Next month, my seventh novel, Undeveloped Memories, will hit the book market! As I’ve done in the past, I’m highlighting key elements to the book and giving readers the Behind the Pages sneak peek at what inspired them. Typically, I stick to spotlighting characters, but in this case, I had to make an exception. Undeveloped Memories takes place primarily in Alaska, USA, where beauty, majesty, and intrigue abound, making it like a character in itself. In fact, every time I tell people the book is set in Alaska, people always react with the same memorized curiosity.
As I’ve shared before, I usually like to use settings where I’ve been able to visit in real life so that I can give my writing that realistic element. I’ve never had the privilege of going to the Last Frontier, so many wonder why I’ve chosen this as the location for the book. When I was workshopping the idea for the plot, I wanted it to follow a family member developing an old roll of film from a relative’s travels, and I wanted to frame that mysterious trip around a recognizable landscape. I tossed around several notions of it being an international locale, but going that far out of my realm of experience daunted me. Though I haven’t been to Alaska, at least it was in my home country, so I wouldn’t have to learn an entirely new culture with foreign aspects.
In order to make this Alaskan adventure of particular interest to the main character, Lorelei, I needed to create a contrast. That way, she found it odd to see her Uncle Reed in such a cold climate. Thus, I made their home a place I have been able to visit once, Sedona, Arizona. As much as the two areas differ in climate, they share the commonality of being visually immersive and stunningly gorgeous. For both landmarks, I knew this would have to be my most descriptive work to date…which intimidated me.
How could I bring to life such an iconic area, when I’ve never been there?
The Internet can’t be understated in tasks like this, as I’ll get to later. Before I dove into the web, however, I wanted to get a human vantage point. I had an ideal resource in a good friend who spent some of her childhood living in Alaska. Over the course of several conversations, she schooled me on the culture, food, and lifestyle up there in the 1960s. Most importantly, she gave me a vivid narrative of surviving the major earthquake in 1964, which became a central part of the story.
She also lent me reading material about the state, including a book written by a local man. This all provided me with the human feel I wanted to capture and reinforced my understanding that if I wanted to go down this path, I had to lean into both the picturesque surroundings as well as the element of unpredictable weather. Living in Ohio, unpredictable and cold temperatures were nothing new to me. Still, her words along with the book she lent me showed that our climates aren’t exactly alike, either.
After I obtained that personal perspective, I let the Internet take me the rest of the way. I devoted a lot of my research to the earthquake, and many destinations branched off from that. While Lorelei’s trip is based in Anchorage, she navigates through much of the central part of the state. I was even able to view a small museum Lorelei goes to and virtually tour through it room-by-room.
The one wonder in Alaska I couldn’t explore to my satisfaction is the Aurora Borealis. The phenomenon did make an appearance in my neck of the woods last year, but it paled in comparison to the magnificent spectacle one beholds there. Nonetheless, I employed my imagination and glimpses of it in photos and videos to craft a poignant scene with it that is truly one of my favorites of any pieces I’ve written before.
Despite Lorelei being much more well-traveled than I am, Undeveloped Memories chronicles her first journey there. I thoroughly enjoyed taking it with her and hope readers do, too!
Also See
Character Spotlight: Lorelei Carmichael
KarinaBartow.com 
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