SIGHTS
Folding doors that open to a short set of stairs, a driver in his seat, a narrow aisle dividing the seats into two sections on either side of the bus, a yellow line on the floor at the front of the bus for passengers to stay behind, leather hand loops dangling from the ceiling, handrails, benches or plastic molded seats, smudged glass windows, a storage rack over the seats, posters and advertisements between or above the windows, graffiti applied to the bus’s interior with markers or pens (images, gang tags, messages, humorous or ironic statements, declarations of love, racial slurs), slumped passengers (minding their own business by reading, texting, listing to music, playing games on a device), torn seat cushions with foam poking through, litter on the floor (napkins, candy wrappers, bits of paper, snack crumbs), city streets and vehicles flashing past the windows, buttons to open the door, a wire to pull when the bus is nearing one’s stop, signs telling passengers to stay back from the door, people standing using handholds, passengers (swaying as the vehicle moves, sitting with shopping bags or backpacks between their feet or on the empty seats beside them), newspapers left on seats, groups of animated teens clustered together, gum stuck to the walls, the seats disfigured by burns, punctures or knife marks
SOUNDS
Coins clattering into a change receptacle on older buses (many modern ones have a ticket-only system), the revving motor as the driver hits the gas at a green light or shifts gears, the squeal of brakes, the whoosh of air brakes, the scrape of a door sliding open, shoes scuffling down the aisle, shopping bags crackling and jackets rustling as passengers get settled in their seats, creaks and squeaks as the metal bus frame bounces along a bumpy road, the voices of passengers chatting, music from a passenger’s headphones, a child’s loud voice, laughter, swearing, the rattle of a newspaper, zippers on purses or backpacks opening and closing, the rustle of plastic bags, coughing and throat clearing, street noise through open windows, bells chiming a stop, boots thumping down the steps in a hurry
SMELLS
Feet, body odor, perfume, body cologne, hair products, leather, greasy hair, dirt, cold metal, stagnant air, warm plastic, a draft of fresh air coming through a cracked window
TASTES
Gum, mints, coffee, bottled water, leftover lunches brought onto the bus
TEXTURES AND SENSATIONS
Hard seats, the shaking and bumping of the bus slowing down and speeding up, brushing against other passengers, squeezing past someone to get to the door, a cold metal handrail against the skin, clamping tight to a purse or backpack, keeping an arm around a small child or holding his sweaty hand in one’s own, pushing on a door with a sleeve or shoulder to avoid touching it with one’s fingers, holding bags on one’s lap so they don’t have to be set on the dirty floor, swaying with the bus’s motion, scooting over to make room for a new passenger
POSSIBLE SOURCES OF CONFLICT
Drunk or disorderly passengers
Someone on drugs who begins to hallucinate
Not having bus fare or losing one’s pass
Getting on the wrong bus
Being forced off in an unfamiliar neighborhood because it’s the last stop of the night
A creepy person who won’t stop staring
A bus breakdown or accident
Someone who is carrying a concealed knife or other weapon
A group of people who gang up on another passenger or the driver
PEOPLE COMMON TO THIS SETTING
A bus driver, passengers
RELATED SETTINGS THAT MAY TIE IN WITH THIS ONE
Big city street, small town street
SETTING NOTES AND TIPS
The mood of a city bus often starts and ends with the driver. Some are highly social, smiling and asking questions of their passengers and talking about local matters. Other drivers are there to do a job: drive. They keep to themselves and reply to questions only when necessary—often in grunts—and prefer to answer questions by directing passengers to a nearby stack of pamphlets that list bus routes and pickup schedules.
As with so many settings, the people inhabiting it will be there for different reasons. A person may be riding the bus because he doesn’t own a car, his vehicle is in the shop, he’s had his license revoked, or he’s an illegal immigrant without documentation to obtain a license. There could be more sinister reasons, like a terrorist planning to detonate a bomb or an escaped convict hoping to travel with anonymity. Everyone has a story. You don’t have to know the intimate details behind every character in your novel, but developing a quick snapshot of why they’re in that particular setting will provide insight into who they are and what they can do for you.
SETTING DESCRIPTION EXAMPLE
Anna slid closer to the window as a portly businessman dropped into the seat next to her, making the cushion jump. He yammered nonstop into a cell phone, stealing all the room between them. His onion breath was so toxic it could have been classified as a biological weapon. Good grief. This is what she got for claiming an empty bench instead of choosing a seat next to someone else.
Techniques and Devices Used: Hyperbole, multisensory descriptions
Resulting Effects: Characterization, reinforcing emotion