Unfortunately many writers are so keen to exhaust their thesaurus for
dramatic adjectives and adverbs that they forget the little details which
undermine the canny reader's confidence in the whole book. If you think
otherwise, just take a look at IMDB and read the 'goofs' that film-makers are
deemed to have made.
●
"This song sung by the sailors wasn't popular
until 2 years after when the film was set"
●
"The ship's flag said that it was altering its
course to starboard and yet it turned to port"
●
"The sun was too low on the horizon for the
supposed latitude"
... and so on.
You can call these people whatever you like but the simple fact is that if
you incur the wrath of one, they are going to return your book (meaning you
lose the sale) and probably rubbish it through a bad review.
Here's a short checklist. It's far from exhaustive and only intended to get
you thinking along the right lines:
●
Tides
●
Orientation
●
Longshore drift
●
Changing dune profiles
●
Currents
●
Vegetation
●
Sand and shingle sizes
●
Rock pools
●
Harbour channels
●
Winds
●
Topography
●
Cliffs
●
Erosion
Some obvious mistakes you might make:
Your character is walking along the coast. How do they cross an estuarine
river or stream you've been describing? How do they get around the harbor mouth
you've featured? What about passing in front of the cliffs at high tide? Many
harbors are created around a river mouth. If your character tries to row
directly across, the currents will sweep them out to sea - they need to row in
a big curve inside the harbor.
These are just some of the physical details you may need to pick up on.
Additionally there are the flora and fauna to consider. What life can be found
at what time of year, at what latitude and on what sort of beach?
Even if your story is simply about someone sunbathing, you still need to
consider the position of the sun in the sky, the shadows, and how someone would
go about getting in the shade.
The best way of avoiding these and similar pitfalls is to draw a timeline
of the action and to use a real location so that you can get plenty of pictures
from Google Earth. If this is not possible or does not suit your book, then
draw a detailed map of the area showing high and low tide lines, rock
formations (you may need to think of the geology) and currents.
Yes, this is a lot of work but then it's part of the job description for a
professional author. It's also a habit that will serve you well and prevent you
from winning the 'Goof of the month' award.
If you'd like to read a well-written book which is centered around the
coast, check out Skolthan by Damaris West. She really knows the land where the
book is set and paints such a clear picture of it that you genuinely do see
through the eyes of Hilda, the principal character and narrator. The moodiness
of the salt flats and the treachery of the paths and channels clutches you and
you will find yourself treading gingerly after reading it.
Skolthan - A Paranormal Thriller is an excellent story and one which uses its setting to the full.
It serves as a good study for anyone looking to make the most of a pericoastal
backdrop.
Biography
Damaris West is a successful novelist, short story writer, poet and
publisher. She has written 3 novels, authored an anthology of children’s
stories, co-written a book about dog training and penned an off-the-wall guide
to Umbria, Italy, along with hundreds of poems. These books are now for sale on
Amazon with an anthology of her poems due to be published shortly.
She is keenly enthusiastiac in the correct and deliberate choice of
vocabulary to create a vision of characters and places that seems to give them
a third dimension. Her own favorite authors are Gavin Maxwell and Rumer Godden.
Apart from writing, Damaris runs Any Subject Books Ltd along with her
husband and co-writer, Clive West. New writers are always welcome at the
agency.
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