Homework
https://www.writersdigest.com/improve-my-writing/discover-the-basic-elements-of-setting-in-a-story
Week Three-Setting Development
First, read the three (link above and the two
attached
assignments Document, and Documentt). Some ideas/tips overlap in each, but that’s ok-it shows just how important they are! Each offers enough unique perspective and advice to be worth reading.
Next, complete the following exercises in a separate papers. The first and third exercises use the character
Attached
that you created last week called Creating a character. The middle one gets you out of the house and walking around a bit. All three require attention to sensory detail. These are “olfactory” (smell), “gustatory” (taste), “tactile” (touch), “auditory” (hearing), “visual” (well…visual!); I gave you the fancy terms just so you can impress others! 🙂 A basic lesson in creative writing is that often the best, most effective pieces of writing will evoke all or most of the senses. Simply put, if there’s something your reader should see, let them see it! If there’s something they can taste, let them taste it, and so on. Rather than tell a reader, “Kristin sat in the chair. She ate a scone,” we might say, “Kristin enjoyed the sound and smell of the coffee shop’s new leather chairs, but her attention quickly shifted to the cinnamon chips in her scone along with its perfect warmth, each part of it on the verge of melting.” As always, have fun with this! While the syllabus has us focused on fiction, each of these exercises can be written poetically. Basically, think stanzas rather than paragraphs, think lines rather than sentences. The great poet Billy Collins explains the stanza well: “In poetry, a stanza is used to describe the main building block of a poem. It is a unit of poetry composed of lines that relate to a similar thought or topiclike a paragraph in prose or a verse in a song. Every stanza in a poem has its own concept and serves a unique purpose. A stanza may be arranged according to rhyming patterns and metersthe syllabic beats of a line. It can also be a free-flowing verse that has no formal structure.” I am fine with your working on these either thinking in terms of a short story perhaps coming from it (we will start working on full stories next week) or as poems in progress.
1-Coffee Time
Write about your characters first cup of coffee or tea for the day. Write about where they make it as they make it. Show the characters surroundings through the five senses and their actions.
Fill this in for the character:
He/she smelled ________
He/she tasted ________
He/she touched ________
He/she saw ________
He/she heard ________
2-Now Its Your Turn!
Visit a location youve never been to beforeeither an actual place from a setting youve chosen or simply a place near you that you find interesting. When you first arrive at the location, dont record or photograph or write anything down, just spend some time absorbing it through your senses. Pay attention to the things that strike you most. Go home later and write a description of the place. Remember to include the sensory detailswhat it felt and smelled and sounded like.
3-Your Character-Setting, Setting, Setting
Create your characters Happy Place without mentioning that it is her/his happy place. Then, create a place in which your character is uncomfortable without mentioning directly that she/he feels this way. Finally, create a setting to which the character escapes which is not her/his Happy Place but which she/he examines it and finds it sufficient for the moment. This should be three separate paragraphs. In each, include as many sensory details as possible. Make each at least two hundred words. Writer, its time to give life to your story!
One of the most powerful ways to breath life into the pages of your book is to immerse readers in your story world, specifically through crafting lush, evocative descriptions of your storys settings. But thats easier said than done, isnt it?
In todays article, were going to cover how to choose the most impactful settings for each of your storys scenes, as well as my top tips for bringing those settings to life via immersive descriptive writing. Sound good? Lets dive in!
Have you chosen strong scene settings?
Oftentimes, the settings in which our scenes take place are deeply intertwined with what is happening in the narrative, so selecting the best place to set many of our scenes may not be that difficult. However, some scenes in your story will likely be less location-dependent, giving you a range of options in which to set them.
In any case, the settings in which your scenes take place shouldnt be chosen or described without proper thought and care. Every last setting in your novel has the potential to be so much more than a simple backdrop. Settings can easily:
1. Set a mood.
2. Give depth and context to a story-world.
3. Amplify the conflict or tension in a scene.
4. Reveal elements of characterization.
5. Deepen the storys themes.
Ensuring that each of your storys settings fulfills one or more of these key purposes sets the foundation for immersive descriptions. After all, pretty words without purpose are pretty worthless, right? (Now try saying that five times fast!)
When choosing or strengthening your scene settings, consider both what is happening in the scene and which character will serve as the point-of-view. Then ask yourself how you can manipulate the setting to set the tone you want readers to experience, while also fulfilling the needs of the scenes events and amplifying the emotions your POV character will undergo.
Thats certainly a lot to think about, I know. But as we said, taking the time to shore up your settings foundations will go a long way toward immersing readers in your story.
My Top Tips for Writing Immersive Descriptions
Now that weve discussed how to select scene settings that have purpose and power, its time to talk all about how to bring them to life on the page.
