Tips for Settings in Storytelling

Discover the power of setting in storytelling!

In this video, I delve into the crucial role that setting plays in enhancing the mood and atmosphere of a narrative.

Learn the importance of using setting details to engage your audience, introducing main settings early on, and immersing readers in the chosen place.

I'll briefly explore the impact of laws, social norms, politics, religion, technology, and education on culture, and how geography shapes characters.

Plus, see how weather details can foreshadow events and create different atmospheres.

Among the books I've written, my settings vary within the plot. For example in "Just a Girl," we meet protagonist Paula in an airplane while landing in the Funchal airport on Madeira Island, Portugal. Then, the setting shifts back in time to when Paula was a child growing up in Ohio. Because it's in the coming-of-age genre, we see Paula in adulthood in settings across the United States, from Ohio; to Washington, D.C.; to the Pacific Northwest; to the Midwest. Then, the novel ends in Spain. Here the variety of settings reflect Paula's maturation and emotional growth...essential for a coming-of-age story. NOTE: "Just a Girl" will be available on Audible soon!

In the mystery thriller "Claim Denied," the setting primarily in Pristina, Kosovo, although the setting shifts for a few chapters to Iowa in the United States, Macedonia, and Thailand. These settings changes are important to the plot. Also, note, the story takes place in 2013 for specific reasons, again, important to the plot. That's all I can say to avoid giving too much of this story steeped in international espionage.

Finally, the sequel to "Claim Denied," mystery thriller "What Lies Beneath the Willow," takes place in a fictional town on the Eastern Shore of Virginia. Why? Well, without giving too much away, it's in close proximity to Washington, D.C., and again, necessary for the plot. The year is 2014, extremely important to the major conflict: spoiler alert ... child trafficking in the State of Virginia.

So, tell us about your setting? Have you considered place, time, weather... all those elements that lend themselves to making your story complete, reflecting the mood or genre, creating historical context, and more?

Remember, everything in your story is relevant...including setting.

Happy writing!