Story requires place to make it come alive. Writing setting is much like the job of a set designer for the stage or screen. The trick is to discover ways to bring your setting to life. This may mean describing a building, a forest, a living room or some other place where your characters can move about their lives. This is setting. It includes everything from location to descriptions of the dishes on the kitchen table.
Every time your characters enter a new location, provide a clear description of where they are. Readers are savvy creatures and, with few details, can see immense worlds in their minds. But it’s important to provide clear glimpses into each setting as soon as your character arrives at a new location. If you wait to sprinkle in important visual details, you run the risk of altering the images they have already imagined. When this happens it can jar the reader out of the story and into the real world. Disney calls this “breaking magic” and it is a fireable offense for good reason. Don’t ruin the illusions you have worked so hard to create and do not give your reader any excuse to put your book down. The better approach is to offer a clear description every time you enter a new location and then offer only tiny details after as a reminder.
Limit yourself. Only describe a location, building or item in depth if it matters to character or story. It doesn’t help to draw your reader’s attention to items that aren’t important to the story or character. Best case, you’ll end up with a loose end; worst case, your readers will recognize that you are wasting their time and stop reading. It’s better to use brief descriptions to keep your readers engaged. Brevity has the added benefit of creating a faster pace. The more narrative in your story, the slower it can develop and the more likely you are to lose your reader.
But this does not mean you can’t create amazing settings and dress them with meaningful items. Small details can make a huge difference. Think about the moving paintings at Hogwarts or the single street lamp in Narnia. They stand out while being brief.
Just keep in mind that whatever your character focuses on should speak to character—her past, mental health, personality, hopes, fears and every other aspect of the human condition—or move the story forward in some significant way. Choose what you want to show and proceed carefully. Filter the details through your POV character—her emotions and mindset. If the description doesn’t help further your readers’ knowledge of your character or what’s happening, leave it out.
It’s a balance between not giving enough detail and boring your reader to death. There is a midpoint between the two where the best writers live.
Another trick is to add setting in between dialogue. This has the benefit of giving your characters something physical to do besides talk while maintaining a quicker pace.
With setting, start large and refine as you go. The best place to begin is location—Where are your characters? Are they in a real place or imaginary? Are they in a city or rural area? Do they travel to other locations? If so, how do they get there? You will need to describe not only the place, but the form of transportation they use. If they fly there on the back of a dragon, you must bring that dragon to life through words alone.
Once you have the broad strokes, start adding details. Where do your characters live? Is it a house, a cave, a tent? Describing the details of a character’s home should reveal character. It makes a difference if your character lives in a slovenly shack on the edge of a village versus a modern mansion devoid of color or charm. Sometimes the home reflects the character and sometimes it is the opposite. Going against expectations gives you an opportunity to show tension and build conflict.
Layer in the details. The idea is to create a set and dress it so your readers can see and experience the location for themselves.
If your character’s story takes place in a different time, the details of their surroundings must be plausible for that time and place. You wouldn’t have a teen using a smart phone at the turn of the 20th century or a samurai wearing tennis shoes. Watch for anachronisms. But, just as important, avoid adding details that clash with the mood of your story’s time and place. You don’t need to be an expert in history or culture to create a realistic world, but you do need to be mindful of what is appropriate to your story and your time.
The next blog will offer tips for writing setting.