We’ve been traveling a lot this year...fun, but it’s also a wonderful opportunity for researching unfamiliar locales. Some places are such a surprise, revealing unexpected aspects that I'd never imagined. And everywhere, I see opportunities for adding rich details
to story settings that I might want to use someday.
When you travel, do you begin to
imagine plot twists and sneaky characters at every turn?
We just returned from a week at a lovely resort on
Chesapeake Bay, not far from Cambridge, Maryland. My husband’s company held its annual meeting there, but
while the employees were busy in meetings all day I spent some time exploring
the small town and the surrounding area.
My biggest surprise—jellyfish!
Unbelievable numbers of them—floating like wispy, gelatinous little
clouds at the surface of the water every evening and very visible along the
long pier leading out into the water in front of the resort. They brought back some very unpleasant memories of jellyfish
encounters in the ocean in Mexico, believe me…but also, got me thinking. Being a Midwestern gal, I’d never
dreamed that there could be jellyfish that far north…and not that far from Washington DC. What a twist that
could be in a romantic suspense plot, if someone planned an escape across those waters!
The language, vernacular, and local culture of an area always
fascinate me wherever we go.
Today, with the world at our fingertips via the Internet, we can
research facts in seconds. But there’s nothing quite like being there—talking
to the locals, seeing how friendly a community is, picking up literature on
their regional festivities and other events. The vegetation, the hidden creatures, the different sounds of the bullfrogs and the birds, all can add such verisimilitude to the small details that make a story seem real.
I would love to hear about where you live! Can you imagine a great mystery or
suspense novel unfolding in your community? What are some of the unique and
interesting details about life where you are?
Blessings to you all!
Roxanne Rustand