The 5 W’s of Writing and M. Pilotte – Part 4
The ‘Where’ part of a story is related to the ‘When’ part, which, in combination, comprises the setting. I can’t say for most writers which comes first: the notion of a particular character, a plot line, a particular setting, or if all these emerge in unison. I assume a story’s conception differs from story to story.
For “In the Garden of Aeden” once I got my character mind, I envisioned a beautiful meditation garden in a charming, typical Connecticut town, which I first named Westford, since it was to be located several miles to the west of Hartford. As I went on to research Saint Aeden, I discovered he was from Wexford County in Ireland. That did it. Westford immediately became Wexford Falls and everything came to life. And so it was that the place where much of the action would occur played an important role in developing the plot.
Likewise in “Tales from Wexford Falls,” this is where the nine stories take place. Locales in town, such as the bakery café and the B & B, are familiar to the reader. Featuring a character from “Tales”, the novel I am currently working on is set in Wexford Falls and in the Lake Champlain region of Vermont. As you will see, the setting is a vital component: these stories would not likely enfold as they do in any other place. At times, the setting seems to take on a life of its own.
The other view of ‘Where’ deals with writing in my personal space. The actual place where I write is irrelevant. I can write just about anywhere if I have a computer or paper and pen. I prefer being at my little round table in my sunroom. Where I write is so unimportant that I managed to finish one of the “Tales” from a hospital bed last fall. That setting served me well enough, but where I set my stories is quite another story.
The ‘Where’ part of a story is related to the ‘When’ part, which, in combination, comprises the setting. I can’t say for most writers which comes first: the notion of a particular character, a plot line, a particular setting, or if all these emerge in unison. I assume a story’s conception differs from story to story.
For “In the Garden of Aeden” once I got my character mind, I envisioned a beautiful meditation garden in a charming, typical Connecticut town, which I first named Westford, since it was to be located several miles to the west of Hartford. As I went on to research Saint Aeden, I discovered he was from Wexford County in Ireland. That did it. Westford immediately became Wexford Falls and everything came to life. And so it was that the place where much of the action would occur played an important role in developing the plot.
Likewise in “Tales from Wexford Falls,” this is where the nine stories take place. Locales in town, such as the bakery café and the B & B, are familiar to the reader. Featuring a character from “Tales”, the novel I am currently working on is set in Wexford Falls and in the Lake Champlain region of Vermont. As you will see, the setting is a vital component: these stories would not likely enfold as they do in any other place. At times, the setting seems to take on a life of its own.
The other view of ‘Where’ deals with writing in my personal space. The actual place where I write is irrelevant. I can write just about anywhere if I have a computer or paper and pen. I prefer being at my little round table in my sunroom. Where I write is so unimportant that I managed to finish one of the “Tales” from a hospital bed last fall. That setting served me well enough, but where I set my stories is quite another story.
