A setting for a story may be easy to create when it comes to a geographical place. Authors should write what they know, and may find it best to set the story in their hometown, or the place that they are most familiar with. The familiarity with a particular place does not come only from visiting or living in the place, but can come from extensive research. But fashioning a setting involves more than picking a geographical point. The setting should fit the characters and the genre of the story, and should give the readers a mental picture.
Fitting Character and Setting Together
When you have characters to work with, it’s good to take them into consideration when giving them a setting. Keeping your character and setting ideas aligned will help in fitting the two together. You may want to set the characters in their country of origin. Or depending on the kind of story, setting the characters outside their homeland would make a more interesting plot-line. Allow the characters to influence the setting of the story. This does not necessarily mean that the characters need be comfortable with the setting. In fact, the contrast of a setting in which the characters are not at peace or happy may make for a better story, depending on the kind of story it is.
Story Type and Setting
Settings tell a story, and the setting of your story can do the same. For example, if your story is a Clue-like murder mystery in which Col. Mustard committed the murder with the candlestick in the ballroom, setting the story in a secluded mansion with dark corners and creepy-crawlies works for the story. The appropriate setting should give clues to the reader as to what kind of story it is and help to foreshadow the outcome. The appropriate setting should also be one in which the characters can develop, even if it is out of their comfort zone. An excellent way to show whether the characters are developing is by the description of the setting and the character’s reaction to it.
Setting Description
Pointing out an actual geographical location for the setting will give your story credibility. However, merely giving the geography of the story will also allow your readers to put their preconceived notions of that place into the story. When writing, an author paints a picture with words. Giving some description of the setting will make that picture an accurate one. It can also be of interest to the reader to see the picture through the character’s eyes. If you would like to play with your creativity, make up a setting. Just be careful when making up a setting that you describe it more vividly to make it believable and that it is not a place that already exists.
Feel free to use your creativity when it comes to the setting of your story, but to allow these ideas to help you in finding its own place. For more ideas, you may also refer to How to Create a Character and How to Create a Plot.
 |