How you choose to write about your settings will likely be influenced by both the genre of your story and your personal writing style. However, here are some of my top tips for writing immersive setting descriptions that I believe apply to most situations:
#1:GET INSIDE YOUR CHARACTERS HEAD.
A characters worldview, life experiences, and personality heavily influence how they engage with the world around them.
If youre writing your story in
Deep POV
, meaning the reader experiences the storys events through the eyes of a point-of-view character, take pains to craft setting descriptions that speak to how your POV character would experience and engage with their surroundings.
#2:UTILIZE SENSORY DETAILS.
Touch, taste, sound, sight, smell.Our worlds are vibrant with sensory input, and your characters worlds should be as well.
With your POV character in mind, work to include key sensory details in your descriptive writing. You dont need to include every sense within a scene, but touching on some of the most impactful at any given moment can go a long way toward breathing life onto the pages of your book.
#3:ENGAGE WITH THE SETTING.
It can be expedient to dump the description of your setting into one easy paragraph, but info-dumps are resented for a reason. To avoid pulling your readers out of the narrative, consider once again how your POV character interacts with the world around them.
Describe how their nose wrinkles as the sharp smell of vinegar fills the air or how their body sighs into the warm embrace of their bed. By sprinkling similar descriptive elements throughout each scene, youll create touchstones that keep readers immersed in your setting.
#4:CHOOSE IMPACTFUL DETAILS.
In addition to writing from your characters point-of-view, dont forget to focus on elements that fulfill one or more of the purposes we discussed earlier: setting a mood, giving depth and context to a story-world, amplifying conflict or tension, revealing characterization, or deepening your storys themes.
Consider what you are trying to accomplish in your scene, then describe elements that will help you achieve those ends. For example, if youre writing a sword-fight, youll likely want to focus on elements that amplify tension, such as the skittering of loose stones underfoot or the whiz of a blade as it slices through the air.
#5: AVOID CLICHS.
Descriptive writing can be rife with overused phrases, but your settings themselves can also be clich. After all, how many times have we read about a funeral taking place on a rainy day?
When writing descriptions, consider how you can avoid or put a fresh spin on old clichs and tropes. For example, oppressive humidity could represent the overbearing shadow of death in your funeral scene, whereas a driving wind could symbolize the chaos of grief.
#6: FAVOR BREVITY AND POWER.
Descriptions are notorious for their flowery, elaborate prose that does more to make readers roll their eyes than find themselves lost in the story-world. When writing setting descriptions, always err on the side of brevity, making strong, simple word choices that evoke a particular tone.
Take, for example, the following sentence: The soft warm amber glow of the candlelight shimmered through the room, sending rapid, tantalizing chills down her spine.
This description is both filled with unnecessary adjectives and vague in its purpose.Chills are often associated with uncomfortable or frightening situations, which contrasts the warm and pleasant atmosphere of the candlelight. Therefore, is the character afraid or pleased?
A more powerful and immersive version of this description might read as such: Warm candlelight filled the room, whispering of promise, alighting her senses.
#7: THINK LIKE A FILMMAKER.
With the rise of cinema, written fiction transformed from a narrator-driven tradition into a more visual style of storytelling that most frequently makes use of Deep POV to place readers directly in the story.
Because of this, thinking like a filmmaker when crafting and framing your scenes can go a long way toward bringing your settings to life for readers. For more information and a detailed guide to writing description with filmmaking in mind, check out
this article on the blog
.
Writing excellent setting descriptions doesnt come naturally to most. As you can see from the top tips Ive shared here today, theres much to consider and put into practice when breathing life into your storys settings.
Fortunately, these tips and techniques do become easier to apply as you begin using them. While your effort to craft exceptional settings should always be consciously done, your descriptive writing will indeed grow more natural with a little time and patience. So stick with it, writer. Youll immerse readers in your story in no time! 7 Tips On How To Write Realistic Settings
Written by
Emma Johnson
in
Fiction Writing
Theres no doubt that setting is a fundamental aspect of all kinds of writing. A solid
setting
can improve the quality of a story immensely, while a poorly developedsetting can instantly turn readers away.
But knowing how important a good setting is doesnt make it easy to write, especially when youre trying to describe a place youve never been. If youre finding it difficult to incorporate your setting seamlessly into a story, here are seventips that can help.
1. Use Google Maps Street View to virtually walk through yoursetting
Never been to Paris but want to set your novel there? Street View on
Google Maps
is going to be your lifesaver. Street View allows you to virtually stroll thought the streets of every major city from the comfort of your own couch.
