Ever read a book where the idyllic village setting is so beautiful that you spend an entire afternoon searching Rightmove for that perfect thatched cottage? Or, conversely, put down a book because you just can’t visualise where the main character lives?
That’s the importance of setting.
Even the best plot, with the most relatable characters, can fall flat if it doesn’t feel like the story is firmly rooted somewhere you can imagine. Setting, or sense of place, can be tricky to pin down, so here’s what I’ve learned about setting from writing two different books.
Real world or fantasy
One of the biggest question many writers ask is should I set my story in the real world? There are advantages in doing this, mainly that you don’t have to create a world from scratch and can use street maps, photographs and historical documents to inform the layout of homes and towns.
In my first book, my location was rather vague. I knew that it would be somewhere in the Brecon Beacons (or Bannau Brycheiniog, to give its correct name) but I couldn’t figure out exactly where. I told myself that, actually, being vague was a good thing because it would be relatable to any area of the country or, indeed, any country. In reality, it made it impossible for the reader to ‘see’ the world and, therefore, engage with the setting.
I learned my lesson for book two, using known buildings and locations in Cardiff to establish the story. The apartment where my MC lives is real, as is the building where she works. I’m able to walk the reader through real locations using my own experience of living there (plus a healthy dose of Google Maps) to enrich the prose. And, for me, it really works.
But there’s a health warning associated with doing so. Real places are inhabited by real people who might not like to see their home or village depicted in a fictional crime story, so you also need to be careful to not offend.
If you’re writing a story based in reality, alter your locations enough to make them unique. Add buildings where there’s empty space or take buildings away. Build an extension to a village or create a new one entirely based on somewhere real you know.
Sensory immersion
One way to make somewhere feel real is to use familiar — and relatable — sights, sounds and smells. Imagine your local high street: the smell of the coffee shop that wafts several doors down, or the sound of the bean grinder when you walk past the open front door. Imagine driving down a rural coastal road with your windows open: the salty tang in the air, and lowing cattle peering over the hedgerow. Choose details that are both specific and universal, so that every reader has the chance to relate.
In addition to this, show the reader the setting from the local perspective, rather than what tourist might experience. Consider a university town that is quieter in summer when the last students have gone home but before the new term has started. Consider the seaside village that is a ghost town in January, but in August the roads are rammed with cars and there’s nowhere to park, not even in front of your own house. Think about how this makes the local population feel; how they might react differently to different groups of people, or during changing seasons.
Sensory immersion is everything your character experiences, so zoom right in and let the reader see and feel the most hidden and secretive details of your setting.
Setting as Character
Another way to generate a sense of place is to consider setting as a character in its own right. Your main character might have a signature dish that they like to cook or comfort food that they crave at the end of a hard day. They might make a big fuss over decorating for Christmas, but couldn’t care less about Easter or Hallowe’en. They might have a ‘phone voice’ that they also use for work, but get them drunk on a Friday night and suddenly they’re using slang or slipping into a regional accent.
Your location is no different.
My Cardiff setting might have a bakery that sells Welsh Cakes, or a pub where there’s always lamb on the menu. The city will come alive when there’s a Rugby International on and, in spring, every verge is a carpet of daffodils. Walk through the streets and you might hear people calling one another bach or butty or cariad. And if you want to call your Mum, you’ll actually ring your Mam.
Transplant the story to Devon and the bakery will sell scones, or the pub will have an impressive selection of cider. Move your tale to south-west London and the streets will teem with tennis fans in the summer. Step into the Highlands and you’ll have a bonnie blether rather than a nice chat.
But be warned here too. Fine details, used sparingly, add to the tone of your story and bring the setting to life. But use too much and you risk making a caricature of the culture by veering into tropes and stereotypes, or alienating your readership by showing them things they don’t understand.
Top Tips for better settings
So, what can you do to improve the settings in your novels?
Choose hybrid locations. Take inspiration from real places but create your own locations for key events to take place.
Bring the reader into the setting. Add relatable sensory details so that your reader is immersed in your locations.
Get off the beaten path. Give the reader details that they wouldn’t otherwise know - bring them in on the secret life of your locations.
That’s all for today. Thanks for reading and see you next time!