Photo Credit: Vadcr/Creative Commons
As a small child, I loved combing the hills and hollows of the Ozarks. It seemed like everywhere I turned there was a grand adventure waiting to happen.
Often, we’d pile in the family car and strike out on the endless drive to nowhere.
“Sunday drives” are less common now, but when I was a little girl, they were the order of the day. We never knew where we were going to end up next. We thought it great fun to drive over rickety wooden bridges that led into dense woods and curvy mountains.
My little sister and I liked to roll down our windows to experience life at its finest.
As our big, old Buick lumbered down time-worn roads, our eyes darted back and forth memorizing paradise, or “God’s country.” To us, it was all significant: the sights, sounds, and smells of a place reminiscent of Heaven.
It must be paradise, we deduced, for the Ozarks were the one spot folks could come and not feel hurried, hemmed in, or pressured.
Over the years, like everywhere else, life has marched on. There have been some changes in the name of progress, but we’re resilient. Far removed from city life and the hustle and bustle of rush hour traffic, our land and culture in my little neck of the woods is much like a step back in time. We’ve witnessed and survived tumultuous days and are better because of them.
Today, the surrounding forests are thick with sleepy trees of every size, shape, and variety, and the dew-covered earth is scented with the mustiness of Fall.
As I write, I think about this land I love so much and I’m excited to recreate the world I know for my readers.
Bringing a geographic region to life is almost as important as the oxygen we give our characters. When we’re able to fuse the two together in a seamless, unintentional way, magic happens.
Our words don’t need extra salt; the flavor is in the story.
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What are some of your favorite geographic settings for novels?
Can you think of a book/movie that meshed region, characters, and story particularly well?
Please join me on Monday when I’ll host a surprise guest! You won’t want to miss my Q & A interview with—-
(Ooops! Almost gave it away!)
Photo Credit: Vadcr/Creative Commons
Happy Friday and Blessings Always,
Comments 6
oooh, you got me curious about Monday!
I love all geographical settings if the story is good. I have a fondness for the country – the wide open spaces and healthy farm lands.
Author
Loree, I love the country, too. I wish our farmlands weren’t being gobbled up by so much industry.
Monday’s post will be fun. 🙂
I love living in the heart of California’s Gold Country and bringing it to life on the page.
Eager to see who your guest is Monday.
Author
Keli, you bring California’s Gold Country to life so well!
Hope you’ll return on Monday.
I remember Sunday drives. 🙂 Gas was much less then, wasn’t it?
I like visiting any place a writer wants to take me.
“Gone With the Wind” is a favorite of mine, and I think it answers your question regarding region, characters and story.
Can’t wait to see who is up Monday!
Author
Patti, weren’t Sunday drives fun?! And yes, gas was indeed cheaper then.
Gone With the Wind blends it all together so well. (Although, I wish there’d been a different ending for this die-hard romantic.)