All my novels are set in North Wales near Snowdonia. My fictional town is called Llanelen, based on the real market town of Llanrwst. I had visited the town about 18 months before I started writing my first novel, The Cold Light of Mourning, and knew when I started writing the book that Llanrwst would be the perfect setting for the story. i didn't give this a lot of thought; I just knew that was the setting. It was picturesque, with a river, a beautiful 17th century bridge and just the kind of 1950s atmosphere that would lend itself perfectly to what I had in mind..
What is a setting from a published fiction story by another author you would compare this setting to and why are they similar?
Many novels have been set in Wales, but I think what comes across in my books is my love for the place. It's a combination of familiarity and the kind of awe that's reserved for something you don't take for granted. I think you see this feeling in other North American writers who have chosen to set their books in the UK The very fact that we do this tells you we're anglophiles and proud of it. Mystery writer Rhys Bowen set her Evans series in roughly the same area.
How would you describe the way you introduced this setting to readers of your story?
Because my protagonist is an ex patriate Canadian who has lived in the area for many years, I tried to introduce the setting through her eyes as she first saw it. There's a sense of wonder and appreciation as she falls under its spell. It feels like home to her. She knows immediately that she belongs there and that she does not want to leave.
How would you describe the integration of characters and setting in this story?
The place has made the characters who they are. Mrs. Lloyd, the former postmistress, has lived in the town of Llanelen all her life. She doesn't understand why young people feel they have to go to Manchester or someplace else to have careers. My protagonist is a watercolour artist who rambles about the countryside sketching and sleuthing. She loves the ever changing views. The setting and characters are intertwined. They are who they are because of where they live.
How would you describe the interaction of story and setting in this story?
The setting is part of every story. In the newest book, scheduled for publication in 2012, a body is discovered on a hillside, where Penny and her friend have gone to sketch and paint. The setting adds atmosphere
How much research did you do for the setting of this story, and what did that involve?
I use the setting as a wonderful excuse to visit Wales twice a year to soak up atmosphere, inspiration and information I can use.
To what extent would you describe the setting of this story typical or atypical of the settings in your fiction stories?
I just have the one setting. So far.
How do you usually decide on or develop a setting for your fiction stories?
I did not put any thought into the decision to set the stories in North Wales. However, it was a good choice. Readers like UK settings and this one is just a little different. Off the beaten path, so to speak. Not the Cotswolds or Scotland which seem to the most popular UK settings. But I think you can take any setting and make it interesting.
To what extent do the settings of novels you read have an impact on why you read them, and why?
Most of the novels I read seem to be set in the UK I just prefer them, always have, and that's probably another reason I chose to set my novels in Wales.
Author website: www.elizabethjduncan.com
No comments:
Post a Comment