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Happy Canada Day to all our Canadian readers. I grew up in
the Detroit suburbs and have fond memories of the amazing celebration of our
combined holidays—U.S.’s Independence Day and Canada Day. Dad would pile us all
into our red Ford station wagon and drive us over to Windsor, Ontario. We’d watch the
fireworks on the Detroit River from a riverside park. Back then Windsor was a
lot safer than Detroit. We’d spread blankets on the grass, bring out the
popcorn and pop, and settle down to wait for the display to begin. The Windsor
orchestra would play patriotic tunes. Then the best—the 1812 Overture complete
with cannons booming and fireworks flaring in the night sky. So, Happy 4th
of July and Happy Canada Day, everyone.
Our combined celebration reminds me of world building, one of my favorite things to do. Whether it’s in a science fiction adventure or a romantic suspense, readers want to be grounded in that world. Holidays can be used to give more information about where your story is set, without an info dump. In my book Switched Resolution, third and final book in the Switched series, the main characters are given the privilege of serving as honor guards at the opening of the Founders’ Day ceremony. Participating in the commemoration of the brave people who settled and tamed the wild planet is a great honor. But since their ship has been stolen by renegades, the officers must go after it. They are no-shows at the ceremony. Bad news all around. Disrespectful to boot.
If you’re describing a holiday, be sure to include the foods available. At Tulip Time, a week-long celebration of Dutch heritage in Holland, Michigan, food trucks offer a variety of foods, including many Dutch specialties. In your celebrations, are there parades? Carnivals? Is it serious or was it at one time? Has it disintegrated into an excuse for frolicking and getting high? Or is it religious? Play with the concept and see what fun you can have, rather, what your characters can have.
Enjoy this holiday weekend. Stay safe and have fun.
Blurb:
Actions have consequences as
Space Fleet Captain Marcus Viator and NASA reject Scott Cherella discover when
they switched places. Does the reserved Marcus have what it takes to imitate
his smart-aleck twin? Despite help from his love, Veronese, Scott’s already
been outed by two of Marcus’ best friends.
When rebels steal the ship with part of the crew aboard, Scott has to rescue them and retrieve the Freedom. The stakes increase when he discovers the rebels are heading for Earth. They know he’s a fraud and they want Marcus. The safety of the Alliance of Planets depends on Scott and his allies.
Switched Resolution, which wraps up the Switched series, takes the reader from Earth—where Marcus adjusts to a pregnant Jessie—to the starship Freedom commandeered by rebels, to the chase ship with Scott and Veronese aboard.
Amazon ~ Amazon UK ~ Barnes &
Noble ~ iTunes ~ Kobo ~ Smashwords
11 comments:
My favorite memory of the holiday is herding my sons' scout pack/troop along the parade route between high school marching bands in our midsized Mid-Michigan communities while those seated in lawnchairs and on curbs waved and excitedly watched for their kids.The most moving was seeing the group of veterans from WWII get smaller and smaller.
I agree that holidays are great world-building opportunities. You can look at it from all sides, as it can mean many different things to many different people. Nice post, Diane! Hope you enjoy the holidays!
I lived in Canada for about 6 months. When we traveled to see my folks, we went through Windsor and Detroit. I can remember making runs to Detroit because beverages were less expensive. In The Texas Cowboy, there is a July 4th carnival and horse race. I only described some junk foods available like my favorite Cotton Candy. Your holidays sound just perfect. In Houston, the symphony played at the outdoor theatre in the park. There were fireworks and the 1812 like you described.
Oh the food plays such an important part in events. Great tips! Happy Holiday!
Loved your post. I always have food and fun activities in my world building. It makes things so much more interesting! Thanks for sharing!
Tena here I posted the anonymous above. I’m camping and it doesn’t like my mobile Wi-Fi. LOL
Nancy, parades are so much fun. I always enjoyed watching my kids and grandkids in the parades.
Good point, Jess. Holidays can fulfill many aspects of world building. They're fun for us, too.
Linda, on one trip back to Detroit, we got stuck in the tunnel while some idiot's horn sounded LaCucaracha over and over. LOL I thought you did a good job with the "fair food" in The Texas Cowboy.
Maureen, I love ethnic celebrations--the costumes, dances, but mainly the food. Yum.
Tena, foods and celebrations add so much to a story. Really grounds the reader. Hope you're having fun!
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