This one had me thinking. First I decided the setting is influenced by the story. A Cruise to Remember, one of my published books takes place on a cruise ship in the Caribbean. This could be a very romantic setting, but my book is about a woman with amnesia, jewel thieves and attempted murder. I think the Caribbean cruise becomes more of a dangerous setting than a romantic one.
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I believe that you can take any setting, Paris in the spring for example, and make it romantic, dangerous or inspiring, depending on your characters, the plot and your writer.
It’s dark, no lights, a candle flickers, the wind rattles at the window--romantic or dangerous? I think it could be either. Trying to pick one book is difficult because each scene could have a different setting. Lisa Gardner’s The Third Victim. The scene at the beginning of a school shooting is dangerous and horrifying and pulls you right into the story.
Inspirational is harder for me, but maybe Envy by Sandra Brown as Maris works through her life and survives. Part of the setting is on an eerie plantation with a man in a wheelchair.
I’d love to hear your thoughts on this topic.
I’m also really looking forward to what the other authors in our group blog have to say and the books they reference. Hope you are to and you’ll check them all out. Ginger Simpson is next at http://mizging.blogspot.com
And here’s a list
of all the others you don’t want to miss:
Heidi M. Thomas http://heidiwriter.wordpress.com
Lynn Crain at http://lynncrain.blogspot.co.at/
Anne Stenhouse http://www.annestenhousenovelist.wordpress.com
Diane Bator at http://dbator.blogspot.ca
Geeta Kakade at http://geetakakade.blogspot.com/
Connie Vines at http://connievines.blogspot.com/
Marci Baun http://www.marcibaun.com/
Margaret Fieland at http://margaretfieland.com/my_blog
Fiona McGier at http://www.fionamcgier.com
Rhobin Courtright at http://rhobinleecourtright.com
Lynn Crain at http://lynncrain.blogspot.co.at/
Anne Stenhouse http://www.annestenhousenovelist.wordpress.com
Diane Bator at http://dbator.blogspot.ca
Geeta Kakade at http://geetakakade.blogspot.com/
Connie Vines at http://connievines.blogspot.com/
Marci Baun http://www.marcibaun.com/
Margaret Fieland at http://margaretfieland.com/my_blog
Fiona McGier at http://www.fionamcgier.com
Rhobin Courtright at http://rhobinleecourtright.com
Hi Bev, It's always good to turn the expected, Caribbean beaches, on its head and enter danger. Your book looks really interesting.
ReplyDeleteSorry my blog is missing from your list, but if anyone's interested I'm at http://www.annestenhousenovelist.wordpress.com
Anne Stenhouse
I'm so sorry about that Anne. I've added it in so anyone checking now will see it. And thanks for your comment.
DeleteThanks, Bev. I changed the list on my blog so many times, one of them is in a different font. Really, I have no idea...
DeleteI'm a huge Eve Dallas fan too. I love that Roarke is redeemed by the love of Eve. He wants to be a better man for her. And she is just as determined to be a better person (more caring and open) for him. That's what love is about and certainly a motivator or inspiration.
ReplyDeleteI'll have to check out the other authors. I know so many of them from FB. Love them all!
So glad to find anotherDallas/Roarke fan. :) And please do check out the other authors. Their take on the same subject is always so different and fascinating.
DeleteInteresting take on the theme and you're right, as is Anne S. in her comment. Enjoyed! I'll be looking for the books you mention.
ReplyDeleteThanks Rhobin. I'll be interested in your take on the subject. Thanks for dropping by.
DeleteBev, it's great you mentioned how easily a writer can transfer the ordinary into romantic or dangerous. It just takes the right words to transfer any setting.
ReplyDeleteGeeta.
You're so right when you say it's just the right words. It's what us writers do.
DeleteI agree with you about settings. Even the most romantic city can become frightening with the right atmosphere and story. :)
ReplyDeleteMarci
That's so true. Thanks fro dropping by, Marci.
DeleteHello, Beverley! Thanks again for hosting me on my Dare to Dream blog tour! Settings definitely can be made romantic or dangerous--creating the mood with the place, weather, and other senses turns the tide.
ReplyDeleteI see I'm not on your list for this hop, so I hope you'll all stop by my blog today too: http://heidiwriter.wordpress.com
Well, darn. I don't know how I missed so many of you today. I do apologize. And I've added your name Heidi, so hopefully people will stop by. And I liked you comment about weather and the senses.
ReplyDeleteI agree with you that an author can make a setting into anything she wants: scary, romantic, bittersweet, disgusting, etc. That's one of the aspects of writing fiction that is so much fun. :-)
ReplyDeleteI agree with you Beverly. You mentioned so many wonderful novels. Every author's voice adds such richness to each genre. It is no wonder we love our profession.
ReplyDeleteAnd we can have so much fun with it. Thanks Connie.
DeleteBev, great post, and your book makes the cruise sound like anything but romantic. I think reading these monthly posts is inspirational.
ReplyDeleteThanks Ginger and you're so right - that cruise is anything but romantic. I also agree Rhobin picks great topics and it's so interesting to read what everyone else says on the same topic.
DeleteYou're so right, Kaye. Thanks for dropping by.
ReplyDeleteI really like that we all do our own interpretations of what the topic is each month. You're so right about the same setting being whatever the author wants it to be. I've written a few romances set in small towns, which to the teenagers who live there are probably stultifying and boring. Or they could be the perfect place for a zombie invasion, as my kids pointed out on one vacation when we went into town for breakfast and the place was eerily similar to the settings for many teen-aged zombie movies! But with my stories, I try to help the reader see what there is about the town to fall in love with, so it becomes clear that the romance is as much about the place, as the lovers.
ReplyDeleteHi Fiona, thanks for dropping by and sharing your views and experiences. I agree, I love the different takes we all have on one topic. Hmm - a small zombie town, huh?
ReplyDelete