Defining The “S” Factor…
I’m thrilled to be able to take part in the Classic Romance Revival Blog Carnival, which runs for a full week, with loads of fun and prizes, and any number of chances to win – see the Classic Romance Revival Link at the bottom of this post for details. The theme for this carnival is: Settings – Simply Scenic or Specially Significant? Here’s my take on it…
I luuurve scenery… Living in South Africa, that’s not surprising – we’re incredibly blessed in that particular department: rugged coastlines, dramatic shorelines, vast sweeping vistas that paint themselves on the imagination in dramatic shades – from soft, rolling hills to bold bushveld, through the near-arid conditions of the Karoo and the panoramic high ranges of our mountains…
They bring out the poet in me, I’m afraid, and it would be incredibly easy to fill my books with the passion and romance that is the African setting. Learning restraint was one of my first (and hardest) lessons! Then I discovered the “S” Factor, the secret of every setting, and it’s one that never ceases to fascinate me.
So, you may ask, just what is the “S” Factor? Simply put, it’s the setting as another “Someone”. In writing my books, I’ve found that setting transcends time and place, that it becomes as much a character, a protagonist, as any of the others in “centre stage”. Setting “speaks” as loudly as any hero or heroine, it has personality, depth, character and breath, and as it comes to life through the eyes of the participants, it forces them to act or react, to interact, and to acknowledge it’s power as a shelter, protector, catalyst or opponent… It’s never a static, easily captured thing.
In Still Running, for example, the scenery of South Africa’s “racing country” represents both the haunting past and the unnerving future for Josie. It is an antagonist that compels her to face her inner demons, a catalyst that forces her to face her fears, and a sheltered haven where she can finally find rest – and love, of course. Thrust into a place that is both frighteningly familiar and unnervingly different, Josie is challenged to dig deep and discover things beautiful…
http://www.bookstrand.com/product-stillrunning-13915-330.html
For Morgan in The Look, the scenery is also a catalyst, but one which is wholly unfamiliar and challenging in a completely different way. Morgan is a sassy, streetwise city girl, and she heads off to the back of beyond in search of truth. She finds herself in a rural world of wide spaces and nothing much in between, where community is king, and the countryside presents a truth she never knew existed – one that runs timeless and deep, and turns her perceptions, her preconceived notions and her personal assumptions inside out. People and what they stand for are inextricably woven into the fabric of the landscape, and as she is drawn into the challenge of it, she finds the one thing she never imagined – a man who can speak into her soul through a single look…
http://www.bookstrand.com/product-thelook-13952-330.html
In my third book, A Thick Black Line (due Tuesday 9th June), the heroine becomes the scenery in a sense. Betrayed, broken and bruised, Bo creates her own universe through hard work and sheer determination. Her dream becomes her purpose, and her purpose becomes herself, so that her world is defined by who she is and what she works for. The old colonial architecture, the sweeping gardens, the growth of her dream, all of these become the foundation of her life and her future. When the sinister shadows of the past intrude, when tragedy strikes, Bo must first rediscover pain and loneliness before she is able to emerge from her frozen cocoon to the promise of love and wholeness.
http://www.bookstrand.com/product-athickblackline-13953-330.html
Just as the complexity of a landscape shape and grow the inhabitants, so settings work on and with the characters. They add layers, complexity, a whole different dimension that brings a richness and a realness to every story… It’s the “S” factor, I think, that plays the “wild card”, brings in the unexpected, and ultimately can help to determine the final “equation” of the book.
Simply scenic or Specially Significant? Why don’t you tell me what you think? Every comment stands to win in the Classic Romance Revival Carnival Contest – for details, and more Classic Romance Revival Carnival Fun visit:
http://www.classicromancerevival.com/blog/?p=688
REMEMBER: This is a Classic Romance Revival GROUP event. You MUST have commented on EACH and EVERY blog in order to qualify for a prize!
Thanks for visiting!
Jude
Tags: crr blog carnival, judah raine, settings, the s factor
June 5th, 2009 at 1:46 pm
[...] Visit the blogs below and leave your comments. Make sure you add your name and email (if not automatic) so that we can contact you if you’re a winner! To see the list of available prizes, and see the contest rules and how to enter, see the end of this blog post. OUR BLOG CARNIVAL LINE-UP Defining the “S” Factor… by Judah Raine “When scenes and settings take on a life of their own…” http://judahraine.com/romancewriteup/?p=595 [...]
June 5th, 2009 at 5:34 pm
This was a great way to start out the “Carnival”. I think that a book must set the scene viviadly for the reader to get the feel of where the book takes place, be it a an era or what part of the world it is in. My niece was in South Africia a few years ago and she described it has majestic…
June 5th, 2009 at 6:16 pm
I love your angle on the ‘S’ factor, Jude. So true and certainly something we should all consider when deciding where to ‘plant and grow’ a story.
June 5th, 2009 at 6:24 pm
I totally get into a book when the scenes are vividly portrayed. Loved your blog today Judah my SA buddy!
Val
June 5th, 2009 at 8:13 pm
Wonderful blogpost, Judah! I agree with you about ‘your’ scenery – it’s quite wonderful!
