Building a World

A few weeks ago, I wrote about creating and defining characters. This week, I want to look at another element of fiction writing: setting.

Fictional settings can be as simple as a restaurant or as thoroughly developed and complex as a certain interstellar society.

Whichever of those routes (or, more likely, some via media of your own devising), how you choose to set your story can deeply influence the story itself.

Here are a few tips to keep in mind as you create a backdrop for your fiction:

1. Setting is not just a matter of place.

It can encompass philosophy, culture, technology, time, background characters and much more. How complex you want to make your setting probably will depend on how involved you want your story to be and how much characters and setting will need to interact. That said, don’t overlook the power of simplicity, even in an otherwise complex narrative. Needlessly complicating your story can serve to just bog everything down.

2. Know the setting

If you’re considering setting your story in a real place and time, do your research. There’s a great deal of joy to be derived by your readers if they come across nuggets of realism that they can recognize in your setting. For example, author J.A. Jance sets two of her series in Seattle and Cochise County, Arizona—two places she’s actually lived. Maybe even visit your setting so you can add in those authentic details. And if you can’t do that, the internet is a writer’s dream!

3. Plan more than you use

In creating a fictional setting, I always have more under the surface that never makes it into the story. This can be side characters that don’t quite make it to the page or a religious sensibility I don’t end up explicitly referencing in the text. These bits can still add a great deal of color to the story, though, and I think they’re very much worth putting thought into. An unmentioned fraternal relationship, even if never discussed, can still influence your character’s actions, even if you’re the only one who knows about it. Just like each of us is more than what we show to the world, a good character and a good setting is much more than a cardboard cutout or a matte painting.

4. Experiment and have fun!

Try out different settings as you write more. If you have one story set in a real place, try making up a setting for the next one. Try rewriting a story in a different setting and see what happens. This sandbox approach to writing will stretch your creativity and help develop your style.

Above all, enjoy the process!