Jane Harper’s, Force of Nature, is about five women lost in the Giralong Ranges. Jane’s antagonist is extreme weather, providing the perfect sense of place. However, the weather is not what kicks the pace along. It’s finding a cell signal. Sometimes it seems as though the book’s premise rests on either the lost hikers or detectives finding mobile reception. Technology meets sense of place to ramp up suspense.
We know exactly what kind of place Chris Hammer’s Scrublands detective is up against with only a couple of lines ‘He checks his phone, thinking of accessing Google Maps, but there is no service. Christ, no mobile phone. He hadn’t thought of that. He regards the town as he might a foreign land.’
The way technology and sense of place work together is perfectly illustrated in Madeline Grey’s novel, The Green Dot. Her entire story is played out in the protagonist’s head, as she waits for those dancing green dots on her phone. The ellipsis that mean her lover is texting her. Wherever she is, she sneaks a look at her phone. Her location often dictates the way checking her phone makes her feel. How do you feel when you check your phone in a café with friends? At the dinner table? During a church service? How would it appear to others if you checked your phone at a funeral? Locality can set the pace for how technology makes us feel.
I can’t remember where I read this, but it made me laugh out loud. ‘Oh, my God! There are no bars!’ The other character says, ‘So where are we going to drink?’ With the response. ‘No, I mean there are no bars on my phone!’
Then there are ringtones. I adore a good ring tone that gives a great sense of place. In Italy Midnight Oil’s Beds are Burning was my ringtone for years. Almost everyone who heard it knew immediately I was Australian. It also sounded incongruous up against the chime of Florentine bells, somehow giving Italy a deeper feeling of location. Contrasts can accentuate a location.
The re-imagined use of technology can do much for anti-sense of place (as I like to call it) too. Imagine a farmhouse in Tuscany with a little old Nonna punching deftly at icons on her Apple watch – now that would be interesting. It’s that contrast again that can expand connection to surroundings.
There will always be a place for the parish calendar and our five senses. But it’s 2024 and even old Mrs. Smith’s isolated life is impacted by technology, even if it’s a good-hearted neighbor nipping over to deliver Mrs. Smith’s sons’ text messages. To give technology a bit of kudos and make it the hero or the villain can add a whole new dimension to your sense of place. It’s just that often writers don’t fully realise the correlation between their characters, setting and technology. But if we are colouring outside the lines, that’s the space in which the most lively, vibrant and beautiful writing can happen.
Originally featured in Northerly, the latest edition of the Byron Bay Writers Festival magazine, this series explores how we can preserve and evoke a strong sense of place in our writing using our digital life. Let’s look at how digital toys can work hand-in-hand with atmosphere and belonging. Check out Part 1 in our previous Blog.
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One spot left! July 6–10 | Florence
Join The Art of Telling Your Story — a transformative retreat for writers ready to shape their stories with power and purpose.
Discover how powerful it is to learn the craft behind both memoir and fiction.
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DIALOGUE ALERT!
Free Zoom Author Chat: "Time to Write" with Jane Corry
Mark your calendars. This TIME TO WRITE is for anyone wanting to deepen their understanding of dialogue.
Date: June 17
Time:
• 10:00 AM (UK)
• 11:00 AM (Italy)
• 7:00 PM (Sydney)
Jane Corry will be joining us to discuss:
- What is the purpose of dialogue in storytelling, especially for beginner writers to understand?
- How do you make dialogue sound natural without it becoming boring or too realistic?
- What are the biggest mistakes new writers make when writing dialogue?
Bring your questions and get ready to write better scenes, sharper character voices, and dialogue that moves your story forward.
Lisa
