Tuesday 19 August 2014

The landscape as character

Often when we create characters, the role of the landscape as a character is overlooked, but it can be very effective when done well.
Landscape, and the effect of the weather on it, can be a character which is used in a symbolic way to create a mood or reflect the mood of a story or the mindset of a character.
For instance, I write about a city that seems dark, which helps create a dark mood for my crime novels. Hafton is a character in itself.
So think darkness, think weather, think temperature, think geography (dark streets, deep waters etc) and you may come up with a place that is as much a character as any human being in your story.
If you want to see how to do it, read The Tempest or Macbeth by Shakespeare. I tell you, that lad’s going to be big one day…

 
John Dean

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