If youre writing a story not set in our world, this tip can still be useful to you. You can still use Street View to draw inspiration from real locations that have a similar look or feel. For example, if your story is set in a water-based town, take a look at a place like Venice to inspire you.
Google Maps even has afeature called ‘
Treks
‘, which allows you to virtually explore a variety oflocations in more detail than ever before. For example, the
Venice ‘Trek’
includes options to use Street Viewwith added historical context, via different modes of transport, through the eyes of artists exploring locations inspired by famous artworks, and so on.
This is a great research tool to use when you aren’t able to visit a particular location in person.
2. Do your research to add authentic touches
A lot of writers travel to locations they want to write about, and while a nice research holiday sounds appealing to everyone, you can get a lot of the same information without getting out of your pyjamas.
Look up the websites for the places your characters frequent cafes, libraries, museums etc. What are their opening hours? What are the most popular items on a restaurants menu? What are the prices like?There are plenty of other things you can research to add detail to your settings, including things like a citys local newspaper and television guides.
Your research needs to be well-rounded in order to paint the most accurate picture. Make sure you look into the location’s history and geography, as well as the smaller details like the average temperature and common weather occurrences for the different seasons.
You might not use every detail, but the more you research, the more information you have at your disposal while writing.
The internet is full of information, so make sure you utilise this resource to its full potential. You can also read history books, watch some documentaries, and even look at travel brochures and blogs to ensure your research is well-rounded.
It might seem like you’re gathering an abundance of information, but
it’s the details that add the layer of authenticity
you want your realist fiction to have.
Researching your setting, especially if it’s a real-world location, is super important. Image via PicJumbo
3. Use subtext to enhance reader experience
Writers often use subtext when writing dialogue a character might say one thing, while their body language and tone (the subtext) says something completely different but it can also be a useful tool for describing your setting. Utilising subtext to convey meaning through your settings can
make your scenes more gripping
.
An easy way to use subtext when describing settings is to mirror the emotions a character is feeling. You canshowyour readers the way your characters are feeling by the aspects of the setting they choose to notice.
Picture a girl about to walk into a coffee shop for a blind date. If she describes the hot and stickyair, the noisy blenders and the dirty tables, it’s clear that she’s uncomfortable. The subtext of the setting means it’s obvious to the reader the character doesn’t expect the date to go very well.
Pay attention to the way your character experiences the setting. Image via Unsplash
4. Use all five senses to described a well-rounded setting
We live in a sensory world, so
using all five senses
willgive your audience a more engaging reading experience.
Its important to not only describe what a setting looks like, but also what itsounds, smells, tastes and feels like. You dont want to use all five senses at once in a single block of description, but rather pick and choose what aspects of the setting you describe.
To authentically describe the feel of a setting that exists in our world, try searching for blogs from both tourists and locals, or reading other books set in that particular location. Remember, each character will experience the same setting in a different light than the other characters, so its important to explore different perspectives.
Take a look at this example from James Joyce’s short story,
Araby
.
When the short days of winter came dusk fell before we had well eaten our dinners. When we met in the street the houses had grown sombre. The space of sky above us was the colour of ever-changing violet and towards it the lamps of the street lifted their feeble lanterns. The cold air stung us and we played till our bodies glowed. Our shouts echoed in the silent streets. The career of our play brought us through the dark muddy lanes behind the houses where we ran the gauntlet of the rough tribes from the cottages, to the back doors of the dark dripping gardens where odours arose from the ashpits, to the dark odorous stables where a coachman smoothed and combed the horse or shook music from the buckled harness.”
The narrator describes the way the school looks (sight), the way the cold air feels (touch), the way the shouts echoed (sound), and the odours of the ashpits (smell).
Use all five senses to really capture the essence of your setting. Image via Pexels
5.Use visual aids to help you picture your setting
It can be difficult to keep track of settings in your head, so using visual aids is a great way to help you remember where everything is and exactly what it looks like. The easier you can visualise your setting, the better you’ll be able to describe it.
If your setting is a real location, you can use maps and images to keep track more easily, but if your setting is entirely fictional, it can be a little more difficult. However, there are stillvisual aids you can use to help keep track of your locations.
Drawing your own map is a great way to visualise where each location fits within your setting as a whole. You can also collate images that inspire your setting to create a ‘mood board’, either physically with printed images, or through online platforms such as
Pinterest
.
Visual aids such as mood boards are a great way to help you describe settings. Image via PicJumbo
6. Use action to describe settings
Most people don’t want to read whole paragraphs of description all at once, so it’s important that you spread your descriptions evenly throughout your story. A good way to do this is to use action to describe your settings.
