SIGHTS
Tall glass cases filled with doughnuts (glazed, sugared, powdered, garnished with nuts and sprinkles, drizzled with frosting and filled with cream), paper-wrapped muffins (carrot, banana nut, chocolate chip, blueberry and bran), a selection of cookies on red plastic trays, golden loaves of bread in bins or wrapped in bags, colorful fruit tarts and glazed flans, Danishes, chocolate squares, macaroons and éclairs, a selection of cakes in white boxes, a stainless steel counter with a cash register and debit machine, daily specials written on a black chalkboard on the wall, a small mini cooler for bottled drinks (pop, juice, milk, iced tea), a sitting area with small tables or booths where patrons can enjoy their gooey confections, an open doorway to the kitchen (flour dusting the counters, bagels being pulled from giant ovens, berry pies cooling as their juices ooze through decorative slits in the crust), a freshly washed tile floor, bakery employees rushing about in white uniforms and aprons covered in chocolate streaks and flour, a whirring bread machine mixing batter, a lineup of metal pans that are greased and ready for bread dough, a large stainless steel sink, a stack of crumb-smeared plates waiting to go into an industrial-sized dishwasher, shelves holding cans of yeast, bags of sugar and bins filled with different types of flours, a walk-in cooler
SOUNDS
Dough mixing in an industrial mixer, the slide and catch of the cash register, oven timers going off with a beep, a roomful of customers chatting as they eat, the crackle of wax paper as one grabs doughnuts or muffins, the clatter of cutlery and plates, the crunch of crusty bread, people murmuring their appreciation, the creak of an oven hinge as the door is opened or closed, the gentle sawing of a knife cutting through a bagel or bun, the watery slosh of the dishwasher, the clunk of garbage dropping into trash bins, the chime of a bell as the front door opens, cell phones ringing, the crackle of a paper bag being folded down and handed to a customer
SMELLS
Yeasty dough rising and then baking, sugar, melted butter, coffee, toasted bread, roasted nuts, maple or honey, tea, savory spices, garlic, cinnamon, cardamom, ginger, lemon, chocolate, cheese-topped croissants and bagels browning in the oven
TASTES
Soft fresh bread dripping with melted butter, the spicy zing of ginger, sugary glaze dissolving on the tongue, crunchy nuts, grains and seeds, fudgy cream-filled doughnuts, billowy whipped cream, rich chocolate, bitter coffee, water, seedy jams, smooth cream cheese, lemon zest decorating a loaf, maple glazes, tea, salt, crumbly pie crust with sweet berry or apple filling
TEXTURES AND SENSATIONS
Cool jam or lemon filling squirting out of a doughnut and sticking to one’s cheek, sugar crumbs sticking to fingertips, a dry smudge of powdered sugar on the lips, sticky glaze on one’s fingers, a papery napkin swiped across one’s mouth, a glass beaded with condensation, the slight singe of hot coffee through a mug, carrying a plate warm from the dishwasher to one’s table, ripping moist rolls in half to slather on butter, biting into the light crispy layers of puff pastry or chewy bread, butter or melting jam oozing onto one’s fingers, shaking a sugar packet before ripping it open, tugging a paper napkin from a dispenser, pressing one’s fingertip against the plate to gather the last few crumbs of a savored treat, the weight of a knife in one’s hand as it scrapes butter across a roll, the baked-thin feel of a muffin paper
POSSIBLE SOURCES OF CONFLICT
A holdup
Slipping on a wet floor
A kitchen fire
An employee being burned while using the oven or fryer
Being confronted by a rival in the crowded seating area and being accused of something embarrassing
An infestation of bugs
Bioterrorism (an agent such as Anthrax being mixed with powdered sugar to kill a large group of people)
A surprise health inspection
A health inspector with a bone to pick
Eating something that triggers an allergic reaction
Hair in one’s food
PEOPLE COMMONLY FOUND HERE
Bakers, customers, delivery personnel, employees, health inspectors
RELATED SETTINGS THAT MAY TIE IN WITH THIS ONE
Rural Volume: Kitchen
Urban Volume: Coffeehouse, deli, diner
SETTING NOTES AND TIPS
Selections may vary depending on whether your bakery is commercial or a small mom-and-pop store. Some bakeries are strictly for the sale of baked goods and there is no seating, while others have a café atmosphere, offering a place for customers to sit and eat, drink coffee, and meet friends. Bakeries can be specialized, selling a specific product like cakes or doughnuts, while others may have a variety of baked goods and cake decorating services. If you wish to bring a multicultural element to your novel why not make it a German, Chinese, or Swedish bakery that specializes in cultural confections?
SETTING DESCRIPTION EXAMPLE
Regina wiped her hand on her apron and lowered several doughy rings into the vat of oil. In mere seconds the doughnuts ballooned to twice their size, floating in their glistening bath like little brown life preservers. Her brain tallying calories, she lifted the doughnuts out and tossed them into the bowl of sugar, careful to keep from touching the tempting powder. She examined her resolve and found it strong, like a castle wall meant to repel enemies. If she could make her weight-loss goal while working here, she could do it anywhere.
Techniques and Devices Used: Simile
Resulting Effects: Characterization