Plan and Develop the Setting

Question: How can I plan how can I plan and develop the setting for my novel?

Answer: The best settings to use are places you are intimately familiar with, because you can incorporate authentic details into your stories, such as the sounds, smells, sights, climate, wildlife, and architecture of the place, as well as your knowledge of its people and culture.

Second-best is to create a fictional setting that is based on a real place you are intimately familiar with, again because you can incorporate many of the same details, while altering it a little to suit your story. For instance, you might choose a high school that's similar to the one you went to, or an office similar to one you worked in, or a small town loosely based on the one you live in.

If you want to use a real place which you have never been to, or a historical setting, then you will need to do research. You can be certain that some of your readers will be very familiar with whatever real setting you choose, and if you get your facts wrong it will be a real letdown for them, and it could earn you some poor reviews.

You can get an overall sense of a place from online resources, such as Google maps, photographs, encyclopedias, etc. Much better are travel articles or people's accounts of visiting a place, because these often contain more of the kind of details you need to create an authentic representation.

Just be warned, nothing beats going there in person.

For historical settings, you can often find good books that describe a place at a particular time. Make friends with a reference librarian who can help you find sources such as people's letters, diaries, the literature of the time, historical maps, artwork, etc. You'll want to know all the little details of people's lives--what they ate, what they wore, their customs, class distinctions, etc.

If you are writing some form of fantasy or science fiction, your world-building challenge is different again.

Keep in mind that cultures are often shaped by their environment, so you may want to start with a certain climate and terrain in mind. Then look at examples of cultures that sprang up in such places. Ask yourself how the climate, the material resources, the food supply, etc. would affect the culture? You may want to make maps.

The anthropologist George P. Murdock came up with a list of 50 or so aspects common to every human culture. If you can get hold of his list, it's worth considering how these aspects will look in your fictional culture. (Some people like to make drawings of things like villages, clothing, tools, etc.)

Just beware: world-building can be fun, but it can also take a long time. Don't let it become an end in itself. You want enough detail to be able to create a consistent, logical, and authentic world for your main character to more through, but parts of the world that don't appear in the story can be drawn with broader strokes.

Setting Without the Culture

by Zapata
(London)

Question: I want to use setting of Victorian era London in my novel, but I don't like the culture in that period, especially when it comes to the way they address each other. Can I use a setting without the culture that comes with it?

What must I do?

Thanks'

Answer: Assuming you are writing some kind of fantasy (including science fiction or steampunk), the important thing is to be consistent. It's okay to create a story world that is set in an alternate history or parallel dimension that resembles Victorian London, but is different in several key ways.

You may have to find a way to justify things, since culture is often related to technology, development etc. A reader might wonder why the city still looks like Victorian London even though the class system (which determines things like manners, architecture, etc.) is different. For instance, maybe you postulate a revolution that brought about an era of social equality such that people stopped addressing others by titles or started using new titles like "Brother" or "Comrade" instead of "My Lord."

Of course, if you are writing historical fiction, that's a different matter and you have to know your audience. Readers of historical fiction fall into different categories. Some will love the period you are writing about and want that world portrayed as authentically as possible. They read historical novels as a way of learning about history. You have to do a lot of research to write this type of book, so you can get all the details, including how people interact, as correct as possible.

On the other hand, some people enjoy stories about characters with fairly modern sensibilities who happen to inhabit a historical setting. These books may present characters with very contemporary attitudes towards things like the status of women, racism, religion, etc. who nonetheless inhabit a pseudo-Victorian setting. These books are more like fantasies than true historical fiction.

Again, the important thing is to make your story world consistent. The reader should know whether the story is supposed to be a fantasy or an accurate reflection of history.

Setting the Story in a Real Country

Hi, I am writing a young adult story where they go to a fighting school (a made up school) and I would like to know if setting the story in a real country or place makes it more interesting or if I should leave their location ambiguous.

Answer: You should always have a reason for the artistic choices you make that makes sense to you.

Assuming your story is set in the real world (not fantasy or science fiction) and contemporary (not historical or futuristic), then any location you choose for your fighting school will make a statement. Readers may take from it a particular political or cultural orientation.

For instance, setting the school in China or Japan would be an allusion to the history of these regions. The reader would make a very different set of assumptions if your school were set in Ireland, Israel, Russia, or Turkey.

Your setting might tip the reader off as to whose side you are on.

Similarly, putting the school at the heart of a current or former empire suggests a different political stance than setting it in an area famous for rebellion. It might say something about the school's founders -- who they were, what their beliefs were.

On the other hand, putting the school in an unspecified location, or somewhere that has been historically neutral in most conflicts makes a different statement. It might suggest an organization that doesn't take sides or is on the side of the world rather than a specific faction.

