The world they live in…
A simple image, but a wealth of details that could be included if it was important to the plot. A description could include the stones, the moss, details about the gate and its craftsmanship, and then expand to explain where it sits and why it is important.
This means setting! If your readers can’t imagine the place your characters are existing in, they’re less likely to get invested into the story, and more likely to put the book down and not pick it back up.
Setting allows your reader to immerse themselves into the places where your characters live and work and dream. It gives them a picture of where your character spends their time, and frankly, with our ability to Google destinations and have pictures at our fingertips, it’s not even as hard as it used to be. Of course, research can never replace lived experience, and it’s always nicer to write about places we’ve been, but this may not always be an option. In that case, do not despair! You can write good settings without having been somewhere, it just may take a little more research.
In past posts, I’ve talked about how to introduce characters into your story. Setting follows similar rules. You’ll want to be up front about it, giving your readers that information as quickly as you can. For example, if your main character spends a large portion of their time in their office, a good description of that space at the beginning will suffice, and then you can leave the reader to recall or refer back to those details as needed. A solid first description allows them to do that.
Again, similar to character introductions, you’ll want to weave setting details into opening scenes. However, for setting, I find that a paragraph describing the place works equally well. When you walk into a room, you automatically take it in, filing away those details in your mind to remember later, and you can do the same thing with your characters. Allow them some time to see and process their new location, and you’ll have a ready-made paragraph of the setting. Of course, this is also an excellent place to weave in those personality details we talked about earlier, which will help move your plot along!
Setting is another one of those things that thrives on details! Is there something strange about the room, or it’s size and shape? Is there an unexpected statue, or a painting that is meaningful in some way? A beautiful view from a side window? How does the place contribute to the development of the character? Do they learn something about the other characters through it? As with character development, anything you can do to make the location real to your readers will help immerse them in the story and not want to put it down!