June 5th, 2009 at 10:14 pm
What an interesting way to incorporate scene and character. This sort of thing fascinates me, as do your stories. The scenic photo you posted is breathtaking.
June 5th, 2009 at 10:20 pm
Good Blog. I also think scenery plays a big part in a story.
June 6th, 2009 at 12:15 am
Wonderful post! I’d heard of the setting being something of a character in some stories, but I love your take on it. It sounds like the settings for your books are living, breathing entities. I’ll definitely be keeping the “S” factor in mind for my own writing.
June 6th, 2009 at 12:17 am
How lucky you are to be surrounded by a place of such beauty! And how lucky we are to receive that gift through your writing.
June 6th, 2009 at 2:24 am
Hey Judah!!
I’m So With you!! I think the setting is just as important as the hero and heroine, It can determine how the act, why they are the way they are, and who they will become. Some books aren’t as detailed as I’d like them to be.
I love a story with very descriptive scenery because I love to feel like I’m right there.
I haven’t read any of your work, but from your post I can tell that you love your scenery so I look forward to getting sucked into your world!
~Afshan
Afshan522@aol.com
June 6th, 2009 at 3:03 am
Settings are important. It can set the tone of the story. You can’t set the mood of a story if your background setting can’t deliver it. Let’s face it, a dark moody story like Wuthering Heights isn’t going to work in Orlando, Florida. The setting becomes a secondary character and has to work with the story line or the whole story is ruined.
June 6th, 2009 at 3:53 am
South Africa sounds a little like Australia, Jude. Your words bring it alive, I intend to visit one day.
Maggi
June 6th, 2009 at 6:41 am
I like you “S” concept Jude… it will make me look at the books I read to determine how much the character is part of the scenery, or relates to (influences or influenced by) the scenery! I had never thought of it this way but I think part of why I like regency romances is because the characters are often more elegant in those settings; and knights, Scottish lairds and cowboys all seem manly in their settings!
June 6th, 2009 at 11:03 am
Hey everyone!! I’m loving the comments! You’d be amazed how everyone’s input adds a little something to the concept and creates food for thought along the whole aspect of scenery as part of the book. Keep adding, I’m making notes! Thank you, to everyone!
Jude
June 6th, 2009 at 1:31 pm
I think its very important the more detailed the place is the more i can feel like im in the story not just reading it when an author truely writes a wonderful story u feel the place its set like u live there and i find that awesome when authors do that
June 6th, 2009 at 1:55 pm
Great perspective of the theme, Judah. It is so right that settings must fit the story. And supply valid backdrops to the characters’ adventures, physical and mental.
Monya
June 7th, 2009 at 1:39 am
Without the perfect setting, a story has no heart. Whenever I read about Scottish lairds, or Medieval knights, knowing that there is a castle.. (and fair maiden).. which will be “fought to the death for” fulfills my romantic dreams. Please keep these dreams alive!
June 7th, 2009 at 4:12 am
yes, a person/character can become the setting in and out itself. this is a very thoughtful premise–and i wonder how focused or intentional this can become for a writer. challenging to be sure. great thoughts, Jude.
June 7th, 2009 at 10:23 pm
That was a wonderful post. I’ve never thought much about the setting of a story – just the plot and the characters. But after reading your comments, I’ve thought about some of the books that I’ve read in the past and I didn’t realize that the ones that have a lot of “character” to the setting certainly adds much more to the story. I’m sure that I will never read a book again and not look to see if the setting is a “character” of its own.
June 8th, 2009 at 4:59 am
A vivid setting makes the book. When I read I see the story unfold as though I am watching a movie. A well written setting allows me to see places I have never been and to experience places as the characters do. I have been travelling through romance books since I opened my first Harlequin when I was 9 or 10 and found myself in the Australian Outback.
June 8th, 2009 at 3:02 pm
I love scenery. I want the characters to be anchored in place as well as time. A story that can fit anywhere doesn’t seem much of a story to me.
June 8th, 2009 at 6:15 pm
Interesting blog…As a reader I believe that time and place anchor the story. The setting as another character is something I had not thought about, but I agree with you on that concept. In my mind the best authors can “paint pictures with words”. I am looking forward to reading your books.
June 8th, 2009 at 8:59 pm
Great post, Judah, and what a fantastic picture! I love scenery and I so agree about the S’ Factor, I can’t imagining writing a book without it!
June 9th, 2009 at 11:26 pm
What a fabulous post, Jude. You’ve shown how much you love the grand vistas of South Africa, as well as how you use setting to enhance your characters. Your settings seem to be a little of both “Simply Scenic and ‘Specially Significant.”
Beautiful descriptions!
June 10th, 2009 at 6:57 am
Jude, I loved the SA background in Still Running. Gorgeous photo!
June 10th, 2009 at 7:46 pm
Jude,
I loved your description and picture of Souh Africa. It looks/sounds so beautiful there.
I agree I think the setting is a vital part of the story and goes in hand with the characters in terms of importance.
June 12th, 2009 at 5:07 pm
Jude,
Your characters sound deep and compelling and very different from each other. By the blurbs you painted a lovely portrait of different types of scenery.
Desiree
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