The Writers Journey: Setting

 

Make Your Setting Sing


Think of the setting as a character in your story. It may not have a voice, but it certainly exists and should be brought to life. You want your readers to feel like they are in the scene, walking the streets, sitting in the cafe, feeling the Formica table under their hands, smelling and tasting the coffee. 

Immerse your readers in the setting by incorporating rich sensory details. Whether it's a place you've physically visited or one that exists only in your mind, world-building is a powerful technique. You can draw it out, map by map. What does the land look like? What are the trees like? Do they walk? Sing? By incorporating the five senses into the scene, you can bring it to life and make your readers feel like they're right there. 

The setting should be more than just a backdrop. It should be a living, breathing part of your story. You can't simply write, "The two men entered a bar." (Well, you could, but it would be flat.) This one line says nothing. The setting should be dynamic, always changing and evolving. Where is the bar? Are we in a Western? A science fiction story? Do they have bars in space? Star Wars did. Is the bar important? Clearly, it means something because the two men entered it. 

Let's try again.

The two men pushed through the swinging doors and entered the bar. Every man in the room paused, stopped talking, and turned their way, taking them in, measuring them, and checking to see where their hands were. The two men ignored the crowd, sat at the polished wood counter, and stared at the bartender.

It could use some tweaking, but do you get a better sense of where they are? Are they in a "Western" setting? Or is it somewhere else? What if it is futuristic? How would you take the scene and place it in the future? Let's try again.

The two men pushed through the swinging metal doors and entered the dimly lit Comet Bar room. Its walls were dull silver, and its floors, stained with spilled drinks, were wet and sticky. The smell was a mix of sweat from the citizens of the five hemispheres. None of the creatures gave the men a passing glance. 

What about a fantasy setting ... The two men entered the rabbit hole through the tall wooden doors. The walls were dirt, with roots hanging low. Tiny lighted worms crawled across the cavernous top, giving the room a neon green and blue glow. The bartender, a man with long rabbit ears, polished a metal tin as they approached. 

When I wrote my book Secrets Cafe, I chose Seattle as my setting. I flew back and toured the apartments to get the layout right. How many floors up were they? What was the view like? How far was the building from the character's job? I recorded the sounds of the city. I wanted to bring it to life. Seattle was an essential part of the story. Each character loved the city in their own way, and I needed to show it. I needed to paint the city in words, drawing from my personal experiences to enrich the setting and make it more relatable to my readers. 

I challenge you in your writing to make your setting sing.





 


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