Monday, November 1, 2010

WHAT’S YOUR SETTING PREFERENCE? By Morgan Mandel

When I first started reading mysteries, I was drawn to Gothic novels by authors like Mary Stewart. I loved the stories with the dark mansions, cliffs and brooding men, especially the ones who may or may not be trying to drive their wives or nannies insane.

Then I became fascinated by Dick Francis’ novels, featuring a horse racing background.

Now I lean toward settings that are familiar to me in my daily life; such as suburban settings, like by Mary Higgins Clark, and urban or super star settings, like Sidney Sheldon’s.

What about you? Do have a setting preference?

5 comments:

Marilyn Meredith a.k.a. F. M. Meredith said...

My Deputy Tempe Crabtree series is set in a place like where I live--mountains, Indian reservation--my Rocky Bluff P.D. series is in a small beach community like where I used to live.

Marilyn

Mary@GigglesandGuns said...

I don't care much for Gothic. Perhaps a throw back to the classics and descriptions. For me murder is dark enough without the surroundings being so.

Kevin R. Tipple said...

I don't care about setting. Write a good book and the setting will work.

Cheryl said...

I like books set in the mid to late 1800's. It's the time period I am most familiar with. I tend to think mid-west, but my current historical is set in New England.

Cheryl

ccmalandrinos.com

Mark W. Danielson said...

For me, the story determines the setting. I have yet to set a novel in the same location, and frequently, the setting moves with the story.