This is kind of silly, but I wanted to save (and share) it.
The beginning of my novel takes place in a bar located just off the beach. Before writing, I went back and looked at some of our vacation pictures we took in Cozumel a few years ago to set the scene in my head.
Then, I opened Pandora (the free music streaming service) and searched until I found a music feed called Laid Back Beach Music. With Ziggy Marley playing softly in the background, I really got into the mood and began to visualize just what this little dive bar on the beach looked like in my head.
I can’t always listen to music when I write (and podcasts and talk radio are right out), but this really put me in the mood!
Is it raining where the bar is located? I ask because that was the first thing I pictured in my own head. A vacation spot in the rain; and people are still there – it’s NOT the end of the world.
But that’s just me.
In a bit of artistic license, it’s not raining when he arrives, but is by the time he leaves. :)