LOCATION, LOCATION,
LOCATION by Clare London
“Look,” says Hubby with a wry smile. We’re snuggled on the
sofa together, watching a movie last night. “It’s set in London.”
Is he psychic, you ask? A close friend of the producer? A
devout follower of IMDB and/or the celebrity movie news websites? No. He’s just
seen the double-decker red bus trundle past in the background LOL (and it *was* a James Bomd movie!).
So many movies and pictures rely on triggers like that,
don’t they? For London, we have the buses, the
black taxis, the phone boxes (vanishing fast), the London Eye, Big Ben, Tower Bridge
… to be honest, we’re spoiled for choice of iconic scenes.
My suspense thriller FREEMAN is set in London.
When I first drafted it, I deliberately set it in AnyCity rather than a
specific place. It was to add to the mystery of the story, the “Everyman”
nature of Freeman himself. But when I re-released it in 2013 at Wilde
City Press, I made it clearer that the city I used as its setting was London.
Excuse my bias towards London,
but I’m living and working there, it’s the city I know best, and it fascinates
me. But I’ve also written stories set elsewhere in the UK: in Brighton, Totnes in the south-west, Exeter, Scotland and
various “alternative, no-name” cities around the British
Isles.
And of course, other cities - as they say - are available!
I’ve read and enjoyed many stories set in the United Kingdom that evoke
marvellously the spirit of the place, its scenery, its history and the unique
characteristics of its inhabitants.
Of course, Hubby and I also joke about movies set in the US, how it
sometimes seems there are only 5 cities in existence - New York, Washington,
Los Angeles, Chicago, San Francisco – and they’ve been devastated by enough
giant monsters / aliens / natural disasters / Decepticons to make us wonder how
there’s anything left for any future features LOL. But again, in fiction, there’s
the option of so many more places that can come alive in the reader’s
imagination.
How do you feel about physical setting in the books you
read? Do you skip over the scene-setting as background wallpaper, or does your
reading act as a travel pass to exciting new places? Do you admire the author’s
love for the place, or wonder just how much research they’ve done to get
authenticity? How do you feel if a book features *your* place, or somewhere you
know well – does it thrill or creep you out?
Let us know! As they say, it’s all about Location, Location,
Location.
And do you like an English accent?!
EXCLUSIVE :
this link to an extract from FREEMAN, read aloud for your entertainment! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t1Kk9uDPrmE
*************************
Clare London
Writing … Man to Man
Website: http://www.clarelondon.com
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6 comments:
I admit I’m one of those who considers the setting as a character. I adore being drawn in to the book by the author’s use of the senses. I don’t care if it’s an 18th century historical where the heroine needs to traverse the streets carefully to avoid the slops being thrown in the street, or a contemporary aboard a nuclear sub and the author is describing the close quarters so vibrantly I’m getting claustrophobia. I do not like subs. I’ve noticed more detailed settings turn a good book into a great book for me. I’m working very hard to improve this in my own books.
AND I do love an accent.
OH! And just who read that? BTW I think Freeman is a great book.
I love when setting becomes integral to the plot, especially if it tortures characters. Hah! The most recent show I watched in which setting was key was Fargo - the series based on the movie. Loved it, and you could feel the way the cold made your bones ache.
I treasure the settings in books. Brings back lovely memories of travel and sometimes transports me to the past. The sights, the sounds, the smells and the behavior of the people.
Freeman sounds like a great book, Clare. Fun excerpt, too. Love the guy's accent (yes, Clare, he has an accent). Setting is absolutely crucial to me. I don't care if it's real or made up, but I have to know where the characters are and how that setting affects them.
Lovely to hear your comments, sorry it's taken me a few days to get back to them! They're very motivating to me. I think location is something I've been nudged into considering more carefully with my writing, over the years. I may have been a tad lazy with it in the past :).
And LOL Marcelle, of course he doesn't have an accent! Everyone ELSE does *g* *and a london wink*.
PS just between us, it's Son#1, bless him.
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