Below is a compilation of the main points I’ve talked about in my articles/posts about story setting. The articles each was pulled from is given in each bubble. The links are given below the table.
Category: Setting
Setting Map
Where Do You Write
Finding the best place to write is up to you. There’s no right or wrong setting. Whether you are writing an essay, poetry, short story, novel, or journal entry doesn’t matter.
Sitting on the beach, looking out at the sunset, and hearing the waves hover over the sand as they reach forward, will open your creative mind.
Imagine sitting and looking out at the mountains pictured above. Such a rich environment filled with so many possibilities abound.
Now this photo could go either way. Perhaps something romantic is brewing. On the other hand, maybe there is sinister intent going on.
Whichever setting you are in writing, take in your environment, work with it, and mold it to suit your creative juices.
Description: Nip and Tuck
In a previous article I wrote on August 14, 2023 entitled, Description and Setting, I spoke about the importance of using description to give the reader a picture; whether seen, heard, or felt. I also made mention of the fact you shouldn’t over describe. Write your seen first then do some ‘nip and tuck’ afterward. Below you will find a list of some ‘nip and tuck’ ideas.
| Description Type | Nip and Tuck |
| I viewed the mountains on the horizon. | The dark, grayish mountains hovered on the horizon with daggered peaks draped with snow. |
| Ella walked down the dark street at night. | The night sky’s cloud cover rendered Ella’s surroundings along the lone gravel road an inky black and thick with a dewy mist. |
| The front yard was well kept. | Dawn continued strolling down the sidewalk peering at the house number of each. She’d never been to Sandy’s house before. Most of the front yards sported grass in need of a cut. Then she spied the right house. It had to be, since the front lawn stood out like an outdoor museum. She stopped in front of it, glanced at the house number, and smiled. Yup, this was it. |
| My elbow hurt. | I bent my arm, and a sharp, stabbing pain screamed at me. |
| I opened the old door. | The ancient door snarled in defiance, as I opened it. |
| The two friends fought. | Wild fists flew, as Danny and Eric continued their reckless battle. |
| The nightmare bothered me. | I lifted the spoonful of cereal to my mouth but stopped midway. The tap, tap, tap, that echoed inside my nightmare continued to hold me hostage. I jumped at the sudden pounding on the back door. |
Description and Setting
Describe your setting within your story in such a way that the reader sees, feels, smells, and maybe even hears your created setting. This doesn’t necessarily mean you have to use many many words to describe it. After all, you don’t want the reader to put your book/story down. Just choose your words wisely. Test out what you wrote on a friend and see what they think. I tried to read a book by a very famous author (whose name I won’t mention) and put it down because they over described. I lost interest fast. The movies were better.
When I’m describing a setting, I imagine I am actually there. I use action verbs. For tense there are times when linking verbs must be used. I try as best I can to use descriptive words that pack a punch (so to speak). Also, try to create intrigue, mystery, tension, or another type of feeling as you’re describing (this will depend on the type of scene you’re creating).
Description isn’t as hard as I might be making it out to be. Just write your scene, then do some ‘nip and tuck’ later to tighten things up.
Awaken Your Setting: Part 2
Be sure to include detail within your setting that relates to time. For example, describe a setting that takes place in summer. A summer that is above normal temperatures could pose a threat. Or, maybe it doesn’t pose a threat, but it does give a clear indication of what time of year it is. Maybe the heat is depicted by way of the droopy leaves of the plants on the patio of the house your character lives in. Is it winter? Everyone knows that winter can present risks as well.
Awaken Your Setting: Part 1
Create your setting by way of your narrator’s Point of View. Doing this will also instill feeling into your fictitious place. When that happens, your readers will feel it too, and that’s what you want. It keeps them reading.
Setting (Paint Your Picture Continued)
Where are you? What does that place look like? What feeling does it convey? Is it essential to the story? Did something significant occur there?
When you are selecting settings for your story, the reader must know where the story is taking place. More importantly, they want to ‘see’ it and ‘feel’ it. You may have just read the previous sentence and said, “Well, duhhh.” I kid you not. There are some writers out there who don’t pay enough attention to their setting. It leaves the reader scratching their head. I’ve read books where I have had to back track because the setting wasn’t paid its due diligence. I don’t know about you, but I picture in my head what I’m reading. It plays out like a movie. If I can’t see it, the story lacks that flow. Once you hook the reader on the first page, you want to keep them.
WRITE TIME AND AGAIN 