In an article for Writer’s Digest, Kristy Woodson Harvey shares advice for making your setting as unforgettable as your characters. “No matter what type of setting you are looking to create—from sweet and cozy to dark and twisty—a few tweaks will give readers the experience of a setting they will never forget,” Harvey says.
- Start with your senses. Once you have your visual in mind, explore what your characters might hear, taste, smell, and feel in your setting. “The more senses we use to describe a setting, the more likely a reader is to remember it, feel taken in by it, and want to know more,” Harvey writes.
- Explore how you feel. What’s the vibe? Does the setting evoke fear or a sense of belonging? Should the reader feel lured in or warned away? Does the town have a sense of optimism or decay? How can that be conveyed in action and description? In horror movies, when newcomers have doors slammed in their faces, you know they’re in for a bad time. In contrast, the heroine of a romance novel is likely to be greeted by a welcome wagon. Go deep into your setting to find unique ways to create a vibe without beating your readers over the head.
- Treat your setting like a character. “A setting needs a personality, just like a character,” Harvey says. “Does the house have creaky floors that seem cantankerous? Does the shoreline seem like it washes away the secrets of the passersby?” Use the setting to help or hinder your protagonist. Similes and metaphors can also help bring your setting to life.
- Treat your characters like a part of your setting. “Of course, we would never throw a character in a novel solely to enhance the setting… Or would we?” Harvey suggests. Consider adding some local color to your cast, one or more characters who embody what’s special, weird, or downright wrong with the location. Give them a role in the story, such as local historian, helping hand, or town antagonist.
- Give your setting a backstory. “A setting is just a setting; a story is much more memorable,” Harvey writes. “Whether it’s a dark and seedy tale of greed and lust or a sweet, happy story of families coming together to create a better life, these details about how your setting came to be can’t help but make a reader feel closer to the setting.”
