Tag Archives: research

Vancouver Visit: Things Are Not Always What They Seem

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by @AnnieDaylon

Phone April 277

Things are not always what they seem…

 

Are you writing present-day fiction in a real setting? Are you wondering if you should visit that setting? 

In my last post, My Novels. My Research., I wrote of plans to visit the setting of my work-in-progress…

“My Work-in-Progress is a crime thriller set in present day Vancouver… I have the characters and the details down, most of them anyway. But I want, once again, to walk in the shoes of my characters. This time I will take the Aquabus to Granville Island, visit a café on the beach, shop at Pacific Centre,  detail heritage buildings in the area, and, most importantly, do some people watching.”

Here are a few things I discovered…

  1. First of all, since my story takes place in May, I wanted to visit in May. But, when I learned that hotel rates would skyrocket on May first (the onset of the tourist season), I booked my trip for the last week in April. Had I waited the extra week, my hotel cost would have doubled. Ouch!

  2. I didn’t ride the Aquabus mentioned in my last post. The character in my novel who went to the Farmers Market on Granville Island would have taken the False Creek Ferry because it was closer to her home and therefore much convenient for her. (Good to know!) I followed suit. 

  3. Before my trip to Vancouver, I watched a TV news report from the shores of English Bay. Certain that shutterstock_212016496the flowers dotting the background field were clover, I wrote about the scent of clover combined with the scent of sea, a combination I remember well from my days in Newfoundland. However, when I strolled through the grass near English Bay , I discovered that there was no clover. The tiny white flowers I saw were daisies. (Things are not always what they seem.) I edited my manuscript.

  4. In my novel, a main character visits police headquarters. When I wrote the scene (prior to my visit to VPD headquarters), I based the setting on a TV show, one in which the front doors of the police station open to a narrow reception area with a long, open counter manned by a prominent and dominant female officer. On that show, everything on and behind that counter is clearly visible (possibly to make it easier to film).
    Reality is different. At the VPD Headquarters, there is a long reception counter, yes, but it is separated from the public by (what I assume is) bulletproof glass. As is required of all visitors, I reported in; that meant talking through parallel slats in an intercom to a woman whose voice was distorted by static. I couldn’t describe this person because, due to translucent glass (and my lack of stature), I couldn’t see much other than dark hair and glasses.
    Another surprise regarding the VPD came in the form of its accessibility. Despite the uniformed attention to detail and the church-like echo of voices in the lobby, there was no sense of keep-away here. I contacted the department ahead of time; I left a message which was responded to in short order. And I was welcomed (with a police escort) into the inner sanctum. (Thank you, VPD!)

As for the other places mentioned above: I took detailed notes on the architecture and layout of the shopping center wherein I have planted a fictional boutique. I ate a delicious salad at the cafe on which I’m basing the restaurant in my story. And I discovered a heritage building whose ivy-covered exterior and dark-paneled interior suit my needs precisely. 

Back to my opening questions…. Are you writing present-day fiction in a real setting? Are you wondering if you should visit that setting?

My answer… yes! Plan the trip. Immerse yourself in details. Then weave them into your plot.

My best to you,

Annie Signature Light Blue

My Novels. My Research. (Vancouver Bound: Boots on the Ground)

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by @AnnieDaylon

shutterstock_212016496I am a multigenre author, born in Newfoundland, living in British Columbia. My novels are reflective of my bi-coastal experience in that they are set on the opposite ends of Canada: Newfoundland or Vancouver. The time element is also extreme: I plunk my work anywhere from the 1920’s to the now. The research methods vary, dictated by setting. The Newfoundland novels catapult me into the past: I read and view everything I can find on the historical events and settings. Here, I am focusing on the Vancouver novels (yes, plural because I’m nearing the end of the second) which are set in present-day and require boots-on-the ground research.

My first Vancouver novel, CASTLES IN THE SAND, is set in 2010 in the west end and, in addition to online research regarding the city and the plight of its homeless, I made two specific trips to the city.

On the first trip, I left the comfort of my west-end hotel at the cusp of dawn on a relatively-warm winter day and hiked the full length of Robson Street. Why? To see, hear, and smell the world as my main character, a homeless man, does. When he observes the pigeons strutting the sidewalk, he notices (because I notice for the first time) that the

  • “little bastards have red feet.”

The predominant aroma for him is the smell of coffee (not the smell of ocean air as I had expected.)

  • “I take a deep breath so I can suck in the Starbucks. All the beautiful people carry Starbucks.”

He hears the day beginning, not just generically in the roar of traffic but specifically:

  • “The bus engine grumbles…Whooossssh. Air brakes.”

  • “Won’t be long before the bolts on the door of the shoe boutique behind me twist open. Three bolts. Every morning. Like clockwork. Click. Click. Click.”

 That day, I also walked the Vancouver Seawall, toured Gastown, and ate at the Spaghetti Factory, all the while taking notes. My best discovery? At the end of a long day, while walking back to my hotel on Robson Street , I saw a young man in a white, puffy jacket. He was talking to a homeless man. I didn’t want to interfere but I wanted to eavesdrop, so I strolled past. The young man was saying “Let me help you to a shelter.” I pinged on that. For my novel, I created a new character, a Good Samaritan, who was dubbed “Marshmallow Man” by my main character.

