Patches and Whole Cloth – Imaginary Setting

One thing I enjoy about writing with an outline is hooking my mind into a scene that has good, solid roots in the plot, but nothing to dress it up. My settings in the current novel, “Heart of a Dragon,” may recur in future DeChance Chronicles novels, so I have to paint vivid, memorable pictures. Tonight I’ll be creating the lair of a local Voodoo, Santeria priestess, tucked in against the “Barrio” of San Valencez, California. This shop will no doubt come up again at some point, and I need to be certain that I plant it clearly in my mind, and leave enough mystery in place that I can play with it just as enjoyably next time I am “creating” there.

I’ve visited magic, occult, and Voodoo shops in several locations both stateside and overseas. I’ve read the works of Hugh B. Cave, a dear departed friend, describing Voodoo rituals on the islands of Haiti and Jamaica. I’ve studied ritual magic from many sources and read texts on the Kabbalah – and most who are familiar with me know that at one point I studied for the ministry. In other words, my mind is a seething pit of every spiritual, superstitious, ritualistic bit of detritus my world has to offer. I am not sparing in lavishing this knowledge on the DeChance Chronicles, and I’m taking particular joy in describing Anya Cabrera’s “shop” – which is a wonderful thing during a challenge like Nanowrimo because when I enjoy a chapter or setting or group of characters as much as I am enjoying these, the words flow very, very quickly.

To touch on the title of the post, the thing I love about this novel – and this type of setting – is that despite the fact I have a lot of real facts to draw upon, I’m making it all up.  I’ve written a number of licensed novels in other people’s worlds, and every time there were points I mourned the inability to do what I wanted to with the words, rather than what I had to do.  The DeChance Chronicles has made this sort of fiction fun for me again.  I tip my hat to Donovan and his companions.  Long may we share the words!

On a secondary note, I was interviewed recently by the talented and VERY prolific Mur Lafferty for her podcast, “I Should Be Writing.” Episode number 135 was just released today, and it includes interviews with myself, Chris Baty (Founder of Nanowrimo) and Nathan Lowell, author of the Solar Clipper series, all focused on Nanowrimo. It’s interesting listening…especially the part with me… (actually, I’m probably the least of the entertainment). You can listen by visiting Mur’s site: I SHOULD BE WRITING