Using Real Places as a Story Setting
Street Maps, Physical Details, Atmosphere Create a Sense of Place
May 23, 2009
“Every place is exotic to those who are far away from it,” said Josip Novakovich in Fiction Writer’s Workshop. Here are some ways to use maps, topography, and other details to make a real place come alive as a setting for fiction, whether historical or contemporary.
Accurate Details for Real Places
Writers who set their stories in real places need to be accurate. Does Third Street intersect with Elm? Is the theater on the north or south side of town? Draw or print a map of the town for reference throughout the writing process, but also look at satellite images and online or traditional photographs if an in-person visit is not possible.
Including topography on a map will help define physical details. Knowing where the hills and rivers are will determine whether a character will huff and puff for three blocks, or have to detour to get to a bridge.
The authenticity of a place will draw local readers in as well. It can be fun for Midwesterners to read about eating at White Castle, and a southerner will nod in agreement when kudzu envelopes the trees. Just make sure the details are accurate. Readers are excited to find their town in a book, but they’re also sure to write if the story has it wrong.
Add Details as the Story Grows
Many of these details won’t be needed to begin a story. When characters meet at the Third Street Café in Chapter One, that may be all that’s important. The fact that Third Street goes up a steep hill won’t matter, and may not be discovered, until the character needs to go that way.
Other details in a real place may not matter at all. Writers can always consult maps or take a walk later to discover setting details that come up further into the story. Whether or not to map everything out at the beginning depends on a writer’s own inclinations.
There are advantages to starting with a complete map, though:
Physical Setting Details Help Develop the Story
While having setting details at hand helps a writer move characters around, these details can also suggest plot points or character growth.
The steep Third Street hill mentioned above may only be important for interest (the huffing and puffing) and local accuracy. But it could also be used to provide a means of escape or capture, make a chase more exciting, recall a flashback of childhood sledding, or to give a character a physical challenge to conquer. Use the physical aspects of a place to inspire plot and character.
Mood and Atmosphere in Real Places
Spend the time looking at a town with the eyes of a newcomer, noting the details that make it what it is. Does the grocery store put funny sayings on its sign? Does a certain convenience store have the biggest ice cream cones? Are there always two old guys smoking cigars in the park?
Note the atmosphere and mood in the town. Dry, dusty and slow? Bright and vibrant? Cautious? Look closely to determine what creates this attitude, and use these details to create a deeper sense of place.
Using a real place as a story setting can add depth to a story if done well. The research is well worth the time.
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