Sept Dare Day 5 - Location, Location, Location

I wrote about 600+ words more on the "Wrap Up" scene. I also figured out how to make it fit with the best of the material I already had for that chapter.

While I was trying to stage the scene, I realized that my inner screenwriter was kinda getting in the way. The thing about movies is that you always look to set a scene in a visually interesting place. AND you don't have to justify it. At least not as much. The characters are just there, and they're talking. No explanation on how they happened to get there is necessary.

In fiction, it's harder to do that. For one thing, there's more set up and internal monologue and stuff like that, so you do have to address how and why the characters are there on some level. (I am a great believer in skipping unnecessary bridges and segues, but you usually have to at least know what happened in between.)

And for another, a visually interesting place is not as important in a book. With words, you can make anything sound visually interesting, and visuals aren't as important anyway.

Still, by the end of a story, there are usually locations with emotions attached. Each space has history and experience - for the audience and the characters. This spot might be where the lovers first met in Chapter 1, or where the murder occurred. And unlike in a movie, you can add connotations from outside the story. A character can pull into a parking lot and remember that it used to be a playground. In a film you might put in a flashback for that, but only if it's really super important. If it's just factually important, you can have a bit of dialog. But in a book, history can be like light. It's just there, infusing the scene with the connotations and emotions of life.

I want my last chapter to take place in a particular location for various reasons. And I have several other constraints on how I handle the scene to make it have the most emotional impact. Which means I've pretty much set myself up to do back flips to bring all the elements together and do it right. I've pretty much got everything worked out but the pony. We'll see.