Hello everyone
There’s a phrase that often gets trotted out: location is a character…
I—sort of—understand what people are trying to say, but every time I hear those words, I wince a little. It’s a terrible cliché. The idea that a city or a landscape “comes alive” and “drives the narrative” tends to produce books where attention is lavished on cobblestones and skylines while the actual characters stand around waiting for something to happen. And so often when reviewers talk about location as character, what they are really telegraphing (even if unintentionally) is that the actual characters are less engaging.
Which is not to say that location is unimportant. Quite the contrary—it is very important, but I see it in a different way.
Constraint
Location provides the context, or if you prefer, the framework in which the action of a novel takes place. This framework brings a set of constraints for the characters, and those constraints are always present.
location isn’t a singular character—it’s the rules everyone has to play by
Climate
Perhaps the most straightforward constraint—or external force bringing an influence on characters—is the weather.
As a simple example, when the temperature drops, characters will typically want to be inside and will change how they dress. On the flip side, when the temperature rises, characters seek protection from the sun and will arrange their day to avoid extreme temperatures (maybe taking a siesta and then working later into the evening).
Beyond the day-to-day weather, climate—the weather over time—is significant for a location and the spirit of a location:
- The architecture will be influenced. In colder climates, there will be an emphasis on insulation and warmth. In hotter climates, there will be a focus on keeping humans cooler, with airflow and maybe air conditioning. When people gather, they will typically be inside or outside, depending on the climate.
- Colder climates may have better infrastructure with better roads and more resilient electricity/gas supplies (for heating), and longer distance communications that are not so reliant on radio waves (which can be affected by extreme weather).
- Beyond the simple matter of roads, the nature of transport is greatly affected by climate—a vehicle which is frequently driven across snowy tundra will have a different requirement to one that is driven on dirt roads in tropical conditions.
Climate will have an effect on the residents. The cold climates—with treacherous travel and the need for protection from the elements—tend to isolate individuals as they head for protection. By contrast, the warmer climates mean people can gather more easily. Clearly, these are broad brush outlines and there will many variants, but we can see a direct connection from climate to behavior, and then from behavior to story.
Size and Scale
The size of a location has a huge effect on a story.
In a big city, the protagonist can disappear. They can move through crowds unnoticed. They can arrive somewhere new and have nobody bat an eye. This anonymity is enormously useful and, indeed, this anonymity is one of the reasons why my character Leathan Wilkey chooses to live in Paris.
But in a small community, everyone knows everyone. A stranger is immediately observed. A regular absence is remarked upon. If someone breaks a routine, it is noticed. A new face attracts questions. A familiar face doing something unfamiliar attracts more.
in a small town, everyone knows you left; in a city, no one knows you arrived
But big cities do have “small” locations: a street, an apartment block, a neighborhood can all take on a “small” feel where the anonymity of the big city is lost and the area behaves just like any other small community.
The size and scale of an area is not just atmosphere: it provides expectations on the community. In a small town, a disappearance is a major event where many people will do everything they can to help. In a city, a disappearance can go unnoticed for weeks and frequently has little resonance for the nearest neighbors.
Getting Around
The size and scale of a location brings challenges for transport with attendant consequences for a story.
A character with a car has freedom. They can leave. They can arrive unannounced. They can carry things. In a city driving may be slower, but it can be achieved.
A character dependent on buses or trains is subject to timetables, to public spaces, to being seen by other passengers. A character who walks everywhere is limited by distance and weather—and will probably be overheard more than they’d like.
…and if you want to move a dead body, you’re probably not going to use public transport
In a city with a functioning metro system, a character can cross town in twenty minutes. In a rural setting, a ten-mile journey might require planning, a favor, or owning something with an engine. These aren’t incidental details: they determine who can meet whom, when, and whether anyone else might have noticed.
And this is before we think about the practicalities of everyday life. Most cities have shops a few steps away where a character can get bread and milk. In a more thinly populated area, a similar trip for the necessities might involve a vehicle journey of maybe 20 miles…maybe 50.
Likewise, a city has hundreds of cafés, bars, restaurants—spaces where two people can sit together and be functionally invisible. A small town might have one pub or a diner. In a city, choosing an unusual venue for a meeting says something. In a small town, there is no unusual venue. Everyone goes to the same places because there are no other choices. And everyone notices who you’re sitting with.
Vibe
So far, so practical. I don’t want to get all Gen Z, but there is another dimension to every location: vibe.
Every location will have a vibe which is a collection of factors working together (several of those factors I’ve already discussed). Typically these factors will include:
- architecture (or lack of architecture), particularly statement or memorial architecture
- the light (partly the daylight, but also the quality of that light and how the architecture works to block light)
- the climate and prevailing weather
- the wealth and how that translates into the location (for instance, manicured laws vs overgrowing gardens or the presence of private security)
- the general attitude of residents (to each other and to outsiders)
So, a series of gothic stone buildings in a “dark” location where it constantly rains will have a very different feeling to a place with bright sun where business is transacted at street markets.
How Do You See Location?
This is how I see—and think about—location. But maybe I’m wrong and location can genuinely be a character.
How do you see location in novels? Is there something I’m missing that truly makes location a character for you? Or are you with me that it’s some sort of a vibe-y constraints-based element that sets the framework for the characters?
I’ll be back in June. I’ll leave you to ponder locations until then.
All the best
Simon