Guest Post by Jennifer DeLucy, Author of The Light Series
Today I'm pleased to host guest blogger and paranormal romance author Jennifer DeLucy. Jennifer's LIGHT SERIES (Seers of Light, Whisper of Light, Circle of Light) was just re-released yesterday with all new cover art and, for the first time, in boxed set format so you can buy 'em all up at once if you haven't yet had the pleasure of being haunted by DeLucy's vivid imagination. You can find the details of her series in my previous post, and without further ado, here is Jennifer's take on STORY SETTINGS.
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How important is setting when you’re reading a book? Does it matter, really? Isn’t characterization more important?
Short answer, kind of. But I don’t want to slight the significance of proper placement in a character’s given world and location. Let’s look at some examples of locations in books that are practically their own characters:
Neverwhere, by Neil Gaiman. What a cool thing Neil did, choosing the dark tunnels of the London Underground for his novel. The Underground was clearly essential, because the story, the characters and the events were dark and often disturbing. Naturally he needed to pick a place that was menacing and mysterious to match the suspense. Without it, there wouldn’t have been a Neverhwere.
Harry Potter and the Every Single Novel in the Series, by come on…like I have to tell you. All you have to do is say the words Harry and Potter together and your mind conjures images of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, with its Great Hall, the Room of Requirement, the grounds and the Forbidden Forest and I could go on and on (bet you could, too!), because the settings were just as significant as the magical folks who inhabited them. JK created fascinating places, some frightening and some wondrous, and made them memorable (and essential!) in their own right. Imagine if she’d stuck Harry and Crew in the Muggle world only? No comparison, right?
The Hunger Games, by Suzanne Collins. This one seems obvious, too. Firstly and importantly, we have the arenas in which the games are played. And then there are the lesser, but still important Districts, each one with its own unique personality. You may not know all the people in the Districts, but you have an emotional tie to certain ones, anyway, because of what they represent.
The best authors don’t just write good characters. They paint a rich, living backdrop that becomes the beating heart behind everything the characters do. Even if setting changes from book to book, when it evokes that feeling, you know the author gets it. You know the story is well-rounded. So the next time you’re reading a book that sucks you in and captivates you with no effort at all, consider that a well-crafted setting is likely a big part of the magic.
Happy Reading!
Jen DeLucy
Buy Jennifer DeLucy's LIGHT SERIES BOXED SET on Amazon!
* * *
How important is setting when you’re reading a book? Does it matter, really? Isn’t characterization more important?
Short answer, kind of. But I don’t want to slight the significance of proper placement in a character’s given world and location. Let’s look at some examples of locations in books that are practically their own characters:
Neverwhere, by Neil Gaiman. What a cool thing Neil did, choosing the dark tunnels of the London Underground for his novel. The Underground was clearly essential, because the story, the characters and the events were dark and often disturbing. Naturally he needed to pick a place that was menacing and mysterious to match the suspense. Without it, there wouldn’t have been a Neverhwere.
Harry Potter and the Every Single Novel in the Series, by come on…like I have to tell you. All you have to do is say the words Harry and Potter together and your mind conjures images of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, with its Great Hall, the Room of Requirement, the grounds and the Forbidden Forest and I could go on and on (bet you could, too!), because the settings were just as significant as the magical folks who inhabited them. JK created fascinating places, some frightening and some wondrous, and made them memorable (and essential!) in their own right. Imagine if she’d stuck Harry and Crew in the Muggle world only? No comparison, right?
The Hunger Games, by Suzanne Collins. This one seems obvious, too. Firstly and importantly, we have the arenas in which the games are played. And then there are the lesser, but still important Districts, each one with its own unique personality. You may not know all the people in the Districts, but you have an emotional tie to certain ones, anyway, because of what they represent.
The best authors don’t just write good characters. They paint a rich, living backdrop that becomes the beating heart behind everything the characters do. Even if setting changes from book to book, when it evokes that feeling, you know the author gets it. You know the story is well-rounded. So the next time you’re reading a book that sucks you in and captivates you with no effort at all, consider that a well-crafted setting is likely a big part of the magic.
Happy Reading!
Jen DeLucy
Buy Jennifer DeLucy's LIGHT SERIES BOXED SET on Amazon!
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