If you know the values you want your school to stand for, they may suggest a location. Or you might want to do some research to find a spot that makes sense for your story.

Thinking About the Setting First

by Tiegan
(New South Wales, Australia)

When I begin my story, I'm usually thinking about the setting first. I always ask myself the following: should I have real places, towns and cities? Or should I have a fictional world?

I would also like to ask how to begin a story with action and tension. In my book, there is a girl that discovers she is something else, but how could I start the story with something interesting?

Answer: Nothing wrong about beginning with setting. One reason many people enjoy stories is because they want to be transported to a unique and different place or time in their imagination, so a strong setting appeals to those readers.

As for fictional versus non-fictional settings, again it depends on your readers. In some books, the selling point is that it takes place in an exotic but real setting. These books are like travelogues with the added bonus of a story thrown in. They appeal to armchair travellors. Similarly, history buffs often find historical fiction a more fun way to learn more about a time period they are fascinated by.

On the other hand, high fantasy readers like to immerse themselves in a highly developed fictional world. Science fiction readers like stories that speculate not on what is or what has been but what could be in the future.

Of course, not every reader cares as much about setting. Some are far more interested in a strong plot, fascinating characters, or philosophical explorations so not every story needs the same richness of setting.

Occasionally, if you're writing about a small but real community, you may want to change its name to fictionalize it - in order to not offend anyone in the community who thinks he/she resembles one of your characters. This also allows you to make changes to the setting so that it better fits your story. On the other hand, big cities have so many neighbourhoods and people, the risk of this is far less.

Again, it depends where your interests lie - the place or the plot. As a writer, you can bend one to serve the other.

As for starting the story, my advice is to always begin with an event - a irreversible and significant change that leaves the characters with a new purpose (and makes the reader want to keep reading to see what this new purpose will lead to).

In the case of your heroine, you don't have to begin with her discovering her true nature. But you could begin with a strange event that gives her a clue - a mystery which she will then go on to solve.

A Completely Fictional Setting for an Otherwise Realistic Story?

Question Writing a story which takes place in a city where I've never truly lived in is treacherous. I've seen a lot of comments on other books pointing out that the author must have never been living in the city their story has taken place so that they made a lot of mistakes about the setting. I'm very cautious about picking a suitable setting for my story and I know the city I'm living in isn't a suitable place. This has been bothering me for a long time. If my story is supposed to take place in a generic, interchangeable big city, can I create a completely fictional setting instead of picking a real one? I know this wouldn't even be a problem if I'm writing fantasy or sci-fi, but I'm writing an otherwise realistic and supposed to be relatable story that borders on contemporary romance and chick lit. Will I make my story less relatable if I use a completely fictional setting? Will it be a lot better if I pick a real city?

I'm now using Manhattan as a setting in my first draft just like a lot of writers do, but I found out despite my deliberate effort of trying to point out that this is Manhattan, New York, the city is not so much different from other big cities. It would have been the same if it happens in L.A., probably despite some minor change of pop culture references. It would be the same even in London or any other big cities -- maybe not "any", since there's some other big cities that are so different culturally, but you get the idea. I think although Manhattan is okay as a setting of the story, I'm still unsure if I could handle it as a setting, and there're some minor details that doesn't feel like Manhattan although they're not impossible to happen there. So I'm thinking about changing to a fictional city or to never mention where the story takes place in attempt to make the writing easier.

Answer: In some ways, I think it would be easier to invent a fictional small town than a major city. There are so many small towns that most readers don't know about, while everyone knows something about New York.

That said, there's no reason why you can't invent a fictional city for your story, even if you base it on New York. This can take some of the pressure off. You don't have to get the geography exactly right.

Nonetheless, the challenge is to make the story world -- whether actual, historical, or invented -- feel real. It's the specific details that lend the setting the feel of reality.

Of course, different stories place different emphasis on setting. In some stories, the setting is so integrated that the story simply could not take place anywhere else. In others, the setting is a backdrop that receives little attention.

As the writer, you get to decide what elements to emphasize -- character, plot, setting, subject matter, etc. Just make sure that the elements you do put attention on feel authentic.

How do you Describe the Setting?

by Gloria
(Cleveland,Ohio USA)

Question: How do you describe the setting? What is important and how deep should the writer go. It's about the characters, the setting is just the place where the action happens. I feel in my story/play the setting is as important as the characters. If you have commented on this before where could I find it, I have been looking on your wonderful and informative site.

Thank You,

Answer: Setting certainly matters, and there are a number of things setting can do for a story such as...

* Stimulate the imagination. In some genres, exploring an exotic location is half the fun. I'm thinking of fantasy, science fiction, historicals, and stories set in exotic parts of the world.

* Create a sense of familiarity. Other stories depend on a setting that the reader feels is just like their world. I'm thinking her of contemporary stories set either in big cities or generic small towns. Also young adult books set in high schools.

