Location, location, location - Kinda
I'm working on chapter 3 (of 9) of A Traitor's War and I had to dig into location research as I have a big fight coming up in Chapter 4. (not a spoiler - any one with a passing acquaintance with my writing knows that there will be fights.)
My original scene definitions for chapters 3 and 4 were a little vague on the location which I envisioned as a derelict residential and light business district.
Actually writing the scenes has forced me to tighten this up, and as usual, the process has produced a better result than the plan.
(... what's that about a plan never surviving contact with the enemy ...)
I like to place my action on real world physical locations which I then modify to support the dramatic needs of the narrative.
[For Example] Swap out the car park, extend and widen the finger of land and put a warehouse on it.
The Boston warehouse site from A Subtle Agency
The reason that I do this is so that I can better visualise the combat and maintain the proportions of the action.
If a vampire can run 5x faster than a fast human and the warehouse is 100 yards long - he is going to get from one end to the other in 2 to 3 seconds - longer if he is being actively targeted by a Ramp master.
Given that a Nightfalcon helicopter is modelled on an uprated Blackhawk can one land on the warehouse dock? I measured it, and it could - so I allowed it.
I take google snapshots and draw maps on paper and measure it all up.
The goal is to produce a seamless, and immersive experience for the reader. Getting the proportions wrong can be a jarring experience for the reader.
I assume that my readers are smart and observent, and will spot flaws if I don't polish them out.
I have a scene in A Traitor's War where a couple are walking past a park at night and a vampire snatches the girl.
Initially I had the girl on the right hand side of the guy. On examination of the location, and the fact that I had the couple heading to a known landmark from a specific direction. I had to swap her to the left to put her next to the park, and him next to the road.
So I rewrote the angles of the scene.
(Pretty obsessive eh?)
Getting back to chapter 3 and a good location for a fight scene.
Five Story Apartments
Imagine this site. Imagine it derelict and abandoned in a distressed neighbourhood. It butts up onto a river, there is a nearby express way. I can put a some other features in around it to add some story value.
But imagine being in a small tightly knit fighting force that has to infiltrate a multi-story site at night that has an opposing group of vampires in it.
It's dark, it's derelict, it's a maze. Your opponents are stronger, tougher, and have better senses. You have superb training and skills.
What's going to happen?
My original scene definitions for chapters 3 and 4 were a little vague on the location which I envisioned as a derelict residential and light business district.
Actually writing the scenes has forced me to tighten this up, and as usual, the process has produced a better result than the plan.
(... what's that about a plan never surviving contact with the enemy ...)
I like to place my action on real world physical locations which I then modify to support the dramatic needs of the narrative.
[For Example] Swap out the car park, extend and widen the finger of land and put a warehouse on it.
The Boston warehouse site from A Subtle Agency
The reason that I do this is so that I can better visualise the combat and maintain the proportions of the action.
If a vampire can run 5x faster than a fast human and the warehouse is 100 yards long - he is going to get from one end to the other in 2 to 3 seconds - longer if he is being actively targeted by a Ramp master.
Given that a Nightfalcon helicopter is modelled on an uprated Blackhawk can one land on the warehouse dock? I measured it, and it could - so I allowed it.
I take google snapshots and draw maps on paper and measure it all up.
The goal is to produce a seamless, and immersive experience for the reader. Getting the proportions wrong can be a jarring experience for the reader.
I assume that my readers are smart and observent, and will spot flaws if I don't polish them out.
I have a scene in A Traitor's War where a couple are walking past a park at night and a vampire snatches the girl.
Initially I had the girl on the right hand side of the guy. On examination of the location, and the fact that I had the couple heading to a known landmark from a specific direction. I had to swap her to the left to put her next to the park, and him next to the road.
So I rewrote the angles of the scene.
(Pretty obsessive eh?)
Getting back to chapter 3 and a good location for a fight scene.
Five Story Apartments
Imagine this site. Imagine it derelict and abandoned in a distressed neighbourhood. It butts up onto a river, there is a nearby express way. I can put a some other features in around it to add some story value.
But imagine being in a small tightly knit fighting force that has to infiltrate a multi-story site at night that has an opposing group of vampires in it.
It's dark, it's derelict, it's a maze. Your opponents are stronger, tougher, and have better senses. You have superb training and skills.
What's going to happen?
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Claudia
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Sep 03, 2016 05:09AM
Do your characters know anything about the layout of the building? Like maybe one of them used to hook up with the landlord? I think if you're in a small group, you have to overcome the larger force with tactic instead of brute. Maybe use ambush/boobie traps/something like that. I'm more of a Cersei Lannister gal - I'd just nuke the place while they slept. Maybe make them think the group is coming to ensure they're all there. ;)
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Nuke the place while they slept is a Red Empire tactic. The Order of Thoth hold innocent lives sacrosanct, so they wouldn't do that.
There are good reasons for all parties to conduct the war in secret, so nukes would make things a little obvious - however, for some of the characters if the value proposition was strong enough they would not hesitate to use a nuke in an urban setting.
The characters who discover the vampires provide a briefing to the force team that goes in there to take the vampires out, no ones going in blind.
They're smart and they plan ahead - but their opponents are also smart and plan ahead...
Hm. I like the way you know your characters so well. You've really thought ahead. I'm curious to see how it pans out!
Details, haha. I totally understand the obsessive part, and I think it makes for a better story :).
Hi Claudia, I expect to release A Traitor's War in Q1 2017, so not long to wait.
Hi Marie,Yes - an obsession born from love.
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