  Drama
This week: Edited by: darkin
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"When I am dead, I hope it is said,
'His sins were scarlet, but his books were read'."
-Hilaire Belloc
My name is Darkin and I'll be your guest editor for this issue of the Drama Newsletter.
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What Should Your Story's Setting Be?
Setting has become a very important part of most novels. You need to take your reader there, even if you are using a fictional one. Done right, your location can create mood, atmosphere and even help determined plot. If nothing else, exploring your novel's location will add color and richness to your story. Without it, your book may lose an important feature - the visual one.
Real or Pretend?
You might be wondering if you should use a real location or just make one up. It is really up to you. How familiar are you with the location you have in mind? Can you bring it to life for your reader? Just because you live there does not mean you do not have to do research.
A word of warning though. If your setting is your own small hometown most people will assume the characters in your book are based on real-life people, even if they are not. Depending on the kind of story you write, you may find yourself fielding questions from your readers as well as your friends.
Creating a fictional location has many advantages for the writer. You get to name the town, streets, businesses, schools, etc. Everything inside your town is under your control. You will still need to do some research, but you get to plan how the town and its surrounding areas look. You can make your setting anything you wish.
Researching your location
If you've chosen to write about a real place you will need to research the location. While reading about a place is nice, visiting it in person is preferred. Go to the spots you want to include in your story. Take pictures and notes about these areas. Pay special attention to the five senses when making your notes.
Do not forget to get travel brochures from various businesses and historical sites. Guide books are also great places to find information and even the local historical society can help you give your location background.
Make your setting work
Now that you have this wealth of information, what do you do with it? Remember; use your setting descriptions sparingly. Do not slow your story with lengthy descriptive passages. Anchor your reader in your novel's surroundings, but do not overwhelm them.
It is best to sprinkle the information within the story to move your plot along. Use the five senses when describing your setting. And remember weather can be a great scene setter, but only use it to enhance a tense situation or set a mood. Also, the attitudes, opinions, life style in a particular area can also help the overall impression in your story.
Which scene pulls you more into the story?
Miranda sat on the front porch swing sipping her tea, watching the trees move with the wind."
Or...
Miranda sat on the weathered front porch swing, rocking gently to the beat of the starling's song. Her delicate china cup held her favorite chamomile tea, its aroma mingling with the sweet scent of the moonflowers covering the porch railing. Sadness filled her as she watched the red and yellow leaves danced across the lush green lawn, pushed by the crisp autumn breeze.
Your setting should anchor your readers in your story. It should help transport the reader into the fictional world of your story and keep them there until the final page is turned, and beyond.
Thank you for taking the time to read. Happy Writing!
darkin
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Here are some items I found while traveling the highways and byways of Writing.Com!
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Since I am a guest editor, I don't have any feedback to show. However, I would love to know what you thought about this issue. Please use the comments box below to let me know
darkin
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Drama: May 02, 2007 Issue [#1694]
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