Muse Food – Fences And Barriers

By Cynthia Sax on May 18, 2026

These beautiful barriers were erected around an often visited historical site in Kuala Lumpur.

They communicate a few things.

The first and foremost, it IS a barrier. That means unauthorized people should keep out of the site. That’s the primary communication of a barrier or a fence.

The barriers also tell us the site managers KNOW it is a tourist destination. They KNOW visitors to the city will be disappointed that it is under construction. They KNOW these visitors will still want to be take photos.

And they value visitors to the site and to the city.

The pretty barriers relay pride in the site. The site managers care enough about the site to make it pretty.

The images are drawings, not photographs. That relays the site managers care about the arts. They didn’t send a construction worker out to take photos. They employed an artist to sketch it.

And these barriers tell everyone this construction will be happening for a while. It isn’t an overnight closure. The site will be closed for weeks, maybe months, maybe years.

The type of fence or a barrier in a story is important. It communicates much more than ‘Stay out.’ Make your choice of fence or barrier intentional.

Topics: Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, Muse Food | Comments Off on Muse Food – Fences And Barriers

Muse Food – The Floors At Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque And What Characters Are Standing On

By Cynthia Sax on October 20, 2025

This is a tiny bit of a gorgeous tiled floor at Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque in Abu Dhabi.

And this is a view of some of the carpet inside the Mosque. (It is the world’s largest hand-knotted carpet and is absolutely exquisite.)

Two different flooring types. Two different experiences. Two different settings.

What your characters are standing on can be super important. It is part of setting and it could be part of plot. It is easier to be stealthy, for example, when your heroine is walking on thick, lush moss rather than a twig-strewn, dried-leaf-covered forest floor.

Remember to ‘look down.’

(smiles)

Topics: Abu Dhabi, Muse Food, Travel | Comments Off on Muse Food – The Floors At Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque And What Characters Are Standing On

Muse Food – Look Upward

By Cynthia Sax on March 3, 2025

The Dear Wonderful Hubby and I spotted this vibrantly colored bird in Mazatlan, Mexico.

It is human nature to gaze around us at our eye level. That’s quick. That’s easy.

That’s…dangerous. Because threats can come from the sky. And they can come from below us.

As writers, we tend to describe the scene from our character’s eye level also.

And that can be…uninspired. Because there are likely interesting things happening above their heads and below their feet.

Look upward.

Topics: Mexico, Muse Food, Travel | Comments Off on Muse Food – Look Upward