Scene setting for a novel

The ragged flag in the centre of a small town that provided
inspiration for a key location in Alice Out Of Time.

A writer can create a wonderful story that is filled with dynamic characters, but if a setting doesn't ring true or is badly described it seriously distracts from all else.

The information needed to construct a believable setting can be researched through books and other literature, and from online searches.

However, there is nothing quite as rewarding as visiting a location that closely matches an imagined setting; that way the writer gets to walk the sidewalks, see the buildings, the people, the traffic - soaking up the experience and "mood" of the place.

I did this during a brief visit to a town in the US. It wasn't a big place; the hub of the town was where the main street intersected with three other streets. There was a parade of stores, all past their glory days, on either side of the quiet street. What particularly caught my eye was a large Stars and Stripes fluttering in the heart of the town. The over-sized Amercian flag, something almost ubiquitous in towns and cities across the US, had also seen better days. It flew proudly, but its ripped and ragged trailing edge prompted a feeling that this community was not overly prosperous and had yet to find the funds to replace its worn flag.

The essence of the town matched that of a place that features in Alice Out Of Time. The novel is now in the third draft stage, undergoing plot tightening and fine-tuning of descriptive passages. Therefore, it was a welcome opportunity to stroll the streets of a small town that closely resembles a key setting in novel, and imagine the characters from Alice doing the same.