This week I will talk about setting. There is a lot to cover with setting so this will need to be covered over several weeks like characterization did. For now, I will go over the overall setting for a book, and another week I will go over establishing the setting from chapter to chapter. Setting is an incredibly important part of storytelling. Setting is more than just a place; setting is also a time. To establish setting you must include the following.
- A time
- A place
- Tone
- The history (somewhat optional)
The time where the story takes place is incredibly important. Does the story take place in the 1800’s or the 35th century? Is it in a bustling city or a quiet forest? Is the tone serious or comical? These are the questions that you need to answer for the reader. Help create the world in their imagination. Is this story in a modern setting or a fantastical one? You need to think about the story you are trying to tell your audience before you can describe it to them. You don’t need to describe every little detail for the reader as their imagination does half the work, but a lack of description can lead to a massive amount of confusion for the reader. Now for something that isn’t always needed yet is also vital at the same time. The world you create needs to feel lived in. In order to achieve this, you need to come up with the history of the world, and the characters. You don’t need to explain it necessarily, but the history should be felt by how the characters act. This should be felt in the tone to establish what may have happened in the world outside of the main characters. It does not need to be outright sated. That’s all for this week, I hope you found this informative.
Jarod's Writing Advice 