Many of Stephen King’s books are based in Maine, the state in which he was born, and the small town setting works really well to give the reader a visualisation of the story. If you can picture yourself in the midst of the action, then it’s all the more effective. I’ve gone for that with Rock Zombie. But, probably, a little less subtle.
The events of my upcoming comedy/horror ghost/zombie book take place in the town I grew up in… Redcar, on the north east coast of England. The streets are real, the places are real, but the people aren’t. I have to be very clear about this at the outset. In fact, at the very front of the novel you’ll come across this Author’s Note:
This novel is set in a real town… my hometown of Redcar on the northeast
coast of England. All of the pubs, clubs, parks, squares, streets, shops and
side-alleys described are very real places and many still exist today (or they
did in the ‘90s when this story is set). In fact, you could quite easily walk the
route the characters take and stop in for a drink, a dance, a play, or something
to eat along the way (if you do, please take photos and tag me in them, that
would be excellent!)
Despite the real locations, the characters are all entirely fictitious. Every
teenager, barman, waitress, copper, soldier, drinker, dancer, raver, bell-ringer,
priest, butcher, baker, candlestick maker, zombie, and ghost is a product of
my overactive imagination. Any resemblance to real people, living or dead, is
purely coincidental.
This silly story is a bit of a love letter to the ‘90s and, as such, it contains
references to many TV shows, movies, characters, bands, and songs from the
era. Every chapter is the title of a song, but no lyrics or quotes are reproduced
anywhere in this novel, except for those that are in the public domain.
The inherent problem of setting stories in real places (which most of mine are) is the risk that a character might appear to be based on someone real. If I have a scene in a pub, for example, and the pub is real, but I make the landlord a bit of wanker, I have to be really clear that, ‘this is not based on the actual landlord of that pub.‘ I even have a similar statement on the copyright page… not that the landlord might be a wanker, but that, if he is, it’s purely a coincidence.
It’s a fine line to walk but one that I think is worth it, as it adds an essence of realism to the stories, and, let’s be honest, a story about a ghost and zombie probably could do with a little added realism.
There will be parts of this story that Redcar locals might read and go, Oh, yeah, that’s familiar, but if I’ve done my job properly, that should be the case for everyone.
This Friday – yes, Friday the 13th! – I’ll reveal the cover and the blurb! If you’d like to be involved in the cover reveal there’s a sign-up form on my social media stuff.
Cheers folks,
A.B. Finlayson 