Cultivate Evocative Settings (Step 4 of 11)
Settings play a crucial role in storytelling, providing a backdrop that enhances mood, atmosphere, and symbolism. Create vivid and evocative settings that resonate with your story’s theme and contribute to the overall ambiance. Pay attention to sensory details that bring the setting to life. Changing settings helps to move the narrative along, making it more interesting.
Not All Settings are the Same
Typically, the setting will change during a story. But, in some instances, the setting is fixed to a single location, which can work well. However, it also poses a risk because a single setting can easily become boring. Although, it can deliver on many fronts if done right. For instance, in film and television, the director usually transitions from one setting to another, thereby keeping the audience more engaged.
Still, there are famous examples of the opposite. In a television series, this is known as a “bottle episode.” A bottle episode is filmed entirely in one location, usually in a confined and/or empty space, with minimal cast, and few to no other actors or guest stars.
Generally, networks avoid bottle episodes since they historically score the lowest ratings due to the audience disliking the format. One classic example is Seinfeld: The Chinese Restaurant. In feature film, a similar example is 2001: A Space Odyssey. In these two examples, a single setting worked advantageously and helped to achieve notoriety. Now, let’s look at how to use settings in fiction.
How to Cultivate Evocative Settings in a Fictional Story
As stated, settings play a vital role in transporting readers to immersive worlds and enhancing the overall storytelling experience. Evocative settings evoke emotions, create atmosphere, and serve as a backdrop for the narrative. Whether it’s a fantastical realm, a bustling city, or a hauntingly beautiful landscape, cultivating evocative settings is essential for engaging readers and making your story come alive. Here are some key steps to help you cultivate evocative settings in your fictional story:
- Choose a setting that is relevant to your story. The setting should not just be a backdrop for the action, but it should also play a role in the story. For example, if your story is about a character who is trying to escape from a city, the setting of a crowded, noisy metropolis would be very relevant.
- Use sensory details to bring the setting to life. Don’t just tell your readers what the setting looks like, but also what it sounds like, smells like, feels like, and tastes like. This will help your readers to feel like they are actually there.
- Be specific. Don’t just say that the setting is “a forest.” Instead, say that it is “a dark, dense forest filled with the sound of cicadas chirping and the smell of pine needles.” The more specific you are, the more vivid the setting will be for your readers.
- Show, don’t tell. Don’t just tell your readers that the setting is “cold and gloomy.” Instead, show them by describing the way the fog rolls in, the way the wind howls through the trees, and the way the raindrops patter on the ground.
- Use the setting to create an atmosphere. The setting can be used to create a certain atmosphere in your story. For example, if you want to create a sense of suspense, you might set your story in a dark, abandoned warehouse. Or, if you want to create a sense of mystery, you might set your story in a fog-shrouded forest.
- Let the setting affect the characters. The setting should not just be a backdrop for the action, but it should also affect the characters. For example, if your character is lost in a forest, the setting of the forest will make them feel scared and alone.
By choosing a good fit, using sensory details, including specifics, writing vivid descriptions, creating an atmosphere, and influencing the characters, the settings will help to put everything into context while still stirring the reader’s imagination.
Additional Tips to Create Evocative Settings
Speaking of stirring the imagination, this goes for the author as well. In order to really get the most out of any setting, you should consider doing the following to deliver a better story to your readers:
- Use your imagination. If you are setting your story in a fictional place, use your imagination to create a setting that is both believable and unique.
- Don’t be afraid to experiment. There are no hard and fast rules when it comes to creating evocative settings. Experiment with different techniques and see what works best for you.
- Study up before writing. Conduct research or draw from personal experiences to infuse authenticity and richness into your settings.
If you need a little inspiration and/or are looking for popular methodologies, then go ahead and check out some examples of evocative settings from famous works of fiction that you’ll immediately recognize and can emulate or use as a guide:
- The Shire in The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien is a peaceful and idyllic setting that contrasts sharply with the dangers of Middle-earth.
- The Overlook Hotel in The Shining by Stephen King is a sinister and foreboding setting that seems to be haunted by its own dark history.
- The city of New York in The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald is a glamorous and exciting setting that reflects the Jazz Age zeitgeist.
- The jungle in Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad is a dangerous and mysterious setting that represents the dark side of human nature.
These are just a few examples of how evocative settings can be used to create a sense of place, atmosphere, and character development in fiction. Following the tips above, you can create evocative settings to bring your stories to life.
Next → How to Create Transitions for Your Fictional Story
← Previous: Most Common Types of Fictional Narratives
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Owen is the creator and author of more than sixty original short stories and counting, including drama, crime, suspense, action and adventure, family, historic fiction, sci-fi, and slices of life. He is also a musician who has written extensively about theory.
