Monday, February 6, 2012

Choosing a Setting

Back a few months ago I read a blog post where the writer asked who would you prefer being trapped in an elevator with, than gave two choices. Neither of his choices appealed to me but the idea of setting a story in an elevator did.

I mean, what's not to like? You're stuck in a claustrophobic box dangling in midair. Can you stop the elevator or does it stop itself? Perhaps you're trapped inside with a serial killer. How do you escape? Bottom line is how do you make it believable? Let's be honest, if you kill someone in an elevator how do you escape? There's going to be people around when that door opens.

Anyhoo I gave it a try and the very kind editors over at Shotgun Honey gave it the thumbs up. http://www.shotgunhoney.net/2012/02/goes-around-by-sandra-seamans.html

So, where's the strangest place you've ever set a story?

9 comments:

Al Tucher said...

That was a nice moment, when I realized that getting caught in the elevator was exactly her plan.

Diana has been in a lot of motel rooms, but that's about as weird as I get with settings.

sandra seamans said...

Motel rooms are fun settings, too, Al. But I liked the story you wrote where Diana was naked in the snow :)

pattinase (abbott) said...

I can't think of any unusual place so that's a prompt for me. Off to read the story.

sandra seamans said...

One of the joys of short stories, Patti, you can find fun places to set the story that wouldn't hold up in a novel.

Anita Page said...

Sweet revenge. That was fun, Sandra.

G. B. Miller said...

Two corners of a deserted street for two stop talking stop signs.

sandra seamans said...

Thanks, Anita. It was fun to write.

Two stop signs talking? Now that sounds both weird and interesting, G.

Ron Scheer said...

Hey nobody said congratulations on the thumbs up, so here's mine. Can't give a good example of an odd setting, but you did put me in mind of the French film ELEVATOR TO THE SCAFFOLD, about a man who's committed a murder and then gets trapped in an elevator while trying to leave the building.

sandra seamans said...

Thanks, Ron. That movie sounds like fun.