Writing a Novel – Setting The Stage

Establish your setting. 

A story’s setting is when and where the plot takes place. You know, like in a small town in West Virginia, on a mountaintop, or even in outer space. A setting can be based on made-up events and locations or historical events, or real-world locations. I used the real-world normal city for my setting because my novel is a tale about a normal family who just happens to have extraordinary abilities.

The setting of your story is crucial. If you’re writing a romance, you might want to set it in a cozy town, while a horror story might take place in a creepy castle (you get the picture). Your setting, like your characters, is a creation of your imagination.  

The setting serves as the backdrop for everything that happens in a story, and it frequently adds a lot to the atmosphere.

So, before you start writing your story, make sure the setting fits like a glove.

Here are a few questions for you to consider. 

1. Exactly where and when will your story take place? Will it be present-day? Twenty years ago? Will it be in a different country? What city or town? If there are multiple settings, how long will the characters spend in each one?
2. Is the setting a real place? If so, do research. 
3. How will the setting of the story factor into the characters’ lives? Will it help them or prevent them from achieving their goals? If neither, why choose this setting at all?
4. What is the history of this area?
5. What is the weather like each season? (if there are seasons)
6. What are the biggest landmarks of this setting?
7. In what sorts of residence do most people live?
8. How do people tend to get around?
9. Why do people like or dislike living here?
10. What will the reader see, feel, hear, and smell as they begin reading?

If you’re using a real location, make sure you know what it looks like. You don’t want your work to come across as amateurish.

My book deals with a lot of time passing, which made things a little difficult. So, as you write your story, keep the following two questions in mind.

How much time passes in your story?
How will you draw the reader’s attention to the passage of time?

For more information on how to write the passing of time, visit:

14 Tips for Dealing With the Passage of Time in a Story

 

Until next time, write!