Settings to Switch Genres For

Every Wednesday, YA Highway asks their readership a simple question to answer on your blog. Once you answer, you link your blog in the comments for other readers to hop on board. This is Road Trip Wednesday.

Today's topic: What is the most inspiring setting you’ve ever visited IRL?


As I get deeper into my writing journey, I pay more attention to things I should have paid attention to a loooong time ago. One of these being location.

But Alicia, isn't setting an important piece of fiction?
Erm, yes.

*whistles*

In my earlier pieces, my setting was laid out soap opera style where there were only certain pieces selected and described in detail. Everything else was the sound stage of my mind. You'd be happy to know that since then I've gotten MUCH BETTER.


Last year, during The Real World Cape Cod, Season 2, I decided that I have to have a story that takes place on the beach. This story will also have to have sun, cute boys, and kissing. So at some point down the road (when I burn all my other literary irons), I'll be writing a teen romance with a beach community as it's backdrop.

Trust me, no one is more shocked about that development than me the perpetual cynic.

This might mean I'll have to listen to pop music.

This also means that I'll have to research pretty pictures. Fortunately for me, SIL the Younger has an awesome photographic eye and loves taking pictures of everything*. So something like these will be in this future WIP:

Taken by SIL the Younger
SIL the Younger and two of her friends are silhouetted on this stretch of beach on Oak Bluffs by the pier.

It's a great shot, it just sucks that the ocean around Massachusetts always has this steel blue-gray quality.











Taken by SIL the Younger
This second shot was taken while we waited to board the ferry back to the mainland from Martha's Vineyard last week.












SIL the Younger has some other fantastic photos that I fully intend to knick for my personal use for the future WIP that I swear I won't work on until I get my other three WIPs in first draft form.



Your turn: what places inspire you?


* And I do mean everything. She had over 500 photos from two days.
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Last.fm hit of the day: Bang Bang by Danger Danger