i was wondering what little things could be added to a scene that takes place at home. more specifically, things that spice up the setting rather than the plot.
im currently working on a story that’s heavily focused on the main characters being roommates. i haven’t roommated in a long time (or visited people), so i easily forget what other people do in their home lives that i don’t.
for example, my home scenes have included things like: making coffee, smoking on the patio, a bonfire party, looking through one of the roommates artwork, playing a drinking game in one of their bedrooms, there’s a scene where everyone watches a movie in the living room and falls asleep except for two people, etc.
the scene im writing now, it takes place at the house, & ive already written the dialoge (MC telling them that she’s moving out), but i need to make the setting more interesting so they’re not just standing around the kitchen for this conversation
any help or suggestions are very much appreciated!
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My old boss used to say that giving a character a gun is really exciting and can't be topped.
Jim??
Very good point. It reminds me of how much it bugs me in sitcoms when a houseful of people are standing around doing nothing other than engaging in one moronic conversation.
It also reminds me of a positive example. When I was little, my Dad bought the book of a fiction writer he had met in my home country. I started reading it and was impressed with the mention of something very small that I had known but hadn't thought anything of due to not having an observant enough eye; a mention of the old newspaper that was wet by the time you got home after the greengrocer wrapped your fresh spinach in it.
I think relaying the observations of a sharp, keen eye without making a big deal out of them shows expert craftsmanship.
All the examples you gave are good - what else would you need?
Write about the little everyday details that the characters notice, the sorts of things we often absentmindedly ruminate on during a 1:1 conversation.
E.g. the way the Christmas tree lights create rainbow shadows that reflect off the hard wood floor, the comforting swinging rhythm of the dryer, the slightly burnt musty smell from the first time the furnace turns on all year.
It can simultaneously make the scene more real and memorable while adding depth to the characters feelings during the conversation.
I like to include chores, mostly cooking, sometimes cleaning. Eating can also do the trick. Building something together, re-arranging, looking for something. It depends a lot on what you want to accomplish in that scene.
When your main character is moving out, you could - make them go through the fridge and throw stuff away, then clean it (= I am done, cleaning house) - clean and re-sort a collection (e.g. books) (= I don't truly want to move, I want our stuff and us to stay together) - make them put their stuff into boxes (= can't wait until I am gone)
Throw in pets. Weird behaviors, noises, smells of a cat, dog, goldfish...
I shared a victorian. A changing cast of four plus-people, all sharing kitchen and bathroom. Sometimes we cooked for each other. For a while we had a guy who worked at Mrs Field's Cookies and would bring a box back. I got my hair cut once by one of the gals in that same kitchen
And then there was the room in back. I don't think we ever managed to collect the rent on that one. There was the scary drug addict guy. There was a guy whose current girl wandered into the other women's rooms, completely stoned, and walked out wearing their clothes. There was the OTHER druggie who puffed up there and the smell was so strong we were worried about getting raided, even if the place was in the Hashbury.
When I became a tenant-manager at a different place we did have movie night with one tenant. That was cool. We had the singer who gave guitar lessons, and everyone loved it except for the cranky guy who just wanted quiet (but would sing off-key along to whatever he was listening to on headphones. Loudly.)
And I'm probably giving away too many personal details. Point is, there's some lovely shared moments, trains-in-the-night stuff (sometimes roommates choose each other. More often they are only nodding acquaintances. )And there is all that married-couple petty fighting over cleaning the bathroom or who was frying in the kitchen or I know you are having a tough month but I'm the key tenant and if you don't give me your check then it will be coming out of my pocket.
One thing I didn’t expect was how different feedback became once readers actually finished the book. Early opinions sounded confident but weren’t very actionable.
Silly idea but might be silly enough to work; add an obnoxious house fly. It gives your characters something to do (trying to swat it, shoo it, etc.) It can contrast their personalities with how they try to deal with it too. In general, something is ALWAYS going on at home, even if you're not aware of it all the time. A car outside honks. A train goes by at the station near the house. The cat jumps up on the mantle. Action and things happening, even small things, make the scene feel lived in.
Roommates or "roommates"?
Copious quantities of utterly filthy sex.