Setting

I've loved all the Characterization topics this past week. Since my fellow bloggers have covered the subject most eloquently, I'll move onto another element closely linked and a subtle tool of every successful writer.

Setting as Character.

So many novels have memorable characters and a great plot but fall flat on the last element of a great novel: Setting.

You have to think of it as more than the place where the story happens, a backdrop or stage where all the action takes place. Setting must be elemental. It sets the tone or atmosphere and sets the reader's expectations.

Would Mary Shelley's Frankenstein have been quite so chilling if it hadn't taken place in a creepy casle laboratory?

Would Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice have been quite as romantic and evocative if it had taken place in present day, without the strictures and mores of 18th century England?

Would Harry Potter have been the same if it hadn't been set in a magical world?

No, no and no.
Each of these examples convey more than a senes of place. The writers instilled atmosphere, tone, depth, mood, symbolism and even stereotypes (**I hope you noted all these stimulate an emotion). Each of the settings were essential to the novel.

Just for a moment, think about looking at a picture. For this exercise, let's use a photograph. The central subject smiles for the camera (the facade/outer face acceptable to show the world). But within the background (setting) there are other objects. Maybe other people. Your gaze glances over the two-dimensional image and categorizies the contents. Perhaps your gaze lingers over two or three items.

These are markers (universal themes) your brain uses to tweak a memory or experience. You apply your experience to the object and the character. So be specific in where you draw the reader's attention. A little goes a long way. As readers, we don't want to be beaten up with your beautiful setting. But feel free to wow us.

For more on this subject, check out Setting by Jack Bickham from Writer's Digest Elements of Fiction Writing series.


Happy Writing,
Sherry