  • “Some guy in a puffy, white jacket hovers over me. A marshmallow. A goddam talking marshmallow.”

My second trip to Vancouver was to finalize details. The backstory of my homeless character was that he had lost his home during the real estate crash. I had a specific residence in mind for him, one that I had found in the MLS listings, and walked the area surrounding that very house. I went to the nearby park where my fictional family played. There, I sat on a bench and penned a description of both house and park. I walked the tunnel under the Granville Bridge. And I sat in the foyer of the Central Branch of the Vancouver Public Library where I noticed a pigeon strutting the floor, a pigeon that inspired a caring moment for my homeless character. It was in the library that it occurred to me that all the chattering voices around me melded in to a ghost-like drone, into

  • “whirling ghosts of indiscernible chatter.”

The effect of all that research was not only that I was better-able to detail the journey of my character but also that I am now better-equipped to notice detail daily. (A bonus for a writer.) 

As for current research… My Work-in-Progress is a crime thriller set in present day Vancouver, again in the west end. I have the characters and the details down, most of them anyway. But I want, once again, to walk in the shoes of my characters. This time I will take the Aquabus to Granville Island, visit a café on the beach, shop at Pacific Centre,  detail heritage buildings in the area, and, most importantly, do some people watching.

In short, in a couple of weeks, I’m Vancouver bound. Boots on the ground. Can’t wait!  🙂 

I invite you to join my author journey: subscribe to blog or newsletter or both! The newsletter contains news about books, links to some blogs, and occasional fun facts about my beloved island of Newfoundland. To sign up, simply place the required information in the spaces provided on the right. Rest assured your email address will not be shared for any reason. eNovel-Round-Logo

My best to you,

Annie Signature Light Blue 

21 Reading References for Newfoundland Novel Series

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by @AnnieDaylon

Newfoundland 001 (640x637)


OF SEA AND SEED, The Kerrigan Chronicles #1 (in progress), is a work of passion, one which I chose because of my deep connection to my native island of Newfoundland. 

What follows is a list of some of my reading for this series, a list which may be of interest to those who are writing about, or have ties to, Newfoundland. Please note: the “Come Home Year” books on the list were printed for specific events and I purchased them in Newfoundland. The red asterisk beside their titles indicates that I could not find a link to them. (If you find one, let me know. Happy to update!)

 

  1. An Armful of Memories* – Bond’s Path-Southeast Come Home Year 2006. Newfoundland: Transcontinental, 2006

  2. Andrieux, J. P. RumRunners. St. John’s, NL: Flanker Press Ltd., 2009.

  3. Cashin, Peter My Fight for Newfoundland. St. John’s, NL: Flanker Press Ltd., 2012.

  4. Collins, Gary. The Gale of 1929. St. John’s, NL: Flanker Press Ltd., 2013.

  5. Collins, Gerard. Finton Moon. St. John’s NL: Killick Press, 2011

  6. Decks Awash, The Placentia Area. Volume 17, No. 3, May-June, 1988.

  7. Duke, Darrell.  Thursday’s Storm: The August Gale. St. John’s, NL: Flanker Press Ltd., 2013.

  8. Fitzgerald, Jack. Newfoundland Disasters. St. John’s, NL: Creative Publishers, 2005.

  9. Fitzgerald, Jack. Strange but True Newfoundland Stories: St. John’s, NL: Creative Publishers, 1989.

  10. Freshwater Come Home Year Book Committee: Freshwater*. Robinson-Blackmore, 2002

  11. Hanrahan, Maura. Tsunami The Newfoundland Tidal Wave Disaster. St. John’s, NL: Flanker Press Ltd., 2006.

  12. Houlihan, Eileen. UPROOTED! The Argentia Story. St, John’s, NL: Creative Publishers, 1992.

  13. Johnston, Wayne. The Colony of Unrequited Dreams. Toronto: Vintage Canada, 1999.

  14. Lannon, Alice and McCarthy, Mike. Fables, Fairies & Folklore of  Newfoundland. St. John’s, NL: Jesperson Press Ltd., 1991.

  15. Neary, Peter.  Newfoundland in the North Atlantic World 1929-1949 Kingston and Montreal: McGill-Queen’s University Press, 1988.

  16. Neary, Peter, Ed. WHITE TIE AND DECORATIONS Sir John and Lady Hope Simpson in Newfoundland, 1934-1936.Toronto: University of Toronto Press,1996.

  17. Olive Power, Ed. Bridging Places & People from Big Barasway to Ship Harbour*. Placentia: Placentia Intertown Come Home Year, 2012. shutterstock_118816366

  18. Rompkey, Bill Ed. St. John’s and the Battle of the Atlantic. St. John’s, NL: Flanker Press, 2009.

  19. Strowbridge, Nellie P. The Newfoundland Tongue. St. John’s, NL: Flanker Press Ltd., 2008.

  20. Young, Ron. Dictionary of Newfoundland and Labrador. St. John’s, NL: Downhome Publishing Inc., 2006.

  21. Young, Ron, Ed. Downhome Memories. St. John’s, NL: Downhome Publishing Inc., 2005.

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My best to you,

Annie Signature Light Blue