Ever notice how much epic fantasy channels England’s Middle Ages? After all, what’s more British than the Shire? Or the Inn of the Prancing Pony? People love pubs for the sense of community they offer. Hey, Tolkien was a dedicated pubster.
As a Canadian with a few British roots, I’m partial to tales flavored with similar elements. If anything about a story’s setting is quaint, cozy, charming or idyllic, I feel at home.
But as a writer, I want to make sure your literary Happy Meal includes a free toy you’ve never played with. Welcome to Lonecca! Instead of a serene Anglo-Saxon palette, these four islands have a decidedly Mediterranean ambience.
How to find that Tuscan vibe? Without a Kickstarter campaign to “Send Me to the Coliseum,” we can still create a more Mediterranean frame of mind.
1) Play Greek music. Or Spanish. Or Italiano.
Kir Alekos
Bella Ciao.
Robert Michael’s Birds of Paradise
2) Watch My Big Fat Greek Wedding, or Gladiator.
3) Visit a Greek restaurant.
Here in Canada, there’s an OPA! in most food courts, so I don’t have to break the bank just to savor the souvlaki.
Okay, the mental Eagle has landed at Athens International. Here’s a slice from my book’s first chapter. See if you can spot the triggers.
Beniqo sucked in a deep breath, inhaling the irresistible scent of garlic, peppers and onions beckoning from the next field. Visions of them swimming in the stew pot made his mouth water. With any luck, there’d be time to bake bread this week. Crusty, hot, and mantled with melted cheese! Fragrant with herbs. Zem it! How was a starving man supposed to keep his mind on his work?
Worst was the aroma of sun-washed tomatoes from the surrounding terraces. Like a maiden flirting from behind her mother’s back, they were impossible to ignore, yet tantalizingly beyond his reach. After stretching out the knot between his shoulders, he studied the horde of barrels waiting to be collared.
Catch all the clues? Garlic + onions + peppers + crust + melted cheese + herbs + tomatoes = PIZZA!
Your turn. What story elements suggest the Mediterranean to you?
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Ciao,
Kai