Novel Settings: There are many possible settings for novels. Here, I list a few:
1. The author's hometown, city or home locale.
2. A fictional hometown or city, especially if it is in the author's region or locale.
3. A town or city outside of the author's locale. This can be a locale that the author has visited, lived in or is familiar with. It can also be a locale that the author has never been to or only visited once or twice.
4. For world-building, such as fantasy or sci-fi, the locale is totally at the control of the author's imagination.

Settings with questions or comments anytime.

For my first three novels, I've chosen my hometown for the last 30 years: Newport, RI. This is a tourist town, rich in history and scenic vistas. For me, this allows my characters to move through scenes that I can give a cinematic feel. I really want to draw the readers into the character's world and make readers feel transported, even if for only a moment, into their world.