When I was about to begin the Murders by Design Series, I
was torn about where to place it. The
old adage, “Write about what you know” echoed in my head and wouldn’t go away
even though I wanted it to. There’s a
lot of wisdom in that saying, so why was I resisting?
My DH said, “Use New England as a
setting. You were raised there and know it well. Why reinvent the wheel?” Writing pals offered much the same advice,
and it’s good advice. But that’s not
where I wanted to go.
I didn’t want to visit all the locales I once
knew, not even in my mind. The movie
theater that’s no more, the church John and I were married in and that later
burned to the ground, the house I grew up in . . . it’s so small now. My father’s grave. The high school where I met my first love . .
. where is he today?
No, all of these memories come
crowding in and crowding out a fresh beginning.
I needed to get in a happy zone, in a brand new place where I had no
long history, just a clean canvas I could paint with humor and fresh,
tongue-in-cheek colors. So I chose my
current home town, Naples , Florida
To see what Deva’s up to, check out
some first chapter excerpts: www.jeanharrington.com
9 comments:
"See Naples and die." Your choice of setting reads like a perfect choice.So far, my characters and plot pick the place where the action begins and ends.
Yeah, Elise, Naples was a good locale to plunk an interior designer protag. Now I'm searching around for a quirky, off-beat location for a new story. A place not usually chosen for a setting. Any ideas? I'm open!
I adore settings :) I always think of settings as characters in their own right. Naples sounds perfect for you story, Jean. :)
Quirky? Newfoundland is quirky :)
Like Toni, I think Naples sounds perfect for your characters and story! I had heard the write what you know advice, too, but wanted a grittier city than San Antonio (where I grew up) for my series, so I picked Chicago. ;) But the book I'm working on now takes place in San Antonio. ;)
Newfoundland is quirky but is it fun? Chicago's gritty all right, though I was treated to a ride along GORGEOUS Sheridan Road last summer. You can do a lot with Chicago.
And San Antonio with all that history, and Spanish influence and the riverwalk. Luscious. Good suggestions, but I'm still open.
I wish I got to pick. My characters get to do that. If I try they make my life miserable
Rita, Enjoyed your comment. Now that's really getting into the zone!
I felt as though I was really taking a risk writing a book set largely in Scotland, but like you, Jean, I felt as though it was time for something new. It was refreshing to be someplace else in my head for a while (and my characters liked it too).
Yes, Ana, that's it--being someplace new in your head is like taking a vacation.
Post a Comment