The best
books have settings that fix the book’s course. That is, the setting isn’t just
beautiful or interesting. It has a personality – it could practically take a
Meyers-Briggs personality questionnaire, and because it has a personality, it interacts
with the characters and the storyline.
Whether
it’s an enchanted forest, a Renaissance palace or modern Tokyo, if your setting
is well drawn, it will have a character of its own. So, that’s your first question to ask yourself. What is the personality of your setting?
Perhaps
it’s moody, like the castle perched on the craggy Scottish coastline in Winter Sea. And a little demanding, for the
lashing waves draw the character into the story like a magnet.
Maybe,
it’s bustling and friendly like Maeve Binchy’s collections set in modern-day
Dublin or serene and restoring like an Amish novel.
The next question to ask yourself is: does your
setting match the tone of your story? A moody and demanding setting is
great if you’re writing Gothic or a complex historical, but not if you’re
aiming for a sweet romance.
If your
setting is a quiet New England village, and you’re aiming for the tension of a
thriller, what can you add to mix in sinister characteristics? A ramshackle
cottage, a deserted, winding road in front, a dense wood behind, perhaps. Some
nervous citizens and a long, long drive to the next town, where help might be
found. There are always details you can add to get the tone and personality
you’re aiming for.
Third, what does your setting demand of the
characters? If it has a temper of its own, a setting will demand
something of the main characters. The arena in The Hunger Games or the uninhabitable planet in The Martian demand courage and genius since
the stakes are life and death and the odds are long. In other stories, the
demands will be more subtle. Brooklyn simply
requires Eilis Lacey to learn the self-confidence necessary to thrive in her
new home and to love New York as she once loved Ireland.
How does the setting twine itself around the
character’s soul, and thus your reader’s? Often, the writer
accomplishes this by tying setting to love. Claire, in Outlander, learns to love the 18th century Scottish
highlands, despite its superstitions and the loss of everything modern, for one
reason: she loves Jamie who belongs firmly in the 18th century highlands.
And once she leaves, she mourns until she can return.
In The Lake House a country estate in
Cornwall becomes the centerpiece of Alice’s life long after she leaves it, not
only because of its beauty, but because it represents innocence and family.
Those memories are made more poignant by loss as the novel progresses. That’s a
key, isn’t it? There is something about loss (of setting, of love) that seals a
setting’s importance.
Of
course, none of these would work without the last question: What are the details of your setting? How
will you paint the setting so the reader feels like he/she is there? Which
details? Which senses? Preferably all five. The details matter, since it is in
the details that you capture the setting’s personality and your reader.
You might also like: Painting a Story: Writing Description without Letting Go of the Action
Thank you Christine & Rachel! I recognize this as one of the elements from Christine's talk yesterday...which was informative and helpful. You are now entered into my feedly reader so I can keep up with these!
ReplyDeleteHi, Violet. It's so nice to have you here. We hope to have more that will be helpful to you in your writing.
ReplyDelete