When Dan Brown wrote the Da Vincci Code, everyone started flocking to Paris to visit the Louvre and it’s rich history. Dan is known for his blockbuster plots, and his settings are so rich with color and scenes. His stories are so vivid and you feel that you’re right there at the location. After he wrote The Lost Symbol, I wanted to hop on a plane and visit Washington. There’s so much history I don’t know about and I would love to visit the location first-hand. Choosing a setting affects how your characters behave, speak and dress. You tie in the culture, language and landmarks, and you’re sure to get people to fall in love with your book. If you haven’t been to the actual place you’re writing about, then researching about the location is essential. The setting of my debut novel, Love Letters was in Half Moon Bay. Since I live in the SF Bay area, I often visit Half Moon Bay. I had to create a coastal town feel in my novel which matches the sea, surf and sand.
For me, setting is essential to delivering a believable story. I agree with you that the setting influences the way the characters behave.
ReplyDelete@Mieke, definitely! I've read some novels that did not elaborate on the setting and I found it so difficult to get the full picture on what it was like. Thanks for sharing!
ReplyDeleteI love the rich settings in books. Reading has been a lifelong pleasure and what better way to increase your knowledge than indulge in a good book? I love watching the BBC show Who Wants To Be a Millionaire and I often know the answers to obscure questions because I read about it in the setting for a book and intrigued researched more information after I'd finished.
ReplyDeleteI love your blogs, Geraldine.
@Shirley, I definitely agree. I love watching that show as well. I just finished reading a book that was set in China. The author included a lot of art history information about the Ming Dynasty which really fascinated me. You could tell she had that she had either been there or done her research very well. Stories with rich settings are very memorable for me. So glad you love my blogs. I also enjoy reading your blogs.
ReplyDeleteI absolutely agree. In my opinion, your setting should have as much thought and detail as your characters.
ReplyDelete@Mary Ellen, definitely!
ReplyDeleteSetting is very important and I work really hard in my books to offer readers rich detail in the setting.
ReplyDelete@Cindy, thanks for stopping by and sharing your input. Yes, setting is very vital to a novel.
ReplyDelete