I've talked before about how I need pictures of my heroine and hero before I get too deep into a book. I've also talked about how I've started printing out calendar pages and keeping track of what chapters take place on which days. It's a huge help for staying straight on the time frame. But I don't think I've ever mentioned my use of home plans.
I know there are authors who sketch out their characters' homes and even authors who buy computer programs to sketch out homes, but I never saw the point in that. I have a site bookmarked that has thousands of house plans available, and when I start a new book, I go looking for the right house. Sometimes it's not an easy search. Logan's home in Edge of Dawn took a good deal of searching, but when I found the right one, it was beautiful. Not only did I have the plans, but there were also pictures of the house built and furnished. Totally not Logan's style at all, but yet totally right for the book. As it turned out, Logan didn't care what his house looked like inside, he just loved the property and the garage.
Last night, I went looking for Kel's house. Kel is the hero in the Work In Progress (WIP). And I managed to find his home on the first try. (I did look at a few more, just to make sure I was right, but that first house was it.) Unlike his brother, Kel's house is Kel. It's smaller than Logan's place, homey, and has a lot of outdoor space. Kel doesn't like the walls closing in on him. No pictures of the place decorated, but knowing Kel, I'm sure it's done simply and comfortably. That's a guess, though.
Very little of the story takes place in Kel's home. I think they're there for about one scene and then it's on to the next location, but even if the h/h don't return to the house at the end of the book (I don't know if they will or not), I still like to know. The house says a lot about the person and the insight into Kel's character was interesting. I wouldn't have guessed he was into such a homey type home, but as soon as I saw it, I was like, yeah. That fits him.
So there you go, one more obsessive detail that I cover before I get too far into a story.
