Elizabeth J Duncan - Author Interview: Setting

Pick one of your favourites among the settings from your published fiction stories or a setting which is an interesting example from your published fiction. What makes this setting one of your favourites or an interesting example from your fiction?

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



Dave Hugelschaffer - Author Interview: Characters

Pick one of your favourites among the characters from your published fiction stories or a character which is an interesting example from your published fiction. What makes this character one of your favourites or an interesting example of your fiction?

Porter Cassel is the protagonist of the Porter Cassel Mystery Series. Porter is a complex character with a tragedy in his past. This tragedy plays into the plot of the first book in the series. Porter also has a few flaws. He becomes frustrated, drunk occasionally, gets into bar fights, becomes emotionally involved, makes mistakes, bends the rules, which makes him immediate and believable. He also has a sly sense of humour, which lightens an otherwise dark genre—murder mystery.

What kind(s) of character do you consider this character primarily to be, or how would you describe this character?

Porter is a sympathetic character. Although a professional investigator, he is accessible and provides the reader an avenue into the relatively unexplored world of forest fire investigation. Although he bends the rules, Porter adheres to a strict personal moral code, and has been called the Dirty Harry of fire investigators.

What is a character from a published fiction story by another author you would compare this character to and why are they similar?

Hmm… I would have to say Harding from John Wessel’s novel, This Far, No Further. Harding is an unlicensed PI. Although Harding works in Chicago and Porter works in the forest, they are both unorthodox investigators with a troubled past. They both follow their own code and both have a sneaky, dry sense of humour.

To what extent did you use any pre-existing character formula, template, paradigm, character design, archetype, or theory or principles of making or analysing character in planning, writing, and refining this character?

The series is set in the mystery genre, so certain basics went into the mix, particularly the hard-boiled approach with a personal moral code. After that, I just built, based partially on people I know, and my own (sometimes) quirky personality.

How would you describe the first chapter, scene or section of this story in one paragraph?

The books always start with a crime—in this series a forest fire. The second book - One Careless Moment - starts with an arson in the forest and ends with Porter and one of his men trapped in a portable fire shelter—picture a pup-tent made of tin foil—amidst raging flames.

Pick one of your published stories. How would you describe the introduction of the main character, or one of the main characters, in this story?

The first book – Day into Night – introduces Porter in the thick of the action. Porter arrives at a fire he must investigate, where the crime scene has been contaminated. He meets with the other two members of his investigative unit, revealing his working relationships. At the end of the first chapter, the reader learns of a dark tragic event in Porter’s life, the death of his fiancée, and that his fiancee’s father blames him.

What makes this an effective character introduction for this story?

The introduction is effective as it inserts Porter directly into the role he fills, highlights the challenge ahead of him, and reveals a tantalizing secret from his past.

What major changes does this character go through, or what major challenges does the character encounter and how does the character respond to them?

As genre fiction, there isn’t a huge arc in character change. Porter has a personal stake in the investigation, and has to deal with quilt and betrayal, which results in some personal growth. Very much like real life.

How would you describe the most important minor characters in this story and the changes in their character, or the challenges they encounter and how the respond them?

The girl Porter meets in the course of his investigation plays a large role in both the investigation and his personal journey. And of course, the villains, who, fortunately, don’t change too much.

What does the story gain from the minor characters?

Minor characters add a bit to the plot, as well as contributing context, texture, local color, and humour. The first-person-present point of view requires an interesting cast of minor and secondary characters, to keep interesting the observations and interactions of the protagonist.

To what extent would you describe the characters in this story as typical or atypical of characters in your fiction stories?

This is a series, so the characters are by definition typical.

Author website: http://www.davehugelschaffer.com/