Muskego native Claire Davis is moving back to Waukesha County while she is writing her next novel, which takes place in the Lake Country area.

Claire Davis needs to recalibrate her mind before writing her next novel.

The Muskego native spent the last several years, and two novels, in the vast vertical landscapes of Idaho. "I am going to have to re-acclimate myself to the tastes of the area," Davis says of Waukesha County. "I am going to have to learn a whole new landscape."

Davis plans to set her next novel, "Swimming With Horses," in Waukesha County’s Lake Country. The self-described method writer physically places herself in the settings of her novels.

Her most recent title, "Season of the Snake," is about a Wisconsin native living in Lewiston, Idaho. "I am always playing stories out in my head," says Davis, who lives in Lewiston. "I need to inhabit the settings of my novels so I can run characters through those landscapes."

Davis started using her imagination in the outdoors as a child living near Little Muskego Lake. She immersed herself in the outdoor world, she says, and spent time repeating the narratives she read in books. Now Davis takes characters from unfinished pieces into the outdoors with her.

Davis’ unique methodology for writing has earned her acclamation. Her first novel, "Winter Range," won the prestigious Pacific Northwest Booksellers Association Award in 2001. Also her short story, "Labors of the Heart," was selected to appear in "Best American Short Stories 2001." Davis says her literary awards come to her because of her almost obsessive attention to every single word.

"I pay real attention to the craft," Davis says. "I make a deep investigation into human frailties. I craft down to the level of the word."

Davis says she is unsure where the lakes and dense woods of Lake Country will lead characters in her next novel.

The characters will likely represent the dynamic of the lake community though, she says.

"I’m not sure exactly where the characters will go until I write them," Davis says. "I don’t know the particulars until it happens."