So, You Want to Write a Novel? - Episode 7

Your setting isn't just where the story happens — it's a character with a role to play. In this episode, I break down the difference between locale and setting, and show how I use real places, photographs, floor plans, and a few deliberate name changes to ground my fiction in a world readers can see, hear, and feel. From a cold, empty seminary in Rome that mirrors a character's inner emptiness, to a warm Italian restaurant dinner with a cardinal, to apartments I found on real rental listings, I share the tricks I use to make settings do more than just sit there. I also talk about when to use real names and addresses — and when plausible deniability is the smarter move.

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