As authors, we have the choice to transport our reader anywhere. Whether we choose to send our reader on a cross-country road trip or to a galaxy far, far away, we’ll need to know the basics of setting construction.

In this article, we will go over tips to improve our story’s setting.

Key Takeaways:

• Atmosphere is essential

• Setting informs tone

• Setting as character

Atmosphere:

“Our fiction must have an atmosphere because without it our characters will be unable to breathe.” -Janet Burroway, Writing Fiction: A Guide to Narrative Craft.

To a casual reader, setting is little more than Middle Earth or New York City, but in reality, setting encompasses far more than the physical location of a story. Our setting is the atmosphere of the story, and includes time, place, and mood.

Time may seem self-explanatory: it is the time period within which our story takes place. However, it is important to recognize that time passes between scenes. We want our reader to understand when the story is taking place minute by minute, year by year. We can play with time as an author with devices like flashbacks, but beware: readers are easily confused by changes in chronology. The principle of ‘show don’t tell’ also comes into effect with time. Rather than telling our reader when a story is set, show them items or play them music that is indicative of the time period.

Place is the element of setting most are familiar with. Where we set our story is an important decision for any author. Whether on earth, in outer space, or somewhere in between, the location of our story must follow some underlying principles. First, a story’s location is tied to its characters. Our characters must have some kind of connection to the place they are in. We may choose to describe our setting with facts and an impartial eye, but eventually our reader will come to question why. Why here? Why now? The answers readers often crave are found within character, and it is essential to create a visible link for them to follow.

Mood can be difficult to define. Similarly to tone, mood is built through selective use of diction and description. By choosing which objects of a setting to describe and how, we develop different moods within our setting. These two sentences show how the same setting can change based on word selection:

Both sentences may describe the same house, but depending on our word choice and the perspective, we can transform the location into anything for our readers.

Setting as Character:

Many aspiring authors seek to strengthen their setting to the level of being ‘like a character’. While setting cannot fulfill every role in a story that a character can, many of the same techniques for character building can be applied to setting. Here are some quick tips to help you out:

• Our setting should change over time with our characters.

• Characters should leave a tangible impact on our setting.

• Give time to setting descriptions in between action and dialogue.

• Don’t forget to utilize all five senses; smell is useful and underutilized!

• Give attention to small details like street names or specific flora.

When readers say they like a story where the setting is like its own character, what they really mean is that they like a living setting. Humans love to see ourselves in everything; as authors, we must draw out that humanity from every word in our story.

Dry exposition can get in the way of the vibrant, living setting we want. Avoid over-explaining your setting, especially if it is far removed from reality.

Conclusion:

Setting is more than a stage in a play. It is subject to time and space like our real world, but at the end of the day it’s the will of the author that defines the story. Our choices must shape the setting into something that serves the story.

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