Creative Writing

CHAPTER8

Potent Setting

In This Chapter

• Writing your own world
• Viewing setting as through a camera
• Creating atmosphere
• Using action to establish setting

In previous eras of literature, long descriptions of setting were often admired and respected, but most modern audiences want their stories to get to the action sooner. The same transition has taken place more quickly over the past few decades in mainstream film. However, don’t let these trends convince you to sell setting short or abandon it altogether. In fact, if you don’t use it wisely, you risk alienating or even losing your readers.

It helps if you think of setting as more of an exciting ...