The Importance of Setting by Ambrielle Kirk

Location. Location. Location.

As writers we strive to create a sense of real imagery. As readers, we want the setting to come alive as much as the characters. We, as readers and writers, might not be able to visit these places in real life, but that doesn’t stop us from wanting to lose ourselves in the scene.

Google is my friend, and I use it in abundance for my novel researching. Tour guides and local library resources are also very helpful if you’re the type of person who needs to see something on paper. I have also come across a friend or two who have lived or traveled to a particular region, so I use them to lead me along in the right direction.

In Liaison: Soul Bond Book One, the novel was set in a real and fictional setting. The real city of choice was Natchez, located along the vast banks of the Mississippi River. This area is rich in history and culture, and was the perfect setting for my coven of witches. When using a real setting, it is very important to closely match traditions and cultures to that of the inhabitants in the novel. The landscape and weather helped to set the tone of various scenes in this book. Especially the one where the heroine summons a demon to a witch village surrounded by acres and acres of dense trees out in the middle of nowhere. No place to run and hide should the ritual take a turn for the worse. And by the way, the summoning doesn’t go as planned, but you’ll have to read the book to find out why.

The fictional setting, the one I totally made up, was the Otherworld. This dark, gloomy place is where demons retreat. Otherworld is on a separate realm of the universe from Earth, and I envisioned it was a place so barren that no plant life form would thrive there. In fact, the hero grew up in caves surrounded by numerous volcanoes that erupted at least once a night. In Otherworld, there is more chaos than order, and the most prevalent tradition there…Each demon fends for himself. The horrid conditions were not the only thing that made my hero want to flee his realm…of course, you’ll have to read the book to find out his motivation.

A setting with depth can make your novel shine and come alive. I see this in the books I read and write. I have loads of fun doing research for each novel. So much so, that Soul Bond Book Two is set in yet another unique place, and I can’t wait to share.

For more pictures that inspired the setting for Liaison, please visit my BLOG. Here’s a direct link to that inspiration post: http://ambriellekirk.wordpress.com/2010/11/20/inspiration-for-soul-bond-1/.

Read an excerpt from Liaison: Soul Bond Book One HERE.

My current and upcoming releases can be found on my WEBSITE.

Ambrielle Kirk

Diverse, Edgy Romantic Fiction