Setting, #3

My main idea for the setting right now is a group of high school/college kids on some sort of mission trip or service trip.

They would be far away from home, and probably in a relatively isolated place. After reading Dracula this summer, Eastern Europe sounds appealing. I think somewhere in the mountains would be good.

On the other hand, I also like the idea of it taking place in an old monastery or abbey -- much like Northanger Abbey, the only Jane Austen book I like. In fact, I am thinking of incorporating Northanger Abbey-like elements, where the fact that the main characters are in that place changes their thinking and behavior. But I don't want this to be a parody -- there will be real consequences for their changed thinking, rather than just an imaginary gothic novel taking place around them.

(I say "on the other hand" because I have no idea if there are abbeys in Eastern Europe.)

The idea of setting it in some kind of religious school seems less interesting. A trip of some sort makes their isolation more profound and more believable.

I'm going to go through my list of requirements and see if this (the mission trip idea) meets them:

• An element of secrecy and seclusion -- YES, they are away from home, especially if they are in a small town or village.
  
• Some travel into the outside world -- YES, this would be their daily activities.
  
• Some communication with the outside world -- POSSIBLE, maybe Resa has found a way to use the Internet or the telephone without anyone else knowing. Or maybe she's just getting letters somehow.
  
• Enforced chastity -- YES, as long as that's part of the religious creed of the group.
  
• Some kind of religion -- YES.
  
• Some form of higher justice -- YES, the local government wherever they are.

I think this would be a good option, and it's the one that's stuck with me the most. I suppose I can resolve my debate of extreme isolation vs. an abbey setting by putting them in a small town in France or Spain. HEY -- I've actually been to a small town in France! Maybe a bit less research I'll have to do before November 1.

The age of the characters is another big thing to decide. I think I will make them 18 and over, because that means their parents can be much less involved. Not sure if they'll be college students or not, though. This I will continue to think about -- that's sort of a half-setting, half-character issue.

I am happy with this for now, but I'm not positive yet. I'll continue to play with it a bit more and see how it holds up.