* Create an emotional atmosphere. Finding a dead body in a zen garden creates a very surreal atmosphere, whereas finding a dead body in an English country mansion on a stormy night is a cliche.

* Contribute to the thematic message. Certain places lend themselves to certain types of thematic explorations. On the other hand, exploring a theme in an atypical environment can make for an interesting story twist.

* Place limits on the action. Places have rules of behaviour that affect what your characters can do. A break-up that happens in a movie theatre will be different than a break-up at a party or a wedding or in a private home because the rules are different in each place. Some stories take place entirely within an isolated environment with its own set of rules (prison dramas, courtroom dramas, murder mysteries, etc.)

Depending on your genre, you may need to do a combination of research and worldbuilding to create the setting for your story. But as with characters, the more you know about your story world the easier it is for you to find the telling details that make it seem authentic to the reader. (Of course, some fantasy writers take this a little too far, spending years designing their story world and never writing the story.)

Keep in mind that the things one character (or one narrator) will notice about the setting will be different than what another will notice. The spin, the interpretation, the attitude will be different. So when you're describing your setting, the subjective perspective is important.

Setting my detective novel in the recent past

by Colin
(London, England)

Question: Is there anything wrong with setting my detective novel in the recent past (1990s)? I have been advised that publishers aren't keen on this.

Answer: Wrong? Of course not. Books set in all variety of eras are regularly published.

But what you're concerned with here is the type of book currently in high demand by publishers and popular with readers.

The trouble is, you cannot anticipate this. Whatever type of mystery novel is currently enjoying popularity, you can be sure publishers have already bought all the books of that type they are going to publish for the next two years (it takes that long to get a book into print). By the time you write your book (which can take months if not years), get a publishing contract (which can take months if you're lucky), and actually see your book on the bookstore shelf, the trends will have changed. What is popular now may be far less popular by then.

On top of that, if a type of book is popular now, that means publishers are already looking for what they believe will be the next big thing. Most of them will be wrong in their guesses, but they have a better chance of being right than most people because their finger is on the pulse of the market.

As a writer, you have two options. You can try to guess what the next big thing will be after the current trend has peaked. If you are an avid fan of your genre and understand the zeitgeist, you may be right and will have exactly what publishers want in a year or so.

Or, you can just write the book you want to write and take your chances. Frankly, I expect that if you write the type of book you would love to read, chances are a lot of other people would love to read it too. Your odds of hitting the next big thing may be just as great as if you try to anticipate the market.

Besides, it's more fun writing a book you love than trying to write something you think will be marketable but have no enthusiasm for.

That said, you might do some research and find out what it is about the 1990s as a setting that some people find dull, then look for a different way to write about it. My guess is that it is a nostalgic time for some readers that is becoming a historical period for others. Perhaps look for a new way to present it. If it is nostalgia for you personally, maybe take a more objective look at the issues and forces that were at play.

Best of luck.

Fictitious Southern City Setting

by Vijay Kumar
(India)

Question: I've been writing my fourth Mystery series novel and my sleuth is based in a fictitious southern city setting called Hyderabad. I conceived a few ideas about my works, but the setting I have planned doesn't exist in that area of the city. For Example, my current novel is set in a temple in some part of the city, but it doesn't exist in reality. Another scenario is I've conceived a waterfall outside the city outskirts, but it doesn't exist there.

Is it all right to go ahead and write the novels with such settings or should my setting include the real places? What can be the target audience's reaction if I write with these fictitious settings in my works?

Thanks for your Novel Planning Book and all the other information made available on your site.

Regards,
Vijay

Answer: You say your setting is "based on" an actual city. Does this mean it's the actual city of Hyderabad, or a fictional city that resembles Hyderabad? It will make a difference.

If your setting is based on the actual city, but you have changed the name, then you are free to redesign it how you like, as long as you stay in keeping with the general climate and geography. All the reader may need to know is the general part of the world where the city is located (e.g. Southern India). Perhaps name the state it's located in, but not the exact place. This can be the best option if the setting does not matter a lot in the story and you want to keep the focus elsewhere.

However, it is often better to use an actual city, and use its real name, because you can create an atmosphere of authenticity by including many real landmarks and details of life in that city, including not only buildings but cultures, history, food, attitudes shared by people living there, etc. Many of the best stories are so connected to their setting that it would be impossible for the story to happen anywhere else.

Readers who know the city may enjoy reading about familiar places in the city. Or they may travel there in the future and enjoy spotting landmarks from the book. Some readers like mysteries to have a unique twist -- such as being set in a real part of the world they have never been. They like to learn about other places while enjoying a good story.

