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| One thing we tend to retain in our memory banks for long periods of time is place. We may forget names and what exactly happened to us, but where the events took place can be easier to remember because we experience with all five senses. Thus, our brains receive a significant amount of information about a location, from the color of the grass to the smell of fresh paint on the side of a house. How can we transfer this sensory immersion from real life to paper? That's what I'll discuss in this issue. |
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I was surprised that very few people jumped at the opportunity to tell me what to do via this poll.
[Linked Poll's access is restricted.]
Those who participated opted for me to discuss place in this issue (although it almost came to me flipping a coin since the second highest number of votes was for me to choose  ). So, place it is. Like with time, there is so much that can be discussed when it comes to place. I have found that place is nowhere near as simple as the phrase "far, far away" suggests. Then again, I prefer to set my stories in places that actually exist. One of the reasons is that it gives me an excuse to hit the road and do some travelling. Why? I go to the place (or places) where I wish to set my story to experience it with every sense: sight, hearing, touch, scent and taste.
Of course, this isn't always possible, and there are many reasons why it wouldn't be. You can still write about a particular location without visiting it yourself. Thank goodness for Google!  Seriously, research is a writer's best friend, and the internet works well for finding information pertaining to what we would experience through sight and sound. To my dismay, they have yet to create a way to smell things over an internet connection, which would be great for recipes I find online. So for each sense, I'll offer some tips on how to convey that sense in a piece in case you can't go to the place where your story takes, um, place.
SIGHT
Sight tends to get the lion's share of attention when it comes to fleshing out a given location. Thus, it has the most potential to be overdescribed and distorted in the process. When it comes to depicting visual aspects of a setting, try to balance it out with at least one detail that relates to another sense. For example, if you are writing about crab grass in a trailer park, balance out the visual description of the grass with describing how it feels brushing against the narrator's skin. Another example is working in a factory, where the air is thick with dust and other irritants. After describing how cloudy the air is, the character can start coughing after accidentally inhaling the air and choking on the dust.
Doing research for visual aspects of a location is easier than ever. Really, it's as simple as typing in a location in Google, be it through the images section or Google Earth. However, if you're feeling a little more ambitious, grabbing free brochures at hotels and visitor's centers provide a cheap source of visual aids. If you know anyone who has visited the location where your story takes place, ask to see pictures from the trip to that particular place. You should also humor the person if he or she wants to talk about the trip. It could provide you with helpful information to develop the visual aspects of your setting as well as the other sensory aspects.
SOUND
In writing prose works, most of the "sound" tends to come from dialogue, but sound plays an important role in setting. This, to me, is the one aspect of setting where you can play with the description and not have to worry as much about distorting what you actually mean. For example, you can describe a conversation held by a catty circle of women as "spicy chatter", and the reader will nod in understanding. However, the drawback to this is some writers like to use similes to describe sounds. To me, this is an annoyance. It's indirect and even misleading. Say a bird chirps in such a way that it jars the narrator. If the bird trills but the narrator describes it as a jackhammer attacking his/her eardrums, does it sound like a jackhammer, or is it more shrill? Sounds can be easily overpoeticized when described, so when possible, describe sounds in a direct manner.
With the advent of Wikipedia and YouTube, hearing sounds from your setting has made sound research much easier to accomplish from your computer. However, this is the one sense where research can be the most tedious and frustrating, since sound files for specific locales are not always easy to track down. What you can do is find out some of the animals in the area, the types of vehicles that might travel through, and any geographical features that might be relevant to the development of sound (i.e. lakes, rivers, susceptibility to wind, etc.). From there, you can research these particular topics and seek out MIDI or WAV files to use as reference points.
SMELL
My grandfather once remarked how he always remembers the smell of a place, even if he forgets all the other details. While I'm not sure if other people feel the same way, I think smell is one of the most interesting aspects of setting. It, along with taste, has a strong tie to the visceral organs, thus affecting your appetite. Even non-culinary smells can cause similar effects, such as rotting flesh will make you gag, while smelling salt air can be tranquilizing. Likewise, too many smells at one time can cause headaches, which is why I tend to avoid perfume counters in department stores.
Researching smells is a somewhat contradictory idea, as the perception of a scent will vary from person to person. If you have problems with picking up scents (and some people do), this can be an even more difficult challenge. Also, since we cannot smell things through our computers at this time, you can't Google, say, scent of a nail polish factory and catch a whiff. The best thing you can do is smell, well, what surrounds you every day. When you're stuck in rush hour traffic, crack open the window and take a quick sniff of the outside air. As you wait for your meal to be served at a restaurant, think about how the different foodstuffs create a unique aroma. From there, you can pick and choose which scents would provide the closest match to your setting, based on other research you may have done.
