Writing Tip: Create Memorable Settings
Many of us might think settings are simply backdrops for our scenes, but they’re so much more than that! They shape the narrative itself, influence characters, and transport readers to our worlds. Creating memorable settings goes beyond describing physical surroundings if we’re doing it right. In fact, if we can get a setting to elicit a feeling, or allow the reader to experience our story in a visceral way, they’re far more likely to want to stay in our world.
Heads up: This might be a little longer than my usual writing tip posts, but that’s because I want to give examples for each one. The examples are basic and not overly-refined (think, nail on head), but they get the job done. I’ve exaggerated the point for the purpose of demonstration, but we should aim for more nuance in our actual work. I hope you’ll stick around!
Alright, with that out of the way, let’s explore key principles and practical tips for creating settings that leave a lasting impression.
What to Consider
1. Sensory Details
We should be immersing our readers in the world we’re creating by appealing to their senses. Describe the sights, sounds, smells, tastes, and textures of the setting. Engaging multiple senses deepens the reader's connection, making the environment more vivid and tangible. Go deeper than sight and sound (the two most commonly used senses). What can they smell? Taste? Touch?
Example: The air was thick with the nutty aroma of freshly brewed coffee as Sarah walked through the bustling market, stepping carefully as the cobblestone plotted to roll her ankle. The vendors' calls and the rhythmic tapping of raindrops weren’t enough to distract her from his voice echoing in her mind.
2. Cultural Context
Consider the cultural nuances that define the setting. Explore the customs, traditions, and societal norms that shape the characters and their interactions. A well-developed cultural backdrop adds depth and authenticity to the worlds we’re creating.
Example: Tradition dictated each aspect of the Full Moon Potato Festival. Townspeople of all ages, dressed in robes of navy and silver, gathered to gorge themselves on the rich dishes passed down through generations of hardworking hands. Marion loved this celebration of their long history, delicious and devastating. They’d learned to transform the root vegetable into something both nutritious and tasty while also paying tribute with each bite to the lives lost nearly three centuries past when famine nearly eradicated them all.
3. Symbolism and Imagery
Add symbolism and imagery that gets people thinking and feeling in a deeper way. Choose details that carry metaphorical weight and touch on the themes of your story. This can take your setting from backdrop to influencing force in a single turn of phrase or carefully placed image.
Example: The lighthouse stood tall against the angry sea. Its caretaker felt a kinship with the chipped paint and weathered stone. He would survive his wife’s death, just as this beacon had withstood every storm which dared threaten it over the past century. “At least we still have each other,” he rasped to the cool boulders beneath his calloused fingertips. “At least we still have each other.”
4. Dynamic Settings
Settings shouldn’t remain static. Just as characters undergo growth and change, so too should the environments they inhabit. Whether it's the changing seasons, the evolution of a cityscape, or the gradual transformation of a natural landscape, dynamic settings can create a sense of progression or movement.
Example: In spring, the meadow was a pollinating galaxy of wildflowers, but Margo had come home in autumn. The yellowed field was as empty as she was, and try as she might to imagine supple petals atop the brittle stems, she could not. As a child she’d crawled through them, lush and full of life, imagining herself one of the bees. But now… now, she felt as broken as the husks before her.
5. Personal Connections
Connect the setting with the characters' emotions and experiences. A character's perception of a place influences the reader's emotional response. Explore how characters interact with and react to their surroundings, allowing the setting to become a character in its own right.
Example: The old oak tree, a silent witness to countless childhoods and deaths from old age, stood proud in the backyard. For Amos, its branches served as a refuge during school-aged adventures, and its rustling leaves provided solace during moments of sorrow. The tree had somehow become a living testament to his own life's journey over the years, which is why it felt like a murderer when the chainsaw growled to life in his hands.
6. Unique Architectural Features
Pay attention to the buildings and other infrastructure that defines our settings. Maybe it's the towering spires of a futuristic city, or perhaps the quaint cobblestone streets of a historical town. Regardless of the specifics, unique architectural features contribute to the distinctiveness of the setting.
Example: The city's skyline was dominated by shimmering glass facades, reflecting the relentless pace of modern life in high definition. But nestled between these giants rested ancient cathedrals whose ornate spires relentlessly pointed back to the city's earlier years, back before electricity hummed at all hours. The contradiction felt right, though, as Janelle rushed to catch the blue line. This country girl would find a way to be at home in the city.
7. Weather and Atmosphere
If it’s not there, weather and overall atmosphere might be the missing ingredient in setting the mood. We can use weather patterns, climate, and atmospheric conditions to enhance the emotional tone of our scenes. The right atmospheric details can evoke specific moods and intensify the impact of pivotal moments.
Example: Lightning slashes across the sky, offering only brief glimpses of the desolate midnight landscape. Charged with anticipation, Bianca aches to embrace her own fiery intensity. Instead, it remains a tightly wound coil caged behind her ribs because, if she moves now, those assholes may find her. And she can’t have that. Thunder crashes its agreement as she rubs her chest.
8. Research and Inspiration
I like to draw inspiration from real-world locations, historical periods, and cultural influences when crafting settings, so sometimes my work requires a decent amount of research in order to make sure I’m accurately representing things. If you’ve got the money to do it, consider traveling to the real-life locations which inspire your stories. I know I’d love to do that more!
Example: The custom-built homes spread their limbs across manicured lawns, many behind stone or wrought iron walls. Even the precisely shorn bushes and trees told passersby that they were too poor to make themselves at home here. The carved foliage laughed at those who accidentally ended up driving their decades-old compact sedans through the rolling hills of the Bel Air Estates, but Joseph only smiled and lifted his middle finger at their upturned noses. He belonged here, even if only to deliver lunch for a work crew.
9. Foreshadowing Through Setting
Use the setting to foreshadow events or convey subtle hints about the story's direction. I find it fun to drop clues within setting description. If the reader picks it up, it can build anticipation for what's to come. Strategic foreshadowing is such an underrated tool.
Example: The abandoned mansion, hidden behind overgrown vines, was eerily still; as dead as its previous occupants. The wind through the broken windows might have sung hymns of welcome, but the glass carved gruesome greetings upon anyone who dared accept the invitation.
10. Contrast and Conflict
Introduce contrast within the setting to create dynamic tension. Contrast always adds intrigue and complexity, but this is especially true of our settings.
Example: The bustling city square clashed with the serene countryside, bringing all of Josiah’s discomforts rushing to the surface. He wasn’t sure he could bring together both sides of his life at all, and if he did, he imagined it wouldn’t be any more seamless than this harsh collision of urban and natural life before him. Maybe it wasn’t worth it at all.
As I said in the beginning, the examples might be a bit on the nose, but hopefully they show what I’m talking about. Setting description is sometimes overlooked, or at the very least not prioritized as much as other story elements, but I’d like to see that change. So much can be done with solid settings, not only for painting a more vivid picture, but for highlighting or reinforcing themes, characterization, and overall narrative flow. Next time you’re reading a book, be sure to pay attention to those setting details! How did the author use setting to add to the scene itself? Can you do the same in your own work?
Happy writing!
