SettingThe setting of a story has to do with when and where a story takes place. Setting can include specific information about time and place (e.g. Boston, Massachusetts, in 1809) or can simply be descriptive (eg. a lonely farmhouse on a dark night). Often a novel or other long work has an overall setting (e.g. a Midwestern town during the Depression), within which episodes or scenes occur in different specific settings (eg. the courthouse). Geographical locations, time periods, socioeconomic characteristics, etc. Think on big and small scales here. Decades, years, seasons, months, days, hours, minutes--any of these can be worked into a setting description. Setting relies on descriptive details, so keep yours eyes open for these as a reader.
The description of a setting gives the story an atmosphere, or mood. Think of a scary story... "it was a dark and stormy night" conjures up a specific feeling that is appropriate for the story being told. Setting can also tell you a bit about who your characters are, such as the conditions they live in or what their background is. |
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