The images of UNE’s library, specifically of the first floor, are empty and bright. The space is liminal, reminiscent of any other library in a school setting, one that evokes nostalgia due to our school day memories, many of which, in hindsight, are treated as positive, even if they weren’t at the time, as time tends to make us long for things that we do not have anymore, even if they weren’t anything we particularly wanted. The space has no people, thus sucking the soul from the space. It is a place that should be full of people, but instead, it is hollow, leaving an uneasy feeling in your stomach. The combination of the two makes the space feel older than it is. The empty chair reflects this loneliness that the empty space as a whole contains. But how does this form a mood for a reader? If telling a contemporary story, you can show a character’s sense of isolation or a longing for the past using these images. For example: “The chairs and desks sat empty along the wall, the genaric carpet stretching on a long distance. Across from Selena, a chair with a tattered cushion sat empty.” This example sets up a lonely tone, showcasing the mood that surrounds the character in the scene.
Something about these images, which I took while studying one day, that stuck out like a sore thumb was the bright overhead lights. These lights are flurorescent, lights that are typically harsh and unforgiving in their nature. As a writer, I could use this to highlight a character’s flaws in an unforgiving light through a comparison. For example: “The flurorescent overhead lights cast shadows across Selena’s face, revealing pock marks and the pale remnants of acne. The light is the opposite color of the circles under her eyes, instead opting to match the walls…” In this example, I’m not only setting up where she is, but also details about her in an unflattering light. The pock marks indicate stress, acne her youth, insomnia and stress with the circles under her eyes, etc. It isn’t just setting up the mood of a room, but the mood of a character’s inner life as well.
