Comments on: Manuscript Milestones: Getting Setting http://www.murdershewrites.com/2009/12/01/manuscript-milestones-getting-setting/ Ten Authors. Five Genres. One Blog. Because the only thing scarier than a loaded gun pointed at your head....is writing about it. Sat, 13 Mar 2010 14:38:44 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9 hourly 1 By: Silver James http://www.murdershewrites.com/2009/12/01/manuscript-milestones-getting-setting/#comment-237540 Silver James Wed, 02 Dec 2009 18:36:55 +0000 http://www.murdershewrites.com/?p=3454#comment-237540 Yeah, I'm a day late. Yesterday was an absolute blur! I love setting, Rocki, and it always plays a part in my books. New Orleans. Chicago. Ancient Ireland. DC and Virginia... I'm trying to decide between Dallas and Denver on the next one--both places I'm very familiar with. FYI, you ever need research out this way, I'm here for ya! ;) Yeah, I’m a day late. Yesterday was an absolute blur!

I love setting, Rocki, and it always plays a part in my books. New Orleans. Chicago. Ancient Ireland. DC and Virginia…

I’m trying to decide between Dallas and Denver on the next one–both places I’m very familiar with.

FYI, you ever need research out this way, I’m here for ya! ;)

]]> By: Silver James http://www.murdershewrites.com/2009/12/01/manuscript-milestones-getting-setting/#comment-237539 Silver James Wed, 02 Dec 2009 18:34:24 +0000 http://www.murdershewrites.com/?p=3454#comment-237539 I am soooo bookmarking these! Thanks, Toni! :D I am soooo bookmarking these! Thanks, Toni! :D

]]> By: Roxanne St. Claire http://www.murdershewrites.com/2009/12/01/manuscript-milestones-getting-setting/#comment-237535 Roxanne St. Claire Wed, 02 Dec 2009 15:41:56 +0000 http://www.murdershewrites.com/?p=3454#comment-237535 There's a lot to be said for a fictional setting; I've used plenty and loved the freedom of that technique. But some books just demand reality, and that's when the setting requires research. And, uh, NOTHING is lacking in any of your books, Allison! xo There’s a lot to be said for a fictional setting; I’ve used plenty and loved the freedom of that technique. But some books just demand reality, and that’s when the setting requires research. And, uh, NOTHING is lacking in any of your books, Allison! xo

]]> By: Roxanne St. Claire http://www.murdershewrites.com/2009/12/01/manuscript-milestones-getting-setting/#comment-237534 Roxanne St. Claire Wed, 02 Dec 2009 15:40:50 +0000 http://www.murdershewrites.com/?p=3454#comment-237534 Great links, Toni! Thank you!! xo Great links, Toni! Thank you!! xo

]]> By: Allison Brennan http://www.murdershewrites.com/2009/12/01/manuscript-milestones-getting-setting/#comment-237529 Allison Brennan Wed, 02 Dec 2009 07:00:58 +0000 http://www.murdershewrites.com/?p=3454#comment-237529 OMG, great advice. I wish I'd read this ages ago. Setting is my weak point. I generally make things up :) . . . but I wrote three books set in Sacramento because that's someplace I know REALLY well, LOL, and I was tired of research. Then? I made up Santa Louisa for ORIGINAL SIN. It's so much easier when it's ALL in my imagination, LOL. OMG, great advice. I wish I’d read this ages ago. Setting is my weak point. I generally make things up :) . . . but I wrote three books set in Sacramento because that’s someplace I know REALLY well, LOL, and I was tired of research. Then? I made up Santa Louisa for ORIGINAL SIN. It’s so much easier when it’s ALL in my imagination, LOL.

]]> By: Toni McGee Causey http://www.murdershewrites.com/2009/12/01/manuscript-milestones-getting-setting/#comment-237522 Toni McGee Causey Wed, 02 Dec 2009 00:52:14 +0000 http://www.murdershewrites.com/?p=3454#comment-237522 [This is the second day in a row that the blog ate my comment. grrr.] Anyway, I'd posted this long comment about how I love setting as character. I want to be immersed in the place and time of the piece, want to feel as if I've traveled somewhere else and seen the world through the characters' eyes. Great post, Rocki, and terrific suggestions. I love looking at city photos, too, even though so far I've set all my books here in south Louisiana. (And I'm with you on the details of the research. It bugs the living crap outta me if someone equates New Orleans with Louisiana -- N.O. is so very different from the rest of the state--different attitudes, different culture--until post-Katrina, when its people dispersed into the rest of the state. South Louisiana is like a whole different country from North Louisiana. My husband jokes that the state line should be at I-10.) (Oh, and I can always tell a local writer from someone who's a ferriner because they'll use "10" to refer to the interstate and we always always always say "I-10" or "I-12" or the "10-12 split" when referring to the place where they merge.) Anyway, I love looking at city photos and have a few good links. http://www.worldcityphotos.org/ http://www.city-photos.org/ (not a lot of cities represented, but these are stunning) probably the best one: http://www.citydailyphoto.com/portal/ [This is the second day in a row that the blog ate my comment. grrr.]