Consider a poor, teenage girl visiting her wealthy best friend’s house for the first time. Instead of describing everything she sees as soon as she walks in, write snippets of description as she moves through the setting.
She might trail a hand along the banister, sink down into a velvetcouch, or wiggle her toes in the soft carpet. Instead of stating there are luxurious mirrors, describe how the girl feels seeing her reflection in such a grand room.
Here’s an example from Edgar Allen Poe’s short story,
The Fall of the House of Usher
.
During the whole of a dull, dark, and soundless day in the autumn of the year, when the clouds hung oppressively low in the heavens, I had been passing alone, on horseback, through a singularly dreary tract of country; and at length found myself, as the shades of the evening drew on, within view of the melancholy House of Usher.”
Here, the narrator describes their surroundings as they journey through it. This passage would be a lot less effective if it read as a paragraph of description only.
Explore your setting through action as well as description. Image via Unsplash
7. Imagine yourstoryplaying out on the screen
If you’re stuck at how to introduce a new setting into your work, thinking of your writing as a movie or television show can help you get started. Stories told on-screen often introducesetting in the same formula: establishing shot, long shot, medium shot to close-up.
If you’re a
Friends
fan, you would have seen this formula many times. Every scene in Central Perk starts with an establishing shot from outside the cafe. This shot lets the audience know where the scene will take place.
The establishing shot is followed by a long shot, featuringthe entire table and coucheswhere the characters usually sit. This shotgives the setting more detail and shows the audience who is in the scene. Finally, the camera zooms into medium shots and close-ups that focus on the characters.
This formula can easily be adapted to writing. For example, if you’re describing the town your characters live in, you might start off with a few sentences on the big picture of the town, before zooming in to the street and then the house, finally moving to a specific room. DEVELOPING YOUR CHARACTER 1
DEVELOPING YOUR CHARACTER 2
Developing your character
Student
University
Class
Date
1. Write ten ‘factual’ statements about your character, then ten lies, then ten-odd/bizarre statements.
The ‘lies’ work as a stepping-stone to finding the odd habits that make your character unique.
Truths:
He is short
He spends my weekends visiting friends
He does read a lot
He works as a doctor
He gets angry very fast when pissed off
He is poor at concentrating for a long time
His friends refer to me as dad’s boy
He has never taken liquor
He hates cigarette smokers
He is not too fond of pets
Lies:
He doesnt pray
He a Muslim
He a poor cook
He doesnt watch movies
He has never known my middle name
His mum is very young
At one time, he was taken to a rehab
He speaks more than four languages
He only listens to one type of music
He watches cricket
Bizarre:
He makes lots of noise at night
He owns an expensive car more than Bill Gates
He can eat a raw chicken
He one beats me in a marathon
His two-year brother can speak fluently
In high school, he was expelled ten times
He passed exams but never attended class
At home, he commands everyone, including my dad
He can sing like a parrot.
2. Write a back-story – very important
He comes from California. Background:
He is a man
He is from a middle-class status in society
He has three sisters
His parents re divorced
His neighbors are Christians
He has been a healthy kid all through
He is pursuing a bachelors degree at the moment
He possesses good leadership skills
Present circumstances:
25 years of age
Single is status
He does not have a child
He is of the male gender
Politics is not his cup of tea
He is always smartly dressed when in public
He like traveling
He is not too fond of heights
He gets angry when I fail to meet my objectives
He dislikes lazy people
He admires successful people
3. Give your character a few contradictory traits.
It is impossible for a human being to be hard working all through their lives. At some point, people lazy around.
You cannot appear to be mature all through your lifestyle.
He likes reading but fails to look in newspapers.
Aspires to excel but hangs around with lazy guys when you want to be a millionaire act like one.
4. If your character were an animal, which one would s/he be, and why?
If he were to be an animal, he would have been a Jaguar. He sets targets and moves to achieve them. Like the animal which is confused about a leopard because of spots, he hangs around with laypeople but very hard working.
5. In which ways would your character behave differently when interacting with –
He frowns when meeting his mother. His go-getter attitude makes him fond of his boss at work.
With friends, he plays the cool guy so that they do not disturb him.
He likes his neighbors and plays with them during his free time.
He acts the gentleman character when with his lover.
6. Write a short scene or a poem in your character’s voice. Create a situation for your name: He gets into this interview room without preparing. He accidentally applied for this position without adequately reading the job requirements for the post. As soon as he sits down casually, he realizes he is in the wrong place. A light sweat runs in his armpits because he is not sure of what to say on the questions that will be asked. He remembers he has always acted like a Jaguar. He concentrates and murmurs a prayer. From nowhere, he answers the questions confidently to his amusement to emerge the best candidate.
