Special guest post by Mark Allan Gunnells
Some writers create fictional places in
which to set their tales. I’m not
talking just talking about fantasy or sci-fi novels that take places in other
dimensions, realities, or planets.
Sometimes books set right here on Earth in the here and now take place
in fictional places.
King is the most prime example of this
with his town Castle Rock, Maine.
Castle Rock is based on real Maine towns, but the town itself doesn’t
exist except in King’s imagination. As
a writer myself, I’ve done this as well, such as with the fictional town of
Sunset Ridge, South Carolina, in my novel Sequel.
And yet I don’t do this often. More often, I like to set my novels and
stories in real places, places I’m familiar with. This may be places I’ve visited—like Savannah or New Orleans or
Atlanta—but usually it’s the area in which I live.
The place I visit most often in my fiction
is Limestone College in Gaffney, SC.
This is my alma mater, where I spent four pretty enjoyable years of my
life. I have a deep affection for the
school, which seems to manifest itself in a series of tales where horrible
things are always happening on campus.
Weird, I know, but hey, I’m a horror writer. Weird is my bread and butter.
One of my most recent releases, the zombie
novella Fort, takes place at Limestone.
The story deals with a group of students trapped in one of the dorms by
hordes of the undead, the thrust of the plot focusing on a desperate mission to
get to the dining hall for food.
There is a particular joy in setting a
story in a location that is real and familiar.
In some ways it makes it easier, you already know the geography. For me, it’s also fun to imagine scenarios
and situations that can happen in various places.
When plotting out Fort, before the actual
writing began, I actually visited the campus, walked around, thought, “Oh, I
should set a scene here” or “This would be a great place for such-and-such to
happen.” Since so much of the story
took place inside the Fort dormitory, I enlisted the help of my friend Megan
who is the daughter of the college President (and subsequently I dedicated the
book to her) to get me inside the dorm while it was closed down. I wandered the halls, made notes and took
pictures of everything, and that helped tremendously when I sat down to
actually craft the tale.
In some ways, this can really be a thrill
for readers who are also familiar with the location, as they may get a kick out
of recognizing the various places and buildings. I know I feel that way when I read something set in a place I’m
familiar with. For those who’ve never
been there, they may not get anything out of it on a conscious level, but I do
think it helps make the place feel more real to the reader when the writer is
writing with such authority.
I will admit there are times I fudge on
the realism when the story demands it.
I call this “fictional license.”
For instance, I altered some of the construction of the dining hall at
Limestone for Fort because it worked best for the story. I don’t think that’s cheating, it’s just the
nature of blending the real world with the fictional world.
I had so much fun working on Fort and
setting it at Limestone that I hope that it is infectious for the reader, and
whether they’ve ever been to the college or not, I hope when they read the
novella the world I created becomes real to them.
Fort is available at Amazon. While you're there, be sure to check out Mark's author page, where you can find his other books.