When you use a real place and its real name, you are still free to fictionalize the setting a little. For instance, maybe there are many temples in a certain part of the city. You could create a fictional temple that resembles a real one (or one that is similar to several in that area) but give it a name that doesn't exist. Perhaps keep the address a little vague.

What you must bear in mind is that readers who are familiar with that city will notice if you are being quite inauthentic. For example, if there are no waterfalls anywhere near the actual city, or if the geography is wrong for waterfalls, that may make it harder for some readers to accept your invention of waterfalls. In that case, it might be better to look for an actual landmark where your scene can take place.

On the other hand, if there are numerous waterfalls near the actual city, perhaps you can invent one without seeming inauthentic.

If there is only one famous waterfall in that part of the world, readers may assume that's the one you're describing, even if you change the name.

Best of luck.

I can't figure out a pivotal loaction.

by James
(California)

Question: My problem is that I can't figure out a pivotal location for my novel. I'm not wholly sure if this counts as a plot or a setting question, but I couldn't figure out where else to put it, so I might as well, right?

I've been struggling with this sequel on-and-off for the better part of a year. Don't be surprised if I come back and ask some more complicated questions later on. But my problem right now is more small-scale. I can't choose a location.

The overall setting is San Francisco, 1972. My main character was arrested at the end of the first book and is being held in the FBI field office in the northeast part of the city. He was arrested because he broke out of prison with the last book's main character and murdered someone. At the start of the sequel, he and his partner-in-crime start receiving threats that they later find are coming from the daughter of the man they killed. Escalation happens, there are some attempts on their lives while the MC tries to not go back to prison on an information plea.

For the all-is-lost moment, there's a burning building which injures both main characters, set by the daughter who's after them. I want the location for this fire to be significant somehow, but none of the characters are particularly familiar with San Francisco, and I haven't been able to pin anything down. Do you have any tips for figuring this out?

Thank you!

Answer: Well, I'm a little confused by your summary. Is the MC still in jail for the murder, or has he now been released?

Assuming it's the latter... I think it's a good idea to choose a significant location. I assume you are familiar with San Francisco, but it can't hurt to do more research/scouting.

I can't give you the answer (you know your story better than me). But I can ask some questions.

One question I might ask is... Who is this building significant to? Did the daughter choose the location for the fire specifically because it is ironic or symbolic or because she needs the police to examine the scene after the fire to discover something? With the latter choice, is there a way to connect it to another plotline?

Is the building perhaps significant to the MC's ally? Is the daughter attempting to isolate him if she can't kill him?

Another question is that of motivation. Clearly the daughter wants revenge, but is there more to it? Does she want the MC to learn something or understand something? Does she want him to suffer in a particular or personal way? Does she want to rob him of something? Is she making him play a role in some larger pursuit of hers? Does she want him to reexamine his past or question his beliefs? What does she hope to achieve with this choice of location?

Of course, the above assumes the location is entirely the daughter's choice. It could also be that she simply picked a place she knew the MC would be. In that case, what was he doing there? Could the place be important to some goal he is pursuing? I assume he has some goals other than avoiding her revenge.

Was the building chosen specifically because the fire undermines a goal the MC has that the daughter knows about?

You might brainstorm answers to all the questions above, and any others that occur to you. Have as many possible answers as you can, but don't settle on one right away. Set the list aside for some time. Return to it after your subconscious has had a chance to work on it for a while. You may find one idea stands out... or you may find the real answer when you aren't even trying.

Best of luck

Making up yor own town?

by shelly
(manistee,U.S.A)

Question: When making up a town what must you include? My book includes mythical creatures. I want my town to come alive like J.K Rowling did in harry potter. But I'm just getting frustrated in the process. I've searched the internet and my local library with no luck. Or I did find something but I didn't find what I needed to know. So when coming up with a town can it be anywhere? Since my book has some fantasy in it. What should it include? How to get it from your head onto paper? Are there any rules when making up a fantasy/magical town? Hope that's not to many questions. Thank you.

Answer: There is nothing you "must" include. But there are things you will want to include to make your setting come alive for the reader.

Obviously, as your characters go about their activities in this fictional town, they are going to be perceiving many aspects of it. It is the details that make the town come alive for the reader. So you will want to do some planning, particularly if this is a fantasy book.

You might start by creating a list of questions someone might ask about your town. Then brainstorm answers. If a town is inhabited by mythical creatures, how will that affect its layout, architecture, businesses, etc.?

The second quality that makes settings believable is consistency. For instance, if you say in Chapter 1 that the bank is two miles from the post office, and in Chapter 20 they are side-by-side, that would destroy the believability of the setting. Many authors will draw maps of a fictional town to help them keep the details straight. This also important in that it affects what characters can do, how long it will take them to do things, etc.

And yes, you can put the town wherever you like that makes sense for your story, even on another planet or in another dimension if you like (that's the power of fantasy).

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