Notes on Setting
You’re staring at your computer. You can’t think of what to say next. That’s a problem. To try and find some inspiration, you look around your cramped workspace, taking in the dark, paneled wood surface of your desk and the clutter of crisp white papers. You sigh to yourself, and finger the thin fabric of the shirt you’re wearing. You happen to really like this shirt. It is a deep blue color, and reminds you of the summer sky, where there are no clouds and you feel like you’re staring into infinity. Pulling yourself back to the task at hand, you glare at the bright screen of your computer monitor. Running your eyes over its white frame, you try and conjure up a wisp of a thought. As you look at the wide grins of the small, yellowing photograph of your grandmother sitting next to your dusty lamp, you notice the thin tendrils of light that the old light bulb in your lamp casts across your grandmother’s face. Your lamp flickers, and then goes out. You’ve no light left but the glare of your computer screen. After listening to the click of your fingers running across the keyboard for several seconds, you begin to write.
That was an example of setting.
Setting is the placement in space or time in your fan fiction, fiction, plays, movies, novels, etc. It can describe locations as well as time periods and people. For example, the setting of that passage (which I just made up) is as follows: a small room containing a desk covered in papers, computer, keyboard, lamp, and photograph. We can assume that it also contains a chair. That passage describes the setting’s
location.
It all began four summers ago. You were around 11 years of age, and your mother and father were still together. That was one of the important things you remembered about it. You spend hours sitting outside every morning, looking into the endless summer sky, where there are no clouds and you feel like you’re staring into infinity. Around 7:30, a runt of a yellow cat would walk by the house. It was almost like déjà vu, because it happened every single day without fail. You kept track of how many times you came out there by counting how many times you saw that little cat. When you reported every day to your father that you’d seen the cat 8 times, or 9 times, or 10 times, he’d smile widely and let you help him with the day’s crossword puzzle. When you reported as much to your mother, she’d put her hand on your shoulder and ask if I wanted to feed the cat something next time I saw it. You were only 11, but you said no because you thought the cat wouldn’t eat it.
That passage is also an example of setting; however this one not only has descriptions of the location, but also of the time and person the story is about. The second one is better (in theory) because it is more descriptive. (I say in theory because it is difficult for a writer to judge their own work.)
Needless to say, these passages take a long time to say very little. However, they give your story much more depth. Your readers will feel like they are a part of the story if you add setting. It looks difficult, but it really isn’t. If you take an extra two minutes to describe your setting, your readers will be captivated by your writing.
Now, now, children. We aren’t hypnotizing your readers, but we are trying to involve them in the story as much as possible. Here’s a hint: appeal to the senses. If you are describing the setting of the summer sky, let the reader’s eyes see its color and depth. Let them feel the warmth of the air. Let them smell the scent of that little cat. Let them hear it purring as it prances in front of your character.
If you write in first or second person, it can help your reader feel more involved simply because they can put themselves into the “I” or the “you” more easily than the “her.” However, that does not make works in third person worse. Write in whichever you feel most comfortable.
Remember, your readers will feel like a part of the story if you play things out correctly. Tell them where they are. Tell them what to see, hear, smell, taste, and feel (emotionally and physically). However, don’t get too caught up in trying to tell the reader where she is. Don’t forget about plot, because that’s what drives your story. Setting simply makes everything 3-dimensional. You can choose when to be descriptive and when to focus on the action; you, as the author, know your plot and setting best.
Now, you’re ready to start writing. The best way to use setting is to put it in as you write. If you are having trouble getting going, try using these tips:
TIP ONE: Decide what the most important part/purpose/objective of the scene you are writing is. Usually, it is one of these four (from It's Your World: Setting Your Novel by Kim Kay):
• Plot Advancement
• Consistency and Unity
• Increase Tension and Set Mood
• Illustrate Character
Once you have picked at least one of the following, you know what you should be putting most of your effort into. If you picked Plot Advancement, your setting should be geared towards moving along the plot. For example, you would describe the setting in relation to the action, as opposed to only describing it as a location. Setting is NOT just a backdrop, but a key to better writing. Use it to your advantage.
Moving on. If you picked consistency and unity, your setting should be helping you connect the different parts of the story and keeping it whole. This prevents choppy writing and useless scenes.
If you chose Increase Tension and Set Mood, your scene is probably about the situation and/or the character presented. The setting should reflect that tension, or maybe the character makes the setting less of a comfortable place by noticing dark corners or dusty mantelpieces.
Last but not least, if you picked Illustrate Character, you are setting them up. You are giving them history and personality and appearance, complete with strengths, weaknesses, fears, and talents. These scenes are very important, otherwise the reader will feel your character has no depth to it. So, what did we learn from tip one?
Use setting in the context that the scene demands.
TIP TWO: Setting can be overwhelming if you spend the first 500 words of each chapter setting it all up at once. People are likely to stop reading if they get extremely bored. To prevent this, dole it out in portions, often ones that are smaller than you’d like. Your readers (and betas) will thank you.
Think about it: when you enter a room, you have a purpose (unless you are like me, and walk into a room and forget why you came). You don’t stand in the doorway and take in your surroundings before proceeding. You walk in, going about your business, and take in the objects that you use and/or have contact with. You don’t have eyes in the back of your head, unless you are writing a character that is very, very unique. Wrap-up: you learned in tip two to
distribute setting in pieces, when needed.
TIP THREE: There are times when your setting will need to be mysterious to the characters, just like a plot device (especially if you write Alias fan fiction). Let’s say Sydney is being held in an empty warehouse. Not much there, is it? In a case like that, I would say your scene is more likely to be used to Increase Tension and Set Mood. Remember tip one? The rules still apply. Don’t walk yourself into a corner trying to describe something that your character can’t understand or describe. Focus instead on something you know you can support with your writing.
Another situation when you feel the rules might fail you is when you return to the same setting more than once. You think, “But I’ve already described the setting as best I can.” Well, it doesn’t mean you can’t find another bush in that park, another stray dog, etc. However, you can also put the setting to different uses. Maybe this time that green park bench is soaking wet, so your character is loath to sit down, as tired as she is. Maybe there are more leaves on the ground than there were a month ago, since the seasons have changed. Your setting is not frozen in time, a single-purposed backdrop. This is vital. So: we learned
not to forget about setting, even when you’ve already given out as much as you feel there needs to be.
TIP FOUR: If you are still having trouble with setting, you can always go back to preschool and draw a picture, complete with crayons to color it in. Each author works differently, and if you are great at conjuring up images in your head, perfect. However, some people are better at visual description. If this is the case, you can always walk around your neighborhood (or wherever you are working) and look for inspiration.
Don’t let yourself have Writer’s Block on setting, because your story will be half of what it can be. Nobody ever said writing was easy. Like any art form, it requires work and dedication. If you’re like me, and only write for pleasure, you might become discouraged when you feel the setting is eluding you. My only advice is: don’t give up, keep your creative flow coming. What we learned from tip four:
don’t let that whiney voice in the back of your head discourage you when your setting is missing.
Happy writing!
PLEASE NOTE that this was written by Scarlet in January of 2005. Do not steal.
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