Creative Writing - Creating Compelling Story Settings
If you're hoping to become a writer, you must learn to think of setting as an integral part of the plot, and not just an arbitrary guessing game. Choosing the setting for your fiction novel should be one of the first things you decide before you begin.
For example, if your characters will be involved in a blizzard, you'll probably want to set your novel in the winter. If your main character is a stock broker, you'll want to set your novel in a large city, like New York or London.
The setting of your fiction novel dictates the course of the plot, whether you realize it or not.
If at all possible, you'll want to use the setting to increase the tension of the plot and to make your main character's life more difficult - in other words, creating more conflict. For example, if your main character is pursued by a group of super-smart murderous monkeys that escaped from their lab, you might want to make the setting a small town where it is more difficult for your main character to find help.
To help you in choosing the setting for your fiction novel, here are a few questions that you can ask yourself to get the creative juices flowing:
What year is it?
The setting of your novel includes everything related to the scenery, including the year. You wouldn't want to set a slave-trade novel in the twenty-first century, just as you wouldn't want to set a novel about finding a cure for AIDS in the 1800's.
The setting for your fiction novel doesn't have to be that broad, however. You can choose a specific year if you feel that the history of that year will have some impact on your characters.
After choosing the year, you'll need to choose the place for your fiction novel. Think carefully about this because you don't want to write about a place you've never been and never will go. Choose a city and town that will complement the plot of your fiction novel as well as create tension.
What is the weather like?
Weather is a significant factor in choosing the setting for your fiction novel. The desert is a far different clime from the jungle and your characters will need to deal with whatever weather they encounter.
What season is it?
The weather will also play a role in determining the season for your fiction novel. A novel set in the summer will progress a little differently than one set in the winter.
Your characters will wear different clothing and might encounter different weather phenomenon.
What type of architecture is found in your setting?
Choosing the setting for your fiction novel also means considering the little details. Architecture, for example, is something on which you can comment throughout your novel. A town full of Baroque buildings will appear far different from a town clustered with small cottage-style homes.
This is far from an all-inclusive list, but hopefully it got you thinking about choosing the setting for your fiction novel. Allow your imagination to run wild, but reign it in once you've formulated a setting that works well for your characters and plot.
About FIRSTeBook:- FIRSTeBook is a world class provider of innovative online digital publishing solutions for ebooks, helping authors companies and individuals all over the world benefit from the growth in online epublishing and ebooks. With offices in London and Amsterdam, FIRSTeBook offers advanced professional publishing services at FIRSTeBook.co, the ebook library and author resource marketplace that also allows publishers to promote, share and sell their publications and other digital content with the world.
For example, if your characters will be involved in a blizzard, you'll probably want to set your novel in the winter. If your main character is a stock broker, you'll want to set your novel in a large city, like New York or London.
The setting of your fiction novel dictates the course of the plot, whether you realize it or not.
If at all possible, you'll want to use the setting to increase the tension of the plot and to make your main character's life more difficult - in other words, creating more conflict. For example, if your main character is pursued by a group of super-smart murderous monkeys that escaped from their lab, you might want to make the setting a small town where it is more difficult for your main character to find help.
To help you in choosing the setting for your fiction novel, here are a few questions that you can ask yourself to get the creative juices flowing:
What year is it?
The setting of your novel includes everything related to the scenery, including the year. You wouldn't want to set a slave-trade novel in the twenty-first century, just as you wouldn't want to set a novel about finding a cure for AIDS in the 1800's.
The setting for your fiction novel doesn't have to be that broad, however. You can choose a specific year if you feel that the history of that year will have some impact on your characters.
After choosing the year, you'll need to choose the place for your fiction novel. Think carefully about this because you don't want to write about a place you've never been and never will go. Choose a city and town that will complement the plot of your fiction novel as well as create tension.
What is the weather like?
Weather is a significant factor in choosing the setting for your fiction novel. The desert is a far different clime from the jungle and your characters will need to deal with whatever weather they encounter.
What season is it?
The weather will also play a role in determining the season for your fiction novel. A novel set in the summer will progress a little differently than one set in the winter.
Your characters will wear different clothing and might encounter different weather phenomenon.
What type of architecture is found in your setting?
Choosing the setting for your fiction novel also means considering the little details. Architecture, for example, is something on which you can comment throughout your novel. A town full of Baroque buildings will appear far different from a town clustered with small cottage-style homes.
This is far from an all-inclusive list, but hopefully it got you thinking about choosing the setting for your fiction novel. Allow your imagination to run wild, but reign it in once you've formulated a setting that works well for your characters and plot.
About FIRSTeBook:- FIRSTeBook is a world class provider of innovative online digital publishing solutions for ebooks, helping authors companies and individuals all over the world benefit from the growth in online epublishing and ebooks. With offices in London and Amsterdam, FIRSTeBook offers advanced professional publishing services at FIRSTeBook.co, the ebook library and author resource marketplace that also allows publishers to promote, share and sell their publications and other digital content with the world.
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