Creative Writing Class Notes: Setting

The following is the first part of a series of notes which I will continue to post.  The notes can be used or modified for any creative writing teachers; they will also serve as solid outlines of the various reference books I review on the blog.

I.
 Setting 
as 
Fuel
 

     A. Setting 
fuels 
the 
drive 
to 
write

     B. Creating 
a
 specific 
place 
and 
time
 is 
critical

     C. not
 merely 
scenery

     D. part
 of
 the 
what
 and
 why
 of
 the 
significant
 elements of your story
     E. is part 
of 
the 
heritage
 and
 culture

 of a specific place
     F.  is 
part
 of 
the
 identity
 or 
exile 
of
 a 
character
 (us vs. them)
     G. if
 setting 
isn’t
 created,
 the
 story 
occurs
 no‐place 
at
 no‐time,
 or
 in
 a vague place
 & time

II.
Setting
 as 
World
 = DETAILS--a place is the sum of its parts
      A. Artifacts,
 architecture,
 infrastructure,
 books, 
food,
 fabrics, 
tools,
 technology...

          1. all create
 and
 sustain
 your
 character’s 
identity

          2. shows characters
 behaving 
in 
relation
 to 
their 
surrounding

      

      B. Focus 
on
 a specifc
 place

          1. Space and Time should make your place unique
                a)
 IMAGERY 
of
 space
 and
 time 
indicates 
something
 about
 where
 and 
when 
we 
are

                b) Are there any specific social trends which should help your story?
         2. Place, 
time,
 weather

               a)
 These 
things
 manipulate 
mood,
 reveal
 character,
 and
 advance 
the
 action
 

         3. Only when markers are within strong POV are they effective

III.
 Setting 
as 
Camera

      A. The 
written setting 
is 
more 
than 
a 
glance

           1. In real life when entering
 a 
place
 we
 often
 look 
around

                 a) 
Taking 
it
 all
 in 
we
 look 
up, 
down, 
side
 to 
side

                 b)
 We
 visually register
 what 
we
 see

                 c)
 In 
literature 
we 
do this too and take 
clues 
from 
this
 
 

          2.
It is a 
process 
of
 orientation

               a)
 Takes 
place in 
every 
piece 
that 
tells 
a
 story


                 b) too many stories do not take enough time to orient the reader

IV.
 Setting
 as
 Mood 
& 
Symbol

      A.
 Adaptable
 Tool

          1.
 Mood
 will 
inevitably
 connect in some way with
 time
 or
 weather

                a) Wet
 or 
dry, 
dark 
or 
light,
 winter
 or
 summer,
 calm
 or
 storm

                b)
 A
 state
 of 
mind
 or
 emotion
 makes 
setting
 to
 some
 degree 
SYMBOLIC

          2.
 Works
 with
 other
 words, 
shapes, 
objects too
             a) 
objects, words can cause emotions and 
add
 a 
richness 
to
 the 
story 
you 
tell

        3.
 Place,

 time,
 weather 
can 
draw out
 raw 
emotion
s
              a) 
what
 are 
our
 connections
 to 
these 
places?

              b)
 what
 are
 our 
judgments? 

Memories?

              c)
 some 
lift
 spirits,
 others 
depress

  
             d)
 all
 can be 
used
 to 
dramatic
 effect 
in
 your
 writing


         4. Has your character's perception of a place changed?

                a) from the beginning of the story to another point

                b) affects our perceptions and emotions as well
 

IV.
 Setting 
as 
Action

     A. 
Harmony 
or
 conflict

          1.
 If
 character 
is 
foreground,
 and
 setting
 is 
background

               a)
 Is
 character
 at 
ease 
in
 the
 setting?

               b) 
Is
 character 
uncomfortable?
 

          2.
 When 
a 
character 
is 
in 
HARMONY
 with 
setting

             a)
 atmosphere
 is
 static

            b)
 will
 take
 a 
disruption 
to 
introduce
 possibility 
of
 change


          3.
 When
 character 
in 
OPPOSITION
 with
 setting

             a) 
process
 of
 discovery 
& 
decision 
is 
already 
in 
motion

             b)
 we
 know 
we
 are
 in 
for 
a 
physical 
or 
psychic
 shift
 

classroom notes compiled primarily from Janet Burroway's Imaginative Writing: The Elements of Craft