Beginning writers spend considerable time and energy creating believable characters, writing snappy dialogue and developing action packed plots. It’s understandable, therefore, their tendency to ignore setting, but they do so at their own peril.
By definition, setting is the locale or period in which the action of a novel takes place. It can be urban, rural, tropical, wintry, foreign, indigenous, and/or everything in between. A sleepy English village on a clear, crisp winter’s day for example, is a profoundly different setting from a bustling Asian city of fifteen million battered by a category five typhoon.
Setting, however, is more than just scenery. It establishes mood. It creates conflict and causes turmoil. It impacts and changes the characters. A great setting can solve a sagging middle.
It can (and should) move the story forward.
The homes, office buildings, and businesses frequented by the story people, however, are of my own creation because cities, like humans, are in a constant state of flux. Nothing stays the same forever. To retain authenticity in this series I provide a taste of Niagara Falls
Blurb: FRANK, INCENSE
Thanks so much, Jean. It’s always a pleasure to drop by and chat! I’d like to remind readers I’m giving away an e-copy of FRANK, INCENSE AND MURIEL at the conclusion of the Mystery We Write tour. Leave a comment to automatically be entered in the draw. The winner will be announced April 28 at http://anne-k-albert.blogspot.com.
Thank you, Anne. It's always a pleasure to have you visit here.
Anne K. Albert’s award winning stories "chill the spine, warm the heart and soothe the soul…all with a delightful touch of humor." A member of Romance Writers of America, Mystery Writers of America, Sisters in Crime, and married to her high school sweetheart for more than a quarter of a century, it's a given she'd write mystery and romantic suspense. When not writing she loves to travel, visit friends and family, and of course, read using ‘Threegio’ her cherished and much beloved Kindle 3G!
You can visit Anne at her website: Anne K. Albert. and her blog site.
You can buy her novel, Frank, Incense and Muriel at Amazon.com
Thanks for featuring me today, Jean. It's always fun to visit and talk about writing!
ReplyDeleteOh, I so agree with you, Anne. Setting can almost be another character.
ReplyDeleteMarilyn
Absolutely, Marilyn. Settings also provide weather conditions that can often make the situation worse which adds up to more nail-biting and worry on the part of the reader, and aids the writer. A win/win in any book!
DeleteI totally identify with your Northern Minnesota analysis, Anne. For extreme locations, setting is a major character. It's amoral, but it waits for a character to make an error. Then it pounces.
DeleteOH, I love that, Lou. THEN IT POUNCES. Superb description of when it hits the fan. Thank you!
DeleteAs a reader I enjoy a writer supplying interesting scenery. Draws me more closely into story. Thanks for your efforts.
ReplyDeleteAgreed, Jake. A sense of place is important to both the writer and the reader.
DeleteGreat post on sites, settings, and scenery. So nice hearing another author I admire talking about setting and it's importance. So agree it's a "vital tool"! Very enjoyable post.
ReplyDeleteMadeline
Thank, Madeline. I know how important Route 66 is to you, and like you I feel equally obsessive about my novel settings! Thanks for dropping by.
DeleteYou're so right. We need to let the reader feel like they're right there with the protagonist. I really enjoy a book where I can feel the setting. I read one once about the area where I was living, and the author did such a good job that I found myself wishing I was somewhere else.
ReplyDeleteI can totally relate, Marja. I once read a book where the protagonist plodded through knee high snow. It was an endurance test to be sure, and crucial to the plot. The strange thing is, while I cannot remember the author's name or the title of that book, I DO remember the plot and I was aware that struggle with the elements was a real life or death situation. Even more importantly, I still get very, very cold every time I think about it! Brrr! Setting can really add so much to a story.
DeleteGreat post Anne, you know I think scenery can take on a character and personality of it's own. It sounds like you use that to your advantage!
ReplyDeleteMary
I try, Mary. I try!
DeleteAnne, you're so right about setting. Readers want to feel they're in the scene with our characters. Most readers can't relate to a character unless they feel the place. That makes more work for us but no one promised it would be easy, did they?
ReplyDeleteThey certainly did not. :) It's interesting how many people think writing IS easy until they try themselves!
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