In a post on Writer Unboxed, Diana Giovinazzo discusses the importance of setting and offers tips for getting it right. “While characters are undeniably important, getting the setting wrong can make or break a book,” she says. I’m not just talking about setting your book in a tropical climate when it should be in the Pacific Northwest. I mean the failure to root the reader in the scene.”
To ground your reader in your story, Giovinazzo suggests using the 5-4-3-2-1 method. You may recognize the method as a tool for easing anxiety. “You list 5 physical things around you that you can see, 4 things you can touch, 3 things you can hear, 2 things you can smell, and one thing you can taste,” Giovinazzo explains.
While you probably won’t use 15 detailed descriptors in every scene – or even every chapter – keeping this method in mind can help you remember to engage all your readers’ senses.
