Location, Location, Location
I’m Jillian Chantal and I want to thank Christina and the
Time for Love blog for allowing me to pop in today to talk a little about
something near to my heart in my own writing.
Location.
Realtors use this phrase all the time, and I like to think
of it as I start a new novel as well. To me, location can be used almost like
an additional character. Stories are fun
to plan, and one of the most interesting things to me is selecting where the action
will take place. I, for one, like foreign or exotic places. The tag line for my
website is Romantic Adventures with an
International Flair and those are my favorite tales to tell.
Traveling can assist a writer in making his or her stories
more authentic. We’ve all gone on trips,
be they short or long, to the next town or across the ocean. I recommend that those ventures to other
areas be mined for material. Using a small notebook, I jot things as I move
about-- such as what neighborhoods abut each other; where the nicest homes are;
where the dodgy areas are; and other little details that will add to setting
the scene.
I always grab a map or two of the places I visit in case I
later decide to set a story there so I’ll have them to compare to areas that my
character goes to. I’ve seen several movies set in places I’ve been and it
always bugs me when I can tell they’ve moved around in the shooting and that
the place where the character is at one point is nowhere near where they are in
the next moment. I know that makes me sound anal and maybe I am, but I sure do
like to try to be authentic.
I recently received a review from a reader who lives in
London and she praised the fact that “the writer nailed the area of London
where the story was set” (Greenwich). I recently spent time over there when my
son was living in the area. I made notes of streets, pubs, food, types of
drinks, the railway stops and also picked up those maps that I love. I really
think that made a difference for that reader to feel as if she were really in
that area with the characters.
I’ve mined my real life visits for scenery descriptions as
well as tourist spots that characters may visit. I have also set a few stories
in places I haven’t been physically but I’ve researched by ordering maps and
tourist books as well as talking to friends who have been there. I mine that information to use sporadically in the
story to make the readers feel they are there. It seems to work as readers have
contacted me to say they feel like they are in the places I describe.
I recommend the above for adding authenticity to your
stories and to make them come alive for the reader. Making your story’s location an integral part
of the action will add flair to your tale that readers will love. Try adding
the little touches that can make a difference, like personal notes or information that a map
or tourist guide can provide. It’ll make your stories shine. If you’re a reader, please leave a comment
letting me know your thoughts about scenery and location. I’m curious if it
makes a difference if you’re reading about an area you know well if you can
tell if the writer has been there or not.
I appreciate the opportunity to visit and hope that some of
the ideas I shared will be helpful.
~ ~ ~ ~
From Christina: I want to thank Jillian again for visiting today and sharing her thoughts. Her latest romantic adventure -- with an international flair -- is Moon Dance, from Desert Breeze Publishing. Jillian loves to hear from her readers. You can find her on the web, on Facebook, and through Twitter.
BIO:
Jillian Chantal is a writer who lives on the Gulf Coast of
Florida. She lives there with her spouse, her last remaining dependent child
and a tuxedo cat that keeps them all amused with his antics and desire to be
walked down the street on a leash. She writes what she likes to call romantic
adventures and is published with Desert Breeze Publishing; BookStrand
Publishing; Secret/Sweet Cravings Publishing; and the non-erotic side of
Ellora’s Cave.
