SIGHTS
Rows of vehicles (cars, trucks and minivans) in various colors and models, price placards propped against the dashboard or written on a window sticker, shiny paint and chrome glimmering in the sun, strings of colorful plastic flags that flap in the wind, clusters of balloons tethered to antennas or posts, a rare or antique car on a raised platform to showcase it better, inflatable tubes that flap and dance as air flows through them, blow-up mascot characters that tower over the lot to draw the attention of those driving by, a building with glass walls, taglines (The best deals in town! or Drive off with an incredible bargain today!) written on the glass windows in florescent paint, salespeople taking customers through the lot or arranging for test drives, big sale signs announcing financing deals, a paved entry and exit, a car wash area, a mechanic’s bay, a customer parking area, a few flower pots or other generic landscaping touches, oil stains on the pavement
SOUNDS
Vehicles firing up in various conditions (slow starting chugs, grinding or squealing that gives way to a steady rumble, the tinny rattle of the heat shield vibrating as a truck idles), the wind causing flags and air socks to flutter and flap, the hum and rush of traffic from an adjoining street, customers discussing a vehicle with a salesman, the squeak of a door hinge, doors and trunks slamming closed, tires rolling across pavement or gravel, the sputter of exhaust, music floating out of store speakers, a voice over the intercom calling someone to the front desk, metal clanking, the high-pitched whine of air tools and hydraulics lifting and lowering from the mechanic’s bay
SMELLS
Car exhaust, hot pavement tar, oil stains baking in the sun, sweat and cologne from salespeople and customers, cigarette smoke
TASTES
Some settings have no specific tastes associated with them beyond what the character might bring into the scene (chewing gum, mints, lipstick, cigarettes, etc.). For scenes like these, where specific tastes are sparse, it would be best to stick to descriptors from the other four senses.
TEXTURES AND SENSATIONS
The sun beating down on one’s head, heat rising from the pavement, opening a car door and feeling the heat rush out, running a finger along the ridge of a hood or spoiler, scraping at a rust spot with a fingernail to test if it will flake, rubbing at a scratch to see if it is just a line of dust, lifting a car hood, brushing hands together to loosen the dust, the give of an older car’s front seat, gripping onto the steering wheel to see how it feels, pressing buttons and fiddling with knobs, the rush of air from a heating or cooling vent, the painful bounce of a car that needs its shocks replaced
POSSIBLE SOURCES OF CONFLICT
Fraudulent claims regarding a vehicle’s condition
Buying a vehicle only to discover filed-off serial numbers and other signs of illegal activity
Discovering there’s a bank lien on one’s used vehicle
Taking one’s car to a mechanic only to find out it was in an undisclosed accident
Driving a car off the lot and having it break down
Lot vandalism (cars spray painted, windshields smashed in)
Weather that destroys one’s car, such as a hailstorm or tornado
Dealing with a pushy salesperson
Being talked into spending more money than one intended to spend
Spilling a drink on the cloth seat of one of the cars
The dealership acquiring a car and finding something disturbing inside (blood stains in the trunk, etc.)
PEOPLE COMMONLY FOUND HERE
Administrative clerks, car salespeople, customers, mechanics, support staff
RELATED SETTINGS THAT MAY TIE IN WITH THIS ONE
Rural Volume: Salvage yard
Urban Volume: Mechanic’s shop, parking lot
SETTING NOTES AND TIPS
Used car dealerships are often portrayed as being shady or full of con-artist salesmen, but if this was always the case, the industry wouldn’t stay afloat for long. Be aware of the clichés associated with this setting so you can steer clear of them. This doesn’t mean that your dealership can’t be a front for money laundering or one that engages in fraud; just fill it out with details that feel authentic, and stay away from balding, cigar-puffing salesmen wearing bad suits.
SETTING DESCRIPTION EXAMPLE
When Tracey drove the dealership’s new acquisition into the bay, I didn’t even need to look up from my toolbox. From the laborious rattle of the engine’s struggling breath, I knew I’d be here all weekend trying to resurrect the dead.
Techniques and Devices Used: Personification
Resulting Effects: Sometimes description needs to be economical. Here, specific word choice and vivid imagery convey the setting concisely in an efficient manner.