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Sometimes the setting for a
book is immaterial to the story. In other instances it can be as important as
one of the characters. If we had a hero and heroine stranded on a desert
island, for instance, the island itself would be of immense importance. Did it
have vegetation? Did it have shelter? Did it have a source of fresh rainwater? How
would they survive otherwise?
In my book, Rachel’s Retribution, my heroine is
whisked away to an old, isolated cottage in the English Lake District, with
very little in the way of mod cons. Therefore the cottage itself and the wild,
isolated countryside around it, plays a vital part.
The
cottage sat alone on the edge of a bleak moor. It was tiny and plain and looked
unloved. It was as foreboding inside as it was out. Surprisingly it had
electricity and a very basic cooker but that was all. No fridge, no television,
no home comforts of any kind.
In Sea Gypsy my heroine manages to persuade a lone yachtsman to take
her on as crew on one of his trips. Something she quickly regrets. And with no
escape from him…
The setting for Trapped is the British Waterways - the
canals - where my heroine lives on a narrow boat. Hero is planning to build a
marina and convert warehouses into a restaurant-cum-nightclub and is trying to
move her on. Everyone else has gone – but
she is determined not to move, even though he says she can come back when it is
finished.
I know the reader is seeking
escapism and perhaps expects glamorous locations. I like them myself. I like to
read about them. But just occasionally, especially if it’s a situation where
both are caught in each other’s company, then background doesn’t really matter.
It’s the relationship that is of prime importance.
Hmm, I use my setting as a way to ground my characters and my readers so that everyone knows where things are situated. I don't necessarily look for glamorous locations, though. I think my settings have to fit the story--although sometimes, they actually are the story. In one of my WIPs that's out on submission, the entire idea for the story came from a local Victorian mansion I toured. I fell in love with it and my characters grew from it, as did the story.
ReplyDeleteIt's interesting how a location can become a part of the story almost as though it is one of the characters.
DeleteI think all my settings have had some bearing on the story at some point, but it's definitely the Irish setting that is proving to be the most popular with readers!
ReplyDeleteI've only read your Irish books and your settings are so vivid they become characters in themselves.
DeleteSetting can almost be a "character," I think. An approaching hurricane could be as real as a villain.
ReplyDeleteYour rustic cottage would trigger reactions and demand action like a person.
Great post!
Indeed. As I said in my response to Paula, settings do become as real and important as characters. Researching backgrounds is so important.
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