I've written some unusual settings for American Romance. Heather's Hollow--a Scotch-Irish holler deep in the Appalachian mountains of Kentucky. A South Central Los Angeles barrio. A Polish neighborhood in Queens, NYC. A dairy farm in Illinois. And the more traditional settings of small, rural fictitious towns out west in Oklahoma, Idaho, Texas, and Nevada.
When I was asked to write a Christmas story (The Cowboy and the Angel Nov 08) the setting of the book came to me first--even before the characters and the plot. I wanted to pick an "un-Christmasy-like" location. The first place that came to mind was Detroit, Michigan. When one thinks of Detroit they think cars, Motown, sports, poverty, economic depression, crime and one of the worst housing markets in the United States. Detroit seemed like a place where Christmas Miracles were far and few in between.
I did a lot of research for the book and enjoyed every minute of it. I wanted to show the reader that even in the darkest, grittiest, most dangerous corners of our big cities hope and love persevere.
This photo shows the old Screw Works Factory which I used in my book(changed the name)as the place the runaway kids took shlter in. The factory has since been demolished.
Here's a photo of the People Mover--an elevated light rail system in downtown Detroit that I used in the story.
The heroine in the story lived in the historic Corktown area:
Setting can make a story come alive and take the reader to a place they've never been. Add an unforgettable tale of love and more than likely your book will remain with the reader long after they finish the last page.
What's the most unusual, intriguing setting you've come across in a Romance novel?
Marin Thomas
Samantha's Cowboy (Aug 09)
A Cowboy Christmas (Dec 09)
www.marinthomas.com
8 comments:
Marin, thank you for sharing this piece about setting. It's a different outlook than I've heard before. Love the pictures, too!
I love the pictures, did you take them yourself? I remember the story you told so well. It was one of my favorites and is one of the most unusual settings I have run across.
Thanks for stopping by Magdalena & Ellen.
I got the pictures off the internet--the ones in the blog anyway. Hubby flies to Detroit on business once a year around Christmas for the Detroit Car Show. He stayed at the hotel used in my book, he's ridden the People Mover, attended a Red Wings Hockey game and he's taken other pictures for me that helped me get the feel for the area.
I also came across beautiful old homes in the city that are just begging for someone to buy them and fix them up. The people of Detroit are survivors and they're working hard to bring the city back to its glory days after the downturn of the automotive industry--I hope they succeed because that city is full of history and culture.
Marin
www.marinthomas.com
Hi Marin, thanks for being here I enjoyed the blog today, I read the 1st 2 of your series and I am looking forward to the next one Samantha's Cowboy I just loved this series and also looking forward to your new one
A Cowboy Christmas .
Have a great summer
Penney
Hi Penney
Thanks for dropping by the blog! I'm thrilled that you're enjoying my Cartwright siblings series. I've had a lot of fun creating the siblings :)
Marin
www.marinthomas.com
Good post, Marin. I'm a great fan of setting, and even do a workshop about making setting come alive, making it a character in and of itself.
I'm drawing a blank on your question, but I'll keep thinking.
Marin, I love how you've shown us why this out-of-the-ordinary setting was so important to your story.
Your question immediately brought to mind a book by Tami Hoag - A Thin Dark Line. It's a mystery-thriller with a romance threaded through it, set in Louisiana. Although I've never been there (my loss, I know), I felt as though I had been by the time I finished reading the book. The sights, sounds and tastes - especially the heat and humidity - were palpable. Definitely a book in which setting plays a key role.
It great interview with image, I wandering in all those things...
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Robert
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