Characters cannot float in space. They need a world to walk in, to talk in, and to live their lives joyously
I start with the characters:
I ask them what type of community they live in.
I find places with those ingredients and use the pieces.
I add family, friends, and enemies.
I provide jobs on the main street; homes on side streets.
I surround the place with roads, beaches, parks, or businesses.
I daw a map of the village or town.
For Caleb's Cove, I looked to Nova Scotia's south shore islands, ocean-side markets, and beaches. I sprinkled in hurricanes, boats, history, and ghosts. (The Caleb Cove Mysteries - 4 books)
Writers can be inspired by characters or an event, but as the story evolves the characters need a place to live. The setting is a character in its own right and often dictates the direction in the story. Some writers set books in real places. In a large city, this works. However, using a smaller, limited population creates privacy issues and limits events. The solution is to create a fictional community to showcase the story.
Inspiration # 1 - Tancook Island,
Nova Scotia, Canada
Three real locations provided
inspiration, visuals, and ambiance for Caleb's Cove. (Book 2 Came Home to a Killing )
However, all people and story events are products of my writer's imagination and other than the awesome ocean setting, bear no connection to any real person in the three background communities.
Tancook Island started it all. I've
had a fascination with Tancook for decades. My sister-in-law's mother worked on
Little Tancook and I loved her stories and the name. At eight I thought it a
great setting for a mystery and wrote (longhand in a Hilary Scribbler) The
Mystery on Tancook Island.
Accidentally, or at the bidding of
my unconscious, my first published novel was set on an island off Nova
Scotia. Additional details and ideas for Caleb's Cove came from Tancook and two
other Nova Scotia locations. And now there are four books in total in the series.
“Sweeping his gaze from left to right Greg checked the altered sandy strip, the docks and the rocky protrusions. The waves still arched and crested against the land, splashing through gaps in the boardwalk and sucking back to display the damage. In the harbor beyond, white caps revealed the sea’s continued turmoil. The rhythmic roar and whoosh were primal. He’d wait for calmer seas before launching the dory even if she was designed for rough waters. And you? What are you waiting for?”
Book 4 - Came Home from the Grave