Anyway, I’d posted this long comment about how I love setting as character. I want to be immersed in the place and time of the piece, want to feel as if I’ve traveled somewhere else and seen the world through the characters’ eyes.

Great post, Rocki, and terrific suggestions. I love looking at city photos, too, even though so far I’ve set all my books here in south Louisiana. (And I’m with you on the details of the research. It bugs the living crap outta me if someone equates New Orleans with Louisiana — N.O. is so very different from the rest of the state–different attitudes, different culture–until post-Katrina, when its people dispersed into the rest of the state. South Louisiana is like a whole different country from North Louisiana. My husband jokes that the state line should be at I-10.) (Oh, and I can always tell a local writer from someone who’s a ferriner because they’ll use “10″ to refer to the interstate and we always always always say “I-10″ or “I-12″ or the “10-12 split” when referring to the place where they merge.)

Anyway, I love looking at city photos and have a few good links.

http://www.worldcityphotos.org/

http://www.city-photos.org/
(not a lot of cities represented, but these are stunning)

probably the best one:

http://www.citydailyphoto.com/portal/

]]> By: Jill James http://www.murdershewrites.com/2009/12/01/manuscript-milestones-getting-setting/#comment-237521 Jill James Tue, 01 Dec 2009 23:11:07 +0000 http://www.murdershewrites.com/?p=3454#comment-237521 Great post. I miss setting sometimes. Seems books are getting so streamlined that setting and description are disappearing from stories. Doesn't seem to matter where they take place, who is wearing what, or if the furniture is luxurious or downtrodden. I miss setting and description. :sad: Great post. I miss setting sometimes. Seems books are getting so streamlined that setting and description are disappearing from stories. Doesn’t seem to matter where they take place, who is wearing what, or if the furniture is luxurious or downtrodden. I miss setting and description. :sad:

]]> By: Roxanne St. Claire http://www.murdershewrites.com/2009/12/01/manuscript-milestones-getting-setting/#comment-237519 Roxanne St. Claire Tue, 01 Dec 2009 22:46:39 +0000 http://www.murdershewrites.com/?p=3454#comment-237519 Oooh, good tip, through the eyes of a character. Like that, Jen! xo Oooh, good tip, through the eyes of a character. Like that, Jen! xo

]]> By: Jen Lyon http://www.murdershewrites.com/2009/12/01/manuscript-milestones-getting-setting/#comment-237516 Jen Lyon Tue, 01 Dec 2009 20:34:58 +0000 http://www.murdershewrites.com/?p=3454#comment-237516 I think you covered it in this excellent post! My one rule of thumb is to try reveal as much as possible through the characters, and therefore using only the setting details relevant to the story. I don't always succeed though :-) In some books, I barely notice the setting because it just isn't important to the story, in other books, the setting becomes part of the story (for instance OUTLANDER by Diane G.) I think you covered it in this excellent post! My one rule of thumb is to try reveal as much as possible through the characters, and therefore using only the setting details relevant to the story.

I don’t always succeed though :-)

In some books, I barely notice the setting because it just isn’t important to the story, in other books, the setting becomes part of the story (for instance OUTLANDER by Diane G.)

]]> By: Roxanne St. Claire http://www.murdershewrites.com/2009/12/01/manuscript-milestones-getting-setting/#comment-237515 Roxanne St. Claire Tue, 01 Dec 2009 20:04:54 +0000 http://www.murdershewrites.com/?p=3454#comment-237515 Karin, my husband says Frisco. He's a New Yorkah, all the way. And he INSISTS on calling it Frisco. I say quite simply that is grounds for divorce. Karin, my husband says Frisco. He’s a New Yorkah, all the way. And he INSISTS on calling it Frisco. I say quite simply that is grounds for divorce.

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