http://www.writers-online.co.uk^61MASTERCLASS
NOVEMBER 2019this month I want to look specifically
at the role of actual buildings.
What buildings are important to
your character and might feature
in your story? One obvious thing
might be their house. Another could
be their workplace. But you could
also think about other buildings
your character might find themselves
having a significant experience in.
Maybe a church, a hospital or a
railway waiting room.
Certain types of buildings suggest
particular types and genres of story.
For example you might expect a story
set in a police station to be a crime
story and a story set on a spaceship to
be science fiction. But why not mix
and match things a bit? What about a
romance set in a police station? Or a
crime story set on a spaceship? What
unusual elements would that bring to
your story?
I want to think about a story set in
your character’s home a bit more closely.
Here’s a writing exercise to try out.
Firstly imagine yourself standing at
the front door of their house. What
does it look like? What colour is it?
Is it shiny with fresh paint or does it
look a bit shabby and worse for wear?
Is there a number on it? Is there a big
metal doorknocker? Or a state of the
art doorbell? Is there a doormat? Does
your character keep a spare key hidden
in a flower pot or under a brick
or would they not dream of doing
something so irresponsible?
Look up at the house. What sort of
house is it? How many floors does it
have? Is it detached or semi-detached,
or part of a terrace or block. How old
is it? Does it fit a distinct architectural
style or period? Maybe it’s Victorian,
or Tudor or art deco. What external
features stand out?
Then imagine opening the door
and going through. What can you
see in the hallway? Is there a neat
shoe rack or is footwear higgledy
piggledy in a pile on the floor? Is
mail placed neatly on the hall table
or is there a pile of junk mail in a
corner that’s threatening to take over
the whole room?
Now peek into the living room. Is it
pristine and minimalist? Or is it cosy
and messy? Are there bookshelves lining
the walls and groaning with books or
just a couple of well-chosen tomes on
the coffee table? Are there children’s toysscattered all over the floor? Or maybe
dog chews and a cat’s scratching post? Is
everything beautifully co-ordinated or
just a hotch-potch of different colours
and designs?
What about the kitchen?
Is it spotlessly clean
or are their dirty
dishes in the sink and
rubbish overflowing
from the bin? Are the
work surfaces covered
in state of the art
kitchen equipment and the
cupboards well stocked with
gourmet ingredients and top notch
pots and pans? Or is the only sign
of meal provision the corkboard
with all the local takeaway menus
pinned to it? Is the fridge door
covered in children’s drawings or just
dotted tastefully with fridge magnets
carrying inspirational quotes?
Try doing this for every room in
the house and really build up a rich
picture of how your character lives.
You could do a similar exercise
for your character’s place of work.
Do they have a tidy desk? What
do they have on their desk? Family
photos or just purely professional
paraphernalia? Do they have a line
of empty, dirty mugs or are they
the person in the office who always
remembers to make everyone else a
fresh cup of tea and make sure the
washing up is done? What’s in their
top drawer? Snacks? A spare pair of
socks and an umbrella? Hand cream
and a cosmetic bag?
What other aspects of the building
you’ve put your character in might
influence your story?
Is it, like Caoimhin’s hotel, at risk
of flooding? How does that make
your character feel? Is it warm and
cosy, or does it have a temperamental
heating system that keeps plunging
it into icy coldness? Is it well sound-
proofed, or can you hear everything
the people in the neighbouring
house or office are doing? Is it all on
one level or do you have to spend all
your time going up and down stairs?
Of course, you won’t need to use all
these details in full in your story. But
by exploring them and just dropping
in little telling details for your reader
you can make your character and
your story come to life as Kevin Barry
did with Fjord Of Killary.https://writ.rs/
fjordofkillaryREAD THE
STORY AT:foreboding about the possibility of a
flood. You can track the water rising
throughout the course of the story,
bringing with it a creeping sense of
menace. Note first the name of the
hotel. It is called Water’s Edge and that
name will turn out to be very prescient.
At one point there is talk between
Caoimhin and the locals about the
unlikelihood of the place actually
flooding. Apparently it hasn’t in sixteen
years and, of course, Caoimhin was told
by the estate agent that it wouldn’t.
But in the midst of a ‘hysterical
downpour’ all the neighbourhood
dogs start howling. Then the water
laps at, and later breaches, the
harbour wall. The water creeps up
the steps at the front of the hotel and
sweeps over the porch. Incrementally
the level of jeopardy is cranked up
until finally the doors pop and the
water floods into the hotel. At the
very end we hear that the water has
started to go down again, but of
course by then the damage is done
and the lower floors of the hotel
are full of floating bar stools and
place mats.
There are some dark moments
in the story, such as the gull
pulling its partner’s head off
and the local woman biting her
husband’s neck and drawing
blood after he admits to an
affair with her sister. This
is balanced by some comic
moments such as the otter
sneaking into the kitchen and
eating the carrot and coriander
soup and gently humorous images
such as the seven sheep floating past
in a rowing boat.
In a nice moment at the end we see
Caoimhin reaching for his notebook.
It seems that the rising and falling of
the flood water have lifted his mood
and that he might finally be able to
write again.
By making full use of the building
of the hotel as a pivotal part of the
story and letting the reader really feel
the tension of the encroaching water
and impending disaster, Kevin Barry
has written a story with a vividly visual
quality which helps it to linger in the
reader’s mind long after it is finished.
Come over to my place
We’ve looked at the importance of
settings in short stories before, but
downpour’ all the neighbourhood
dogs start howling. Then the water
laps at, and later breaches, the
harbour wall. The water creeps up
the steps at the front of the hotel and
sweeps over the porch. Incrementally
the level of jeopardy is cranked up
until finally the doors pop and the
water floods into the hotel. At the
very end we hear that the water has
started to go down again, but of
course by then the damage is done
and the lower floors of the hotel
are full of floating bar stools and
place mats.
There are some dark moments
in the story, such as the gull
pulling its partner’s head off
and the local woman biting her
husband’s neck and drawing
blood after he admits to an
affair with her sister. This
is balanced by some comic
moments such as the otter
sneaking into the kitchen and
eating the carrot and coriander
soup and gently humorous images
such as the seven sheep floating past