Where I Am Takes Me Where I Need to Be

As an author whose first love is mystery/suspense, I keep scenery description to a minimum. Which means the imagery I do include on the page must carry a lot of impact. The locale doesn’t have to be Rio de Janeiro exciting, but it must be realistic. And interesting.

I don’t set contemporary stories in a place I’ve never been. Why? As an author who also writes fantasy, I know world building is hard work. I also need to “feel” the location before I can write about the place. Which makes my current location—on the lake in a small-small town midway between Charlotte, NC, and Atlanta ideal. 

Atlanta

When I want to set my novel in a big city—I make a 90-minute trip to Atlanta. There, I can sense the
hustle and bustle of the thriving area. Sometimes, (more like always), there will be traffic, but even when your stuck in ten lanes of impatient honkers, or occasionally patient motorist, you can people watch and envision a scene or two.

Charlotte

When I want my setting in a smaller city, I drive the two hours to Charlotte, although having previously lived near the big-town-turned-city, I already have a good feel for the area—and its multitude of suburbs. And if I want country or small town, I’m smack in the middle. Like most big lakes, my area has varied socio-economic, political views, and religious believes. Truly a writer’s smorgasbord.

Do I ever use fictional places in my contemporary stories?  Absolutely. But even those settings are based on real locations—or a combination of several places. In my Holiday Novella, The Christmas Tree Wars, the town of Merryvale does not exist—not to my knowledge anyway. Still, it isn’t really fictional.  I’ve incorporated parts of Asheville, Boone, Concord (all in NC), Concord, MA, and Burlington, VT.  The first three are all a daytrip from my current locale. The last—well, that’s a stretch even with a plane. Although with the current price of gas, the setting for my work-in-progress will likely be based on scenery no more than a hike away.

When I set my a scene in a place I’ve visited before, I like to return to the scene of the crime. For example, when I decided to have my heroine experience a scary encounter on Chimney Rock in North Carolina, again, less than two hours from my current location, I took a hike—literally. Not only did I absorb the details and incorporate the majestic views into the scenes, I spotted a shadowy figure in the Opera Box (a ledge in the side of the mountain) that inspired another scene.  I also discovered a really cool niche—perfect for hiding the body in my next book.

For my non-contemporary novels, I do make up places. My fantasy novel is set on different planet—I haven’t been there. Honestly.

In short, where I need to be is where I am 😊