SETTING

This element of literature is a lot more than just where the story occurs. Let’s get into it…

DEFINED

DEFINED

The setting is where and when a story takes place, and while that simple definition gives us an idea, setting is potentially one of the most complex elements of a story. This is because a sense of place is impacted by the broader environment. Consider it this way, let’s remove Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice from 19th century England—the manors, the landed gentry, the staunch morality codes affixed to relationships—and place it, instead in 21st century England AND make it on a game show like Love Island in which 2 contestants named Liz and Darcy and their enemies-to-lovers romance is at the mercy of the game show. A shift in the setting and the contextual nuance that impacts time, place and the attitudes of characters will absolutely shift the nature of a story. 

The White Room Test

Since setting should be integral to a story, ask yourself: could I remove this story from its current setting, place it in a white room, and would the story still make sense? If it could, then the setting of the story isn’t working hard enough to impact the overall narrative. Let’s try it with some well known stories.

What happens when we remove Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone adventure away from Hogwarts into the white room? Does the story work? Why or why not?

What happens to Game of Thrones when rather than Westeros but on a planet in space. Instead of dragons there are space ships and instead of the throne, they are fighting over resources?

If you have your own story, what happens when you remove a scene to the “white room”?

For more on World Building, see Chapter 3 Planning, World Building

Verb Tense & Time

  • Past Tense

    Using past tense indicates the action has already occurred. The audience understands that the narrative and subsequent reflection on the events has already happened & may even be able to predict what will happen because they can see where the narrative is leading them.

  • Present Tense

    Using present tense indicates that the action of the story is happening as the audience reads. It is immediate and now. The audience is only able to know what happened because it is revealed as they go.

  • Future Tense

    1Using future tense indicates that something will occur, but please note that this tense is not often employed in writing. It is often repetitive and verb combinations make this kind of sentence structure taxing to read.

Set the scene

Whether it’s the broad stroke of an entire world or the detailed moment of a quiet interaction between characters, setting exists. Writers are tasked with bringing the scene to life. From character interaction (where are they) to their movement (what are they working around), setting that stage is important to the overall effect of that character engagement, but also the audience awareness. 

EXERCISE