What would be you’re advice for writing a good setting?
Hey there,
I would probably say that planning your future setting out would be the best way to go. What will your characters see, smell, hear, touch, taste? How can you describe the setting so that the reader can feel like s/he is standing beside the character, rather than just an observer?
For example, say your character is at a fish market:
“The air was scented with the sharp and salty smell of red, blue, and yellow fish.”
Your reader now knows what the fish market smells like AND what the fish look like.
“People were scattered about the market. The cacophony of bargaining voices and shrill children ricocheted off the stalls, making Joe’s pulse race with anticipation.”
You’ve added volume to your story and have offered the reader a sense of what the character is feeling.
“Joe reached out to touch one of the golden fish, its scales rough under his fingers. All around him, shoppers buzzed with their daily errands.”
Now the reader can feel what your character is feeling, you’ve brought the character into your story by offering an idea of what the fish market would smell, look, sound, and feel like.
You have to find a way to pull the reader in, then show him/her what they are meant to be seeing, smelling, touching, hearing, and tasting (which is a: harder to include and b: not always applicable, in my opinion).
Also, if you are creating a setting in an actual city/town, then I would suggest making sure that your facts are correct. Or, you can add in a few extras in there— Remember: this is your story and your world, play with it and have fun!
I hope this helped (this was a really good question!)
Happy writing!
