SIGHTS
Wrap-around leather couches, an ice chest with complimentary water bottles, LED track lighting creating a neon glow at the ceiling or floor height, controls for a sound system, a tinted privacy divider between the passengers and cab, a sun roof, excited partygoers, a bottle of spirits being passed around or added to cans of pop, a dimmer switch for lights, empty bottles or beer cans on ledges, polished tinted windows, shiny silver door handles, a mini wet bar with glasses and cup holders, a TV and DVD player, USB connections, chrome detailing, a mirrored ceiling around the sunroof, fiber optics backlighting the stereo display, a driver assisting passengers into and out of the limo, each passenger’s face bathed in light, couples making out, occupants doing drugs
SOUNDS
Loud music, laughter, partygoers (shouting over the music, standing up to look out the sunroof, watching a movie on the TV, drinking), horns honking outside, static on the radio when switching channels, the whir of an automatic window opening and closing, the driver receiving directions from the passengers, the click of a door shutting, ice cubes clinking against a drink glass, the rush of traffic outside, the steady movement of the wheels over the pavement
SMELLS
Alcohol, sweat, too much perfume or aftershave trapped in a small space, leather, air conditioning
TASTES
Alcohol, water, pop or mix, snacks brought into the limo
TEXTURES AND SENSATIONS
Smooth leather seats, cold ice cubes, bumping against one another in the limo, a sudden wetness as one spills a drink, the jerk and sway of the limousine turning corners or stopping at intersections, feeling the vibration of bass through the seat, standing up through the sun roof to feel the cool night air rush against one’s face
POSSIBLE SOURCES OF CONFLICT
People drinking too much and needing to pull over
Traffic snarls that delays busy passengers
A breakdown or flat tire
Speeding and being pulled over by the police
Someone getting carsick and flooding the backseat with a sour smell
Not having cash to tip the driver
Having a passenger that is a well-known criminal or has ties to important people within the mob
Driving the limo and witnessing one’s passengers engage in a highly illegal activity
PEOPLE COMMONLY FOUND HERE
A limo driver, passengers (teens on prom night, visiting dignitaries, celebrities, a wedding couple)
RELATED SETTINGS THAT MAY TIE IN WITH THIS ONE
Rural Volume: Mansion, prom, wedding reception
Urban Volume: Black-tie event, casino, green room, hotel room, penthouse suite, performing arts theater
SETTING NOTES AND TIPS
While limousines often do carry glassware for passengers to use while drinking, most avoid using them because of sanitary reasons. Limousines also come in all shapes and sizes, including large SUV and Hummer versions.
Vehicles in their various forms have one overarching purpose: to take people from one place to another. As such, they’re great for honing in on the theme of transformation. In the story, the character may move from Point A to Point B, but we all know that not all journeys are physical ones. Even a short trip can offer an opportunity for inner thought and reflection about one’s character, recent decisions, and future goals. In a setting like this, think about the parallels you might make between your character’s starting and ending points and her own inner path of self-fulfillment and where it needs to go.
SETTING DESCRIPTION EXAMPLE
I climbed into the limo after Denise and slid down the leather seat to the end, trying not to gape. A stocked mini bar and two TV sets sat across from me and green track lighting ringed the walls, casting my pale dress in a soft emerald glow. Denise fiddled with a knob on the sound system and music blasted, sending base notes thrumming up through the cushioned seats. Even better, the lights pulsed in time with the beat, turning the interior into our own private disco ball party. Wow. Never in a million years had I imagined my ride to prom would be anything like this. Laura and Stephen were going to fall down and die of supreme envy when we pulled into the parking lot.
Techniques and Devices Used: Hyperbole, light and shadow, multisensory descriptions
Resulting Effects: Establishing mood, reinforcing emotion