Along with an appearance for your character, you’ll need to determine his or her surroundings. That usually means the place where they live. But if you’re like me, you probably have limited experience in housing. All of the places I’ve lived have generally fallen into a middle-class range. Nothing very run-down or poor and certainly nothing ritzy. So what do you do if your character lives somewhere vastly different from you? Here are some options for getting the details you need.

Neighborhood
Start by looking around your own city to see if there are areas of it that are suitable to your character’s needs. While your own neighborhood may not be right (too rich, too poor, too average), you might find something that will work for your story close to home. The People or Living section of the local newspaper might have feature articles on specific neighborhoods as well. An online chamber of commerce site can provide good information as well.

Home Shows
Many communities offer tours of newly constructed homes to the public. Take along a camera and snap pictures of the latest in quality living. You can often find details on local shows through the chamber of commerce.

Apartment Buildings
Large apartment complexes often have different layouts to their units and floor plan maps showing the different choices. Or ask to have a tour of their model apartment or a vacant one, if available.

Realtor Websites
Online photos and virtual tours of houses that are currently for sale are becoming more popular. Check out the websites of your local real estate companies and see if you can find a house that suits your character. This works especially well if your character lives in a different city or state.

Hotel Websites
Is your character planning to visit Las Vegas or some other city, try checking out the hotel websites in the area. In Vegas, you can view floor plans and photos of the rooms in the MGM Grand to the Bellagio. If your character’s tastes and finances are more modest, you can also view photos for motels like Super 8 or Holiday Inn.

Furniture Stores
Once you’ve determined the housing for your character, you need to furnish it. An afternoon in a furniture store can provide some great ideas. Take a camera along to record your findings.

Home Improvement Stores
Another option is to hang out at a home improvement store. Many have displays of kitchen and bath designs that might just fit your character’s home. And maybe you’ll get an idea for that hobby project your character is working on… remodeling a bathroom, anyone?

Decorating Magazines
This is another good source for pictures of rooms where your character might spend his or her leisure time. Use the different photos to build a home for your character.

As with other aspects of character building, try to select a few key details about your character’s environment to draw a picture for your readers of who your character is.

Next up, the final piece in the character puzzle. Stay tuned!

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