Tuesday's Writer's Tip - Showing place in your story #MFRWAuthor #BWLAuthor #Place #Writing

The reader needs to know where your characters are not only in time but in space. When I first submitted a manuscript, an editor wrote back saying she liked the idea for the story but the characters existed in a vacuum. She rewrote a small passage showing me what she meant. Took me awhile to rewrite that story putting the characters in places or settings. There were other problems but that one opened my eyes.

When do you need to establish the setting or place of the story. In the opening scene, if you use flashbacks, during the action scenes and when the main characters are together.

Establishing the place where the story takes pace fits with the time period you've chosen. You probably wouldn't find the hero or heroine in a dungeon if your story is a contemporary. If they are you need to let the reader see what they see through the character's whose viewpoint is being shown. Remember different characters see the setting differently.

Take the dungeon. A heroine might focus on the dark dankness of the place. The hero might see something different like finding a way out. So when you start your story, let the reader see, feel, taste, hear and all the senses about the place where the characters have landed.

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Wednesday's Writer's Tip - Setting - Places #MFRWauthor #amwriting

As I said before settings are important since they can do a number of things. When you go from countries and the other large areas, you need to be more specific. Places where the characters live or work are important to establish with word pictures. These places also show things about the characters and we'll get into that another time.

What do you know about the characters' choices of residences? Where a person lives and how they keep their place. Is the house well furnished? What are the things the characters choose to have around them. Writing contemporary stories can be easier that writing historical novels. In contemporary settings knowledge is easily obtained from books of house plans to sites that show furniture and other decorating tips.

I have some books that show the insides of Regency homes and the internet is full of sites and pictures of mansions, castles and other things. Make good use of these. A trick is to select just a few things that are of important and show a bit about the characters choices.

Now we look at places where they work. Places like schools, hospitals, offices, wharfs, ships and other places like this. The internet and the library are filled with things.

I write a lot of stories placed in hospitals. I've worked in hospitals and I've been a patient. I can draw on my experience. but then I write fantasies taking place in other worlds. The easy ones are when I do alternate history or reincarnation stories. There are sites and books I can depend on to help me set up sites. But these are also important for fantasies of other worlds since the particular sites I choose can give the reader a way to identify. A tower from a historical site can be adapted. What I always have to remember is how the characters will react and what's important to them in each particular setting.

Tuesday's Inspiration ala David Westheimer on Research

We're always told, write what you know. Many times this is impossible. I came across an old essay by David Westheimer that was on research and using it in a story. I know I've had to use research many times and I've found many avenues to find the material I've needed.

One of these is talking to people who are experts in the area where you're writing. For me, this has been a plus when using details that are medical or law oriented. Sometimes this isn't enough. Books and the internet are great resources. Almost anything can be found in these places. Visiting places can also be useful. 

After you've found all these wonderful bits of information, how do you use them. Sparingly is best. There's nothing worse than reading pages and pages of information that you may or may not understand. The trick is to pick out a fact or two that gives the reader a look into the place or the procedure you're describing.

Another piece of advice is not to get so involved with the research that the story never materializes. For me, I've found something that works and that's to sketch out the story in a rough draft and then looking at what needs to be used to make the story right and then doing the research needed.

Try for a significant detail that will pull the reader into the story.

So research can be necessary to writing a good story and use it like spices to season a dish rather than to overwhelm the reader.