The Bent Page

I’m working on a scene for my next novel, Under A Blue Flag, that takes place in this ruined house.

Ruins are great places for dramatic scenes. They’re abandoned, forgotten places where a character can meet his destiny or decide what it will be. If you remember some of those other posts I put up about atmosphere, you’ll know that ruins are also great for that purpose. They’re moody, full of history, reminiscent of the past, and sometimes pessimistic about the future.

The abandoned cunucu house shown in the photo above is actually in an area on the island of Aruba known as Paradera. My characters end up here after a series of wrong turns. I don’t want to say too much more out of fear of revealing too much. Under A Blue Flag ties in directly to its predecessor, An Island Away. Nonetheless, I’m writing the sequel to be a stand alone volume so that it is not necessary (but it would be a good idea) to read the first book.