What Is a Story Setting?

A story setting is the backdrop against which the characters act out the events. A story with a poorly portrayed setting is like a play taking place on a virtually bare stage - you have character and plot and theme but no sense of place.

Like I said in the introduction to this section, the best way to think of a story setting is almost like another character. This character might not walk and talk like the others, but it should nevertheless be compelling and charismatic.

The purpose of this first article is to define what setting is, precisely. It is split into two parts:

• First, a checklist of all the elements that a well-drawn setting should contain (and that list extends far beyond houses and streets).

• Second, I will talk about how to take this long list of elements and give it focus.

The Eight Elements of a Story Setting

1. The Central Location

In most cases, this will be the city or town or village in which the story takes place. If the location is large, like London, you will probably want to home-in on a district within it - Notting Hill, say. If the location is a small town, it will be the perfect size to act as the primary focus of a novel.

But story settings don't have to be traditional communities, of course. In a seafaring novel, the central location will be the ship. In others, it might be an isolated farmhouse, a prison, a train or a mountain.

2. The Wider Geography

Don't forget what lies beyond the community. A town surrounded by lakes and forests will have a very different atmosphere to one surrounded by heavy industry.

If the coast is 10 miles away, a day trip to the seaside will be an option for the characters. If it is 100 miles away, it won't.