Ideas in Creative Writing – Setting
Tips for Creating a Believable and Immersive Fictional Atmosphere
Sep 21, 2008
Sometime a writer faces the most difficult challenges when confronted with a question of how to create a unique environment that will compliment both the characters involved, but also set a great deal of atmosphere and tone of the narrative – an immersive experience is key to creating a compelling story!
Maintaining Suspension of Disbelief : Your Goal
The ultimate rule when creating a setting for your short story, play, or novel is to remember that, above all else, your setting must be consistent and surprising at the same time! While it might seem that the concepts of being consistent yet surprising would logically fall at odds with one another – this is a strange dichotomy that bears examination.
Be Consistent
Your world must absolutely be consistent in its rules, strictures, and established norms. Whether it be a hamlet in the fictional pastoral province of Arugula or a historically revised twist on modern day Atlantic Canada – your world or setting must have established rules, norms, and politics – no matter how crude or sophisticated. Giving the reader this established framework not only allows them to better understand the motivations and capabilities of the characters during your narrative – it also keeps you, as an enthusiastic author, away from using cliched twists or an implausible deus ex machina. Common examples of these tropes would be “ - because it was magic!”.
In a realistic and enjoyable narrative, even magic has rules, and all technology has a flaw or drawback. Nobody cares to read a story where the protagonist blazes through every threat within a paragraph – they want to see them fight against the odds, bend the rules without breaking them, and squirm a little before they progress. Without rules your world has no shape or interaction.
Be Surprising
Your world must also be unique and attractive – intriguing to the reader due to its infamiliarity. With the concept of consistency you are framing a structured world that the reader can indentify with and understand – with the element of surprise you are infusing this world with a touch of infamiliarity to create interest and spur curiousity. Whether it might be a suburban neighboorhood transformed into a corporate prison in a dystopic future, or a story about a world where the Roman Empire never fell – the secret to success is to create a believable atomospheric framework with unfamiliar or fantastic histories or characters.
Questions to Ask Yourself
A few questions are always useful in brainstorming with regards to worldbuilding, or considering setting and place.
Is this an epic story, encompassing nations or perhaps even planets – on a grand level? Or is this an intimate story chronicling the story of individuals – an examination of a social microcosm? Knowing the scope and breadth of your narratives plot will assist you in framing the settings and places that your protagonists and antagonists will travel to and interact with.
What type of law do these people live by? How is morality measured within their culture? Do the characters accept these notions, or rebel against them – and if so, which characters and for what reasons? What are the limitations and benefits exacted upon the inhabitants of this setting? Knowing the guidelines for proper behaviour and what concepts are central to the cultures in the plot will help you make much better decisions regarding characterization of your cast.
Clues and Tidbits
Finally, the place to look for clues really depends on the genre you are writing in. For fantasy or science fiction, one might do well to read a few campaign settings and sourcebooks for Dungeons and Dragons, Rifts, or any other number of role playing game supplements. Well-written supplements will offer a detailed setting, explaining cultures, physical traits, and the geography of the land throughout. For romance writers, perhaps viewing classic romantic films and taking keen interest in the cinematography might aide you in providing an intimate setting – think Casablanca, or more recently, The Notebook. For historical fiction writers, a discussion with a relative or friend who might have lived through that era is often considered one of the best resources – not only do you get excellent primary source material for your setting, you also get to have a beer with a friend (or coffee, should you prefer). Of course, for those looking to dig back further, a documentary might be more appropriate.
Other Ideas in Creative Writing Articles
 |
