Lori Roberts Herbst, author of Graven Images, a Callie Cassidy mystery, is visiting Ascroft, eh? today to tell us a bit about the importance of settings to stories.

Welcome, Lori. I’ll turn the floor over to you –

Beneath a tapestry of floating candles, I have savored a magical meal in the Great Hall of a school for wizards. (The Harry Potter series, by J.K. Rowling)

On a passenger train in a remote area of Yugoslavia, I have bolted myself into my compartment and pressed my ear to the door, listening for a killer’s approach. (Murder on the Orient Express, by Agatha Christie)

In a crowded pub in Kilbane, County Cork, I’ve danced a jig and enjoyed a pint. (The Irish Village series, by Carlene O’Connor)

Strolling the smoky streets of Venice at dusk, I’ve searched the cobblestones for clues to a murder. (The Commissario Brunetti series, by Donna Leon)

I have contemplated life as I gazed at the snowy branches of a trio of pines trees in Quebec. (The Three Pines series, by Louise Penny)

These fictional journeys were made possible thanks to masterful authors and their skill at creating vivid, authentic settings. I strive to learn everything I can from their talent.

As a mystery writer, I know my stories won’t flourish without a solid plot, complete with a page-turning pace and a few twists along the path. Also, an engaging cast of characters is the core of any good series, leaving readers excited to visit these people (and animals) again and again.

But if plot and character serve as the foundation, setting gives the story wings. Whether it adds to the feeling of camaraderie or the sense of isolation, whether it offers comfort or produces anxiety, a story’s setting helps pose themes, reveal characters’ worldviews, and define the overall tone.

Above all, a great setting is immersive. As a reader, I love nothing more than getting lost in a book, and that is most likely to occur when I am absorbed into the location. A talented author has me inhaling the scent of pine, experiencing the pinprick of frigid air against my cheek, and listening to the whistle of the wind through the tree branches as dark clouds drift overhead. I become part of the story, walking alongside the characters as they maneuver through the plot. Setting should generate an emotional response—maybe positive or perhaps negative, but always captivating.

When I started writing the Callie Cassidy Mystery series, I had the setting in mind before a single character was born. My family had visited Estes Park many times, and it became the inspiration for the fictional town of Rock Creek Village that Callie and her family and friends inhabit. With that template in mind, I designed my own small town and nestled it into the foothills of the Colorado Rockies.

But it turns out creating an interesting setting isn’t easy, nor is maintaining it. What are the changes we see each season? How does the place look at different times of the day? Who lives where, and whose shops neighbor each other? Above all, how do I keep describing the place in fresh ways?

Even deciding how much information to provide is a balancing act, one I’m still learning to navigate. As I write, I ask myself if I’m offering enough details so that readers can visualize the scene. Or am I painting too particular of a picture, thus robbing them of their own imaginative contributions?

Negotiating those questions is part of the artistry of writing, and I’ll never completely master it. And thank goodness for that because the continuing challenge is half the fun.

What are some of your favorite book settings?

Thank you for sharing this with us, Lori, and good luck with Graven Images, the latest book in the Callie Cassidy mystery series.

Readers can learn more about Lori Roberts Herbst by visiting the author’s website and. her Facebook, Instagram, BookBub and Goodreads pages.

The book is available online at  Amazon 

About Lori Roberts Herbst: Silver Falchion and CIBA Murder & Mayhem award-winning author Lori Roberts Herbst writes the Callie Cassidy Mystery series. A former journalism teacher and counselor, Lori serves as Board Secretary for Sisters in Crime. She is a member of the SinC Colorado chapter, the SinC North Dallas chapter, and the Guppy chapter, where she moderates the Cozy Gup group. Lori spent most of her life in Dallas, TX, and now lives in Colorado Springs.