Place as a Character

Fallen trees lay rotting across her path, draped in beards of phosphorescent moss.

There’s a remarkable watershed near the town  where I live. Steep canyon walls enclose a forest of giant cedars, moss and lichens. A raging waterfall plummets, gathers in a pool and streams down to the lake.  Within the watershed, trees grow to enormous width and height. It is a unique place and an excellent backdrop for a story.

I used this setting for a portion of The Solstice Conspiracy, offering a view of something other worldly, both beautiful and dangerous. Consider your setting as a character. Well placed description enables the reader to inhabit your setting. 

 Even an ordinary place can become extraordinary. Perhaps there’s an old cracked teapot sitting on a table. You can give that setting life. How many friends shared a cup of tea over the years? How many stories, laughter, tears? Perhaps the teapot hasn’t been replaced because it evokes memories  of times long past.