Setting
can play as big a role in your book as your plot or main characters.
In fact setting can be a character itself. Think of the books
that you've read where any other setting would change the tempo
or plot of the book. Stephen King's The Shining was set
in a Colorado hotel in the mountains, inaccessible in the winter.
That simple fact heightened the tension because the characters
were basically snowed in and alone.
The
time period can also be an important part of the setting. Gone
With the Wind played out against the backdrop of the Civil
War and the war played as big a part in what happened as the characters.
They were at the mercy of the setting.
If
you are writing a science fiction book or setting your book in
a unknown environment, you will have the luxury of building your
own world, but that also requires a lot of extra work.
If
you are writing a contemporary book be aware of actual streets
or locations if you are using known cities. Readers will know
if you stretch too far and suddenly stick a mountain range in
the middle of Denver. It might be the Mile High City, but you
still have to travel to get to the top of a mountain!
You will need to research your setting, especially if you have
never been there or if you are dealing with a different time period.
Google
maps can be a really good source if you're unfamiliar with an
area. Often you can actually put a street location into google
maps and view the nearby area via the "satellite" view
of the map.
Also
be careful if you decide to use the proper name of a street. Again,
savvy readers will know if you try to use a familiar street name,
like Hollywood Boulevard and then place it south of downtown LA
proper.
The
same goes for the use of restaurant or business names. Some big
companies frown on the use of their names if you're writing a
murder or want to set a crime on their property. It often makes
more sense to use a fictitious name in that instance.
Exercises for setting:
- Write
up a description of the setting you would like to use
- Research the setting on Google or Wikkipedia
- Look up your setting on Googlemaps if it is a contemporary place
- Write
a scene using information from your research
- Make a list of settings you might want to use in your work and research them
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