Setting is a necessary part of any story – without it, your prose would be just a never-ending series of talking heads wandering around in a vacuum! It’s easy to just use setting as a backdrop only, but it can also be used in many other ways. Here are seven creative ways to use setting to enhance your story.
Use setting to provide mood, tone and atmosphere
Setting plays a pivotal role in shaping the mood, tone and atmosphere of a story. Think of a bustling cityscape, with skyscrapers and crowds of pedestrians walking around at lunchtime, a peaceful countryside on a sunny day, or a creepy abandoned building at night.
All of these scenes can help to shape mood, tone and atmosphere and reflect what’s going on in your character’s mind – their ‘inner’ atmosphere.
For example, in the cityscape scene, your character’s thoughts could be buzzing with chores he has to get done that day, and the setting could be shown to compliment his hectic life; show him rushing through the crowds to catch an inner city train.
In the abandoned building scene, the character’s mindset could already be anxious and the creepy setting would only add to his feelings of uncertainty and fear.
Use setting to provide strong imagery
One of the most powerful aspects of setting is its ability to transport readers to different places and times by using strong imagery.
Produce strong imagery by using descriptive language, making the reader feel as if they’re there. Use adjectives, adverbs, similes and metaphors to make description come alive.
You can describe the city as a concrete jungle, for example (metaphor), or like a bustling beehive (simile).
You can also engage the reader’s senses to fully immerse them in the world you’ve created. Appeal to their sight, sound, smell, touch, and taste while describing a scene.
Show, don’t tell – allow the reader to experience the setting through the character’s point of view.
There’s no point in trying to analyse the creative urge. You either have it or you don’t.
– David Hewson
Use setting to drive the plot
Setting can serve as an active participant in the story and drive the plot. You can use it to create obstacles for the characters to overcome.
In the fantasy novel ‘The Lord of the Rings’, Frodo had to travel through a treacherous mountain and reach a dangerous volcano to destroy a ring, severely testing his reserves of resilience and determination.
Use setting as a symbol
Setting can be used both in a literal and symbolic way. Giving a symbolic meaning to a setting can add depth and layers of interpretation to your writing. It can mirror either (a) the internal struggles of your characters; or (b) reflect the themes of your story.
A decaying house can be used to mirror a character’s fractured psyche, for example.
One setting which holds multiple symbolic meanings is the moors in Emily Bronte’s novel ‘Wuthering Heights’ (moors are a tract of open country that can be either dry or wet. They’re often described as uncultivated hilly areas or grasslands).
The moors lie between two families living in Thrushcross Grange and Wuthering Heights and symbolise a place in between good and evil, and life and death.
They were the childhood playground of the characters of Heathcliff and Catherine, and are a symbol of their love.
They’re difficult to navigate, symbolising the relationship and emotions of the characters, and are wild and untamed, symbolising Catherine and Heathcliff as children.
UGLY WORD OF THE DAY: ESCHEW. Meaning to abstain from, reject or avoid.
Use setting as an emotional trigger
Choose setting which hold emotional triggers for the character, where the characters has some sort of emotional attachment to it.
For example: a character visits her old childhood home and as she walks through it, traumatic memories of cold and disapproving parents flood through her, filling her with turmoil and anger. If she had a happy childhood of course, it’d be the opposite – feelings of love and affection would come to the fore.
Use setting to convey back story
Setting can be used as a tool in covering a character’s back story. For example, where he or she grew up and was educated (or not educated), giving a visual peek into their past life and what that life was like.
Use setting as a vehicle to show character
Reveal your character’s true nature through showing, not telling, and use setting as a vehicle to display what sort of person they are.
For example, instead of telling the reader how evil they are, have them rob a house before dousing it with gasoline and setting it on fire.
A few more tips on using setting
Don’t feel like you have to use all five senses all the time when describing setting. Try mixing just a few of the five senses together, or use only one. Don’t be afraid to experiment when it comes to description.
The same goes with setting choice. Instead of going with an ordinary setting, why not stretch yourself by trying something new and fresh? Readers like to experience different things.
Brainstorm what the best setting may be for your writing scene. Think of what you want to achieve. Do you want to create mood and atmosphere? Vivid imagery? Move the story forward? Show back story? Show glimpses into the character’s emotional makeup? Use the setting as an emotional trigger? Or utilise symbolism?
Whatever you choose, happy writing!
WRITING PROMPT: write a passage where the setting symbolises the character’s inner world.
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