The story of Dragonfly Eyes is set in Charleston, South Carolina, as it is one of my very favorite settings ever. I fell in love with the area while on a speaking trip, so much so that I vowed to create a place for it in my fiction. Dragonfly Eyes has been the perfect fit! America is a relatively new country, and my state, Colorado, is one of the later additions to the Union. Where I live, a building over one hundred years old is considered ancient. So when I walked down the candy-colored streets of Charleston, as I drank in the city’s almost four- hundred-year history along with its magnolia-tinged air, I knew this was the place for my character Savannah to live and to die. I’m sure it won’t come as a surprise that one of my favorite places was walking through Charleston’s oldest cemetery late at night. The worn headstones, the skull-and-crossbones etched on granite (indicating the occupant died of a contagious disease, warning potential grave robbers to stay away) and the spiked fences caught my imagination. But in addition to the ethereal graveyards, Charleston’s enchanting architecture made me feel as if I had wandered into a fairytale. Because my story is magical, I wanted a magical setting, and Charleston was note-perfect for Dragonfly Eyes.
What is a setting from a published fiction story by another author you would compare this setting to and why are they similar?
I read and loved The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd, which is also set in lush, mysterious South Carolina. However, although the setting is where the similarities begin, it is also where they end. One reason for this could be explained by the element of time. The Secret Life of Bees is set in 1964, while Dragonfly Eyes is set in the present. The decades significantly alter the landscape.
How would you describe the way you introduced this setting to readers of your story?
The expanded trilogy of Dragonfly Eyes begins with Savannah in her palatial Charleston home. While distant storm clouds darken the sky, Savannah gathers friends to help conduct a séance, which leads to a flash-in-the-mirror visit from a once loved, now dead boyfriend. The introduction is both sinister and romantic.
How would you describe the interaction of story and setting in this story?
The setting is crucial to Dragonfly Eyes because it furthers the mystical elements essential to my ghost story. I cannot imagine this novel set anywhere but South Carolina. Charleston itself has become a character in its own right. In these novels, the story and setting are bound to one another.
How much research did you do for the setting of this story and what did that involve?
The research for Dragonfly Eyes included two trips to South Carolina and a several late night visits to Charleston’s oldest cemeteries. I’ve researched the history and walked the walk – which was much more pleasant than my trips to the morgue for The Forensic Mystery Series!
To what extent would you describe the setting of this story typical or atypical of the setting in your fiction stories?
The setting of Dragonfly Eyes is completely atypical for me as an author, since I’ve lived in the American West almost all of my life and that’s where all my other stories have been set. ‘Write what you know’ is a creed I’ve lived by as well as advice I’ve taught to aspiring writers for over twenty years. Having said that, it was fun to stretch my wings and mix things up as far as location was concerned. To that end, I immersed myself in the south and just luxuriated in a change of scene. Jewel-colored flowers, enormous trees ensconced by hanging moss and the ocean undulating nearby was nothing short of paradise. It was a joy to place my story in Charleston!
How do you usually decide on or develop a setting for your fiction stories?
Again, up until this point, my settings normally reflect my own habitat, which for the past twelve years has been beautiful Colorado. It was a departure for me to go to the south for Dragonfly Eyes, but the choice was thought out because I wanted a more historic vibe for these novels, and Charleston fit the bill. The Civil War comes into play, which also suggested a location like Charleston. In my mind, the setting is my canvas. It is an advantage to know my palate by heart, and a wonderful challenge to learn a new one!
To what extent do the settings of novels you read have an impact on why you read them, and why?
As an author, I’m almost exclusively drawn to the characters of a novel rather than the setting, but switching my location in my own novels has made me more sensitive to the importance of setting when reading. My latest passion has been The Hunger Games trilogy by Suzanne Collins. Her Capital setting as well as her two different, exotic fighting Arenas, were critical to telling her stories. Her books transport me to another world.
Author Website: www.alaneferguson.com
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