Imagining Interiors

While I was writing Acquainted With the Night, I was part-author, part-interior designer.

 It was a challenge to decorate a vampire's manse--how would a wealthy vamp deal with sun-filled rooms? Would he hire an architect to seal the windows? Or would that cause gossip? Would a human designer kiss-and-tell? What if she created a horrible room? Would the vampire bite her?

Perhaps it would be better to hire a vampy designer, someone who wouldn't decorate-and-tell, and who understood the need for dark rooms. Of course, as a writer, I can't put all the background into a book, so I have to paint rooms with bold strokes. I don't do this quickly. During the planning stages, I take my time, but when I put words to paper, the clock starts ticking.

I can't throw in details for the heck of it. Colors and objects count--they add layers to a character or setting. I have to pick and choose these details, adding just a few, then I must leave.

Readers see a fictional room in their mind's eye. They build upon the key items the writer has brought to the room, adding color and details.

That's the best kind of fictional decor--where the author and reader are co-designers.

Do you have a favorite fictional decor? What about a film set? I love the kitchen in Something's Gotta Give because it's gorgeous and because the white furnishings perfectly depict the main character's personality.

Assignment: Find a photograph and add details. Blog about how colors and details give insight into personality.