trouble describing the tavern my story takes place in

[iStephyKitten]

My story has not yet been started, however, the main character as of now is a tavern wench named Alise. Here is my plan for the first scene..

Alise, a tavern wench, recently got discharged from her duties when a fight broke out within the tavern after a man had slapped her for not working fast enough(this can be changed later to something better if anyone has any ideas). Bitter at this man, Alise secretly followed the man home that night to score her revenge. Where was this place he stayed? She didnt know. It seemed to be secluded from everything she found familiar. Alise hid in the darkness outside his house waiting for her chance to strike. As he moved around his house, she constantly kept up with him in hopes to not lose sight. As she did this, she tripped over something on the ground. When she looked around her, she noticed she was in a grave yard. There were many dug up, empty coffins which she instantly reconized to be the graveyard of the undead.

I have quite a bit more. If anyone would like to read the rest of the planning i made, go here. http://www.gaiaonline.com/journal/index.php?mode=view&u=44369

[erikakaiser]

Wow, bitter tavern wench. o_o

For describing the tavern ... Dictionary.com defines 'tavern' as:
tav·ern
An establishment licensed to sell alcoholic beverages to be consumed on the premises.
An inn for travelers.

And I've always thought a tavern to be both a bar and an inn, so keep in mind the possibilities of that.
If you're legally old enough, you can go into a bar and get a "feel" of how one is -- and then perhaps change that in accordance to whenever/wherever your story takes place. And if you don't want to go into a bar, you can go to an Olive Garden or someplace similar and sit at the bar there. And then fill in the blanks with imagination. xp

[finalrain]

Call it "quaint." That always seems to work.

[Wynnn]

Use sensory detail. Think about temperature, lighting, smell, air quality, sound, mood. The best descriptions don't tell how a place looks but rather they make the reader feel a part of the setting. Have a clear image of what the tavern is like before you begin. For example, is it dark or bright? Lit by fire or white lamps? Crowded or empty?

[RiddleRaven]

ValidJack

Use sensory detail. Think about temperature, lighting, smell, air quality, sound, mood. The best descriptions don't tell how a place looks but rather they make the reader feel a part of the setting. Have a clear image of what the tavern is like before you begin. For example, is it dark or bright? Lit by fire or white lamps? Crowded or empty?

That is very good advice. Usually when someone starts describing the arrangement of the furniture, etc. I skip over it. The temperature, lighting, mood, air quality (that's a good one), sound (how loud are the patrons tonight? Are they howling over a game of arm-wrestling or gambling? Are they babbling drunkedly? Or are they all passed out in their puke, with only a few still imbibing their drinks slowly until they reach that point, and maybe a few thinking to themselves by the fire?) Occasionally though, you need to know how things are setup so you can be consistant.

[xlimesx]

You should try to describe what the other two said.
Since she got slapped for not working fast enough, it would probably be a loud, rowdy tavern full of many drunk and loud men. Maybe how hot it is (maybe stuffy?) or the smell (hey, maybe the men smell...or women?)

[Stratavarian]

You should probably go to a real tavern and try to notice as much as you can.

It's hard to describe things you've never seen.

[Raincrow]

Describe the smoky atmosphere, the music being played by a bard nearby, the water-rings on the tables and counter, and how loud everything is. That seems to be the stencil for writing taverns.

And remember:
Never trust a skinny landlord.
The landlord always wears a stained apron.
The landlord is always drying a glass with a rag when the protagonist goes to talk/order a drink/demand information.
And the landlord nearly always has to be a pleasant, jolly guy with a round, red face and gray or white hair.