Where Are We, Gomer?

I’m not going to discuss how the writers came up with the town of Mayberry, but I will discuss the problem of setting. Yes, I said problem, as that is what it can be if the author overlooks this important part of storytelling. It is so important that I feel you should treat setting as another character.

The author can’t ignore the setting. It is an integral part of the story; in fact, it is hard to think of separating the two. The setting adds a sense of reality to your readers, a dimension that, even if an imaginary one, makes the reader believe there is such a place. An author I know writes science fiction and has to build her setting from the ground up. She has managed to make me enjoy this genre (although I usually am not a fan) because her newly discovered planet is believable. Think how much easier a writer of mainstream fiction, romance, or mysteries has it when she/he uses a real town, or one based on any town USA.

We want the most vivid depiction of setting possible but we don’t want to put in so much detail that we bore our readers. What are some of the ways we can do this?

-- First of all, you as author need to plan the setting of your story before you begin to write. Remember what I said, “The setting is the same as a character in your tale”? If you do this from the beginning, you and your readers will see a difference. With the glimmer of your story idea, you should have the conception of where it must occur. Develop the setting along with the story.

-- What requirement does your story place on the locale? Does it need to be near the water? Out in the country or in a city? A cold/hot climate? What time of the year?

-- Stories are “set” somewhere, during a specific time period.

-- As author of fantasy or science fiction, you will need a whole extra set of questions. What sort of governing body is here? What does the country look like? What sort of “magic” is standard? Currency? Language? Dress? Have that setting spelled out before you begin to write.

-- Don’t forget to address the passage of time in your storytelling. Everything characters do will take time. It is up to you to provide a realistic sense of time passing while the characters are acting out scenes. Let your characters move through time at the right pace. Some writers keep a timeline sheet nearby.

-- The best settings invoke all five senses. We “see” the rainbow over the bay; “smell” the fragrance of flowers; “touch” the bark of an oak tree; “taste” the salt spray; and “hear” the birds in the trees.

-- What about the weather? Weather will depend on the seasons or the time of day.

-- Draw a map of your setting—the town, or state, or country. This is especially helpful when writing fantasy or a story set in an imagined area. In historical novels you often find maps of the area along with genecology chart of families. This map may show you things about your imaginary world that you hadn’t taken into consideration.

-- When choosing your setting, research, research, research (even for a fantasy World). You’d better know the flowers that grow in English gardens, or the language of the Old West or what battles were fought in 1863. All of these details become part of your setting.

In closing, remember that your setting is a crucial part of any story. The world you build will play a vital role in the overall believability of your story/novel. The type of setting you create will determine the reactions and behaviors of your characters. It will surely draw, or withdraw, readers.

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Barbara Deming writes and teaches creative writing in San Marcos, CA. Her latest book, "Growing Up Barefoot in the South" can be found at Amazon.com. For more information about the author (and to subscribe to her newsletter), please see her website: http://barbarademing.lifeartz.com