TOUCH
Touch and textures tend to get a fair amount of attention in prose description since this sense provides a feeling (so to speak) of intimacy. However, touch can be used to depict distance from a given person, place or thing. Ever sat on a chair that seemed to be stuffed with concrete? How about trying to grab a glass with wet hands? Touch can convey so many details about the history of the location in a very concise manner, not to mention reflect how a character feels about a given setting. Sometimes what we feel against our skin makes the deepest impact when we remember a particular place.
Fortunately, this one doesn't require too much effort to research!  That said, your best bet is to hit the road and visit appropriate places (shops, parks and so on) if you want to find out what a particular material feels like. For clothes, try them on, if you can to get an idea as to how the material feels on your arms, legs and other body parts. I have found that things feel different on other parts of your body as opposed to being held in your hands. With this sense, though, touching is key, but please be discreet in doing so! 
TASTE
When it comes to developing setting, taste tends to get ignored. Perhaps it's because taste is mostly associated with eating, and most pieces do not contain extensive passages depicting a character or group of characters enjoying a nine-course meal. However, taste can add a little oomph to a setting. Imagine taking in a deep breath of air...and then clicking your tongue against the roof of your mouth trying to figure out what's in the air that's left a funny aftertaste. There's also the less subtle falling on the ground and getting some dirt on your lips. Sure, it's far from tasty in an appetizing manner, but tastebuds can add some commentary about the location.
When researching tastes, try some new recipes or seek out a new restaurant. If you plan to set your story in a foreign country, look for a restaurant that serves authentic cuisine from that country. Along with becoming acquainted with the most commonly encountered flavors in that country, the proprietors might be willing to share some information about their home country. As for non-food related tastes, that might be a little more difficult to research. Your best bet would be to take a trip to a place similar to your intended setting and breathing in the air (or whatever you have to do to get an idea of how to describe a certain taste). Taste is not the easiest aspect to research, but it is worth it.
So go on. Take some trips and indulge in new sensory experiences for "research purposes". You never know what a little sensory detail will do to your setting, your story or even your preferences for things in life. Plus, experiencing these things for yourself will make your setting (and story) come alive for the reader.
Until next time,
(sig courtesy of Feywriter  ) |
Want to experience visceral settings in writing on the site? Here are some pieces I recommend to see how all five senses work to develop a unique and authentic sense of location.
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While two antagonists had many of you scratching your heads in response, I received a fair number of comments about archetypes! Let's take a look at what you had to say.
From ftrinta Hi Elisa
I've loved the subject of this newsletter. I'm writing a book where setting is essential as my character is a foreign priest in a small Dutch community. Though it's not in the past, the setting is essential from his own POV as a foreigner.
Thanks for all the insights!
Nanda
You're welcome, and I hope this newsletter provides additional insights for setting development. Interestingly, I went to the Netherlands when I was a child, and I still remember it because it made a lasting impression on my senses. The contrast in sights between Florida and the Netherlands were just the very beginning. I can still taste the creamy cheese slices I had and can still feel the pigeon that landed on my head while I threw bird seed in a square in Amsterdam. I say the Netherlands is a great choice for setting, and if you haven't already visited the country, I recommend going. It's a wonderful place to visit.
From StephBee  : Elisa, I loved your discussion of setting in this week's drama letter. Time and place are so important in painting the story that's going to take place. Heck, for me, it's a good chuck of the ambience for Shakespeare's "Romeo & Juliet." Two Thumbs Up.
I agree. WIth Romeo and Juliet, much of the tension stems from the practices of noble families during the time period of the Middle Ages/Renaissance. If this time frame was not established, we the audience would question why the protagonists sneak around to meet up whenever they can. While such sneaking around occurs even in modern times, the circumstances for doing so today differ from why a couple would pull such a stunt back then. After all, social traditions vary with each era in time that passes, and these social traditions tend to be rooted in specific locales. Just compare the different types of humor between, say, a Scandanavian country and one along the Mediterranean Sea.You'll see that they are quite different from one another.
From bazilbob: How about how they relate to each other?
Greetings! I know you sent me an e-mail for comments about my previous issue, but they seem to have diasppeared.  When all else fails, the feedback box at the bottom is the way to go for sending feedback. That way, I'm far less likely to lose it. Anyway, as far as your question goes...that's a whole newsletter in itself! Check back in April for my answer. 
From kelly1202: I enjoyed your NL this week.
You did an awesome job! And I'll be referring back
to this one often.
~Kelly
I'm glad you enjoyed the newsletter. Time can be a bit involved to discuss, but it's definitely a component of setting that shouldn't be overlooked. I hope my comments on time prove helpful for you and many others.
For my next newsletter, I'm going to wrap up setting by connecting time and place. I will also make the Ask and Answer section a general setting question and answer session for anything related to setting (be it time or place). So be sure to send in your questions and/or comments about setting. Hey, it gets your port plugged in the newsletter. That's free exposure for your work if all else fails.
And if you happen to miss or misplace a newsletter, feel free to stop by "The Drama Box" [13+]. |
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Drama: March 14, 2007 Issue [#1599]
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