Turning a safe place into dangerous ground
I want to make the familiar feel dangerous. Join in the deconstruction of my fictional neighborhood and savor the menace hiding just below the surface. How do I propose to do that?
The first obvious target is setting. In each of my novels, my protagonist lives on a street almost like every other street. Okay, one of them has a house with a commanding view of beautiful country, and such territory costs a pretty penny. That still doesn't take it out of my preferred realm of the common grouping of houses many of us know on a daily basis.
How do I change the expected charm of normal surroundings? I make them a little less than normal. Yes, my Connecticut town has colonials and Cape Cod homes, but I must make it different. (I won't get into details of my novels because I don't want to give too much away, but a little fact about my quiet little town won't ruin the need for secrecy.) I populate this neighborhood with people who prefer to be separate from those around them. This neighborhood will never have a block party. People don't drop by to borrow a cup of sugar. There aren't discussions over the back fence. There are no barbecues with visitors crowding out locals for available parking spots. The residents might have jobs that make these residents react with customers, but their home ground is sacrosanct. People stay to themselves, and they like it that way. The obvious question arises: Why? I reveal details as I unveil my story.
My protagonist shares this need, but I discuss his alterations on my next blog. It's obvious I can't keep everyone in their secure cocoons. There is no drama there, and no peril. Remember, I Am Peril On Your Street, and I want that feeling of potential danger to seep into every corner of the world I construct.
The first obvious target is setting. In each of my novels, my protagonist lives on a street almost like every other street. Okay, one of them has a house with a commanding view of beautiful country, and such territory costs a pretty penny. That still doesn't take it out of my preferred realm of the common grouping of houses many of us know on a daily basis.
How do I change the expected charm of normal surroundings? I make them a little less than normal. Yes, my Connecticut town has colonials and Cape Cod homes, but I must make it different. (I won't get into details of my novels because I don't want to give too much away, but a little fact about my quiet little town won't ruin the need for secrecy.) I populate this neighborhood with people who prefer to be separate from those around them. This neighborhood will never have a block party. People don't drop by to borrow a cup of sugar. There aren't discussions over the back fence. There are no barbecues with visitors crowding out locals for available parking spots. The residents might have jobs that make these residents react with customers, but their home ground is sacrosanct. People stay to themselves, and they like it that way. The obvious question arises: Why? I reveal details as I unveil my story.
My protagonist shares this need, but I discuss his alterations on my next blog. It's obvious I can't keep everyone in their secure cocoons. There is no drama there, and no peril. Remember, I Am Peril On Your Street, and I want that feeling of potential danger to seep into every corner of the world I construct.
Comments
Post a Comment