’m here, I’ll be spending time at the Church of Saint-Séverin, a Gothic church tucked into the heart of the Latin Quarter that will have an important part to play in the novel. Built and expanded over several centuries, Saint-Séverin began construction in the early thirteenth century. Being in this neighborhood helps me understand how Nora and her friends might have experienced Paris outside its grand boulevards.

After spending time in these four areas of Paris, I’ll be writing a deeper post on each arrondissement and what they revealed about Nora’s world once I experienced them firsthand. I look forward to getting to know each area more fully and, in turn, writing a more immersive tale.

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