SIGHTS
Neon beer signs on the walls and over the bar, tinted windows running along the front, rows of pool tables with balls on them, wall racks holding wooden cues, chalk squares (blue being the most common) sitting on table edges, triangular ball racks hanging under a table or laying on the floor underneath it, a bar with stools, drinks (shot glasses, beer bottles, highballs) on small tables around the room’s perimeter, jackets slung on chairs and stools, cues leaning against the walls, pub food being served, a waitress or two in tight clothing taking away empty drinks and bringing fresh ones, a juke box or sound system, TVs bolted in the corners, an ATM machine near the door, video games and pinball machines in the back, dartboards on the wall, a foosball table, a set of restrooms, a small kitchen, bottles of different types of alcohol lining the mirrored wall behind the bar, lime and lemon wedges, money changing hands, signs prohibiting minors, a liquor license displayed near the bar, alcohol sponsor signage, advertisements and sports paraphernalia, beer taps, racks of glasses, crumpled bills on tables, dirty glasses waiting to be picked up, lights hanging over each pool table, people leaning across a pool table to line up a shot, posters and framed pictures of famous pool players, couches and overstuffed chairs in the corner
SOUNDS
Balls knocking into each other, balls shuttling into the pockets or banking against the sides, a ball bouncing over the side and hitting the floor, the squeak of a cue being twisted into a chalk square, cries of disappointment, swearing, crowing and cheering at a good shot, good-natured ribbing, drinkers talking loudly over the noise as they watch the players, glasses and bottles being set on tables, the screech and scuff of a chair leg or stool being pushed back, shot glasses chinking together, noise from the TV, music from the sound system, laughter, slapping down a bet on the felt, darts thunking into the dartboard, a waitress calling orders to the bartender or cook, cash register tape spitting out a bill, noise from the kitchen, balls tumbling rapidly into the tray of a coin-operated table, restroom doors squeaking open and shut
SMELLS
Beer and other alcoholic beverages, chalk, felt, food from the kitchen, sweat, cologne, perfume, body odor, beer breath, cigarette smoke clinging to clothing and hair, leather, oiled wood
TASTES
Beer, pop, vodka, rum, shots of straight liquor (rye, whiskey, tequila), water, crunching ice cubes, pub food (nachos, fries, wings, pizza, burgers), coffee, salt, limes, pretzels
TEXTURES AND SENSATIONS
The slide of a pool cue shaft along the crook of one’s hand, scraping the chalk cube against tip, the weight of a server’s tray loaded with drinks, felt against the fingertips, the satisfying smack as the tip of one’s cue connects with a ball, a rough or chipped tabletop, metallic quarters sliding into a slot, crumpled bills, the cool press of a beer bottle or glass in one’s hand, cold beer wetting the lips and sliding down one’s throat, smooth pool balls, sliding the white ball along the felt after a scratch, high-fiving another player, twirling a cue stick between the fingers, leaning on a stick while awaiting one’s turn, stretching along the table to make a difficult shot, the twisting motion of a swiveling stool, warmth emanating from lights over the tables
POSSIBLE SOURCES OF CONFLICT
Discovering that one has been rooked by a pool shark
Waiting for a table where amateurs are taking forever to finish their game
Partnering with someone whose ability level doesn’t match one’s own
Betting money that one doesn’t have
Getting splashed with beer
Being ogled or harassed
Banging one’s head on the hanging lights
Being jabbed with a stick from behind
Having one’s fingers smashed by a ball
Annoyingly loud music
Someone playing the same song over and over on a jukebox
PEOPLE COMMONLY FOUND HERE
Bartenders, management, pool players, pool sharks, wait staff
RELATED SETTINGS THAT MAY TIE IN WITH THIS ONE
SETTING NOTES AND TIPS
Pool halls are generally noisy, sociable places where people who like billiard games go to hang out with likeminded friends. As with any sporting activity, there will be people of varying abilities and seriousness involved, ranging from the semi-pro with a regular table to the group of college students just looking to goof off. Some pool halls don’t sell alcohol and are able to cater to customers of all ages. But age limits will vary at establishments that sell certain kinds of liquor, so keep this in mind when choosing the background characters for a scene.
SETTING DESCRIPTION EXAMPLE
Arlen hitched the collar of his jean jacket and leaned against the wall, unobtrusive. I smiled, watching him scan the dingy room and finally head for a table in the corner. Arlen had a nose for weekend tough guys—dentists or accountants who came by to slum, sloughing off their wives for the night. None of them had the sense to say no when we asked them for a friendly game of pool, and by the time they left with a gut full of beer, their wallets were much lighter.
Techniques and Devices Used: Light and shadow
Resulting Effects: Characterization, foreshadowing