Setting is one of the key elements of any story not reliant on the story being fiction or non-fiction. Many writers believe that a setting is merely a location and by stopping at this simplistic definition, they fail to truly understand what a setting is. Literacy Devices (n.d.) defines settings correctly as: “the setting of a piece of literature is the time and place in which the story takes place. The definition of setting can also include social statuses, weather, historical period, and details about immediate surroundings.” According to this definition, setting is in fact not just a location, but also everything that would define the location as a place in a way that would allow a reader to picture it clearly in his or her head. There are three main ways for a writer to learn enough about a setting in order to truly capture it in writing.

Traveling

The easiest way for a writer to truly gain an understanding of their setting is to travel to the location or locations that their story will take place in. By actually visiting the setting or settings of the story, the writer is able to better share the setting with his or her readers. The writer can truly gain an understanding of not just what the place should look like, but also what if feels like. This way the writer is able to answer questions like:

What is the culture of the setting?

Should it feel safe or unsafe?

What is the weather life?

What are the people like?

Research

For those who are unable to travel to the location of their setting or settings, research becomes a viable option as, with the internet, a writer can gain a decent understanding of their intended setting. In order to truly understand the setting, the writer should look at images of the location(s), read articles, check out local newspapers, and watch videos of the area. Many writers do not consider YouTube a writing resource, but with YouTube, the writer could see the location in more than just stationary images. Writers should look for videos of festivals, exploration, and any other sort of video that shows a decent amount of their intended setting. When the writer has finished his or her research, they should have an in-depth feeling of the location.

Interviewing

Conducting interviews with people that have or do still live in the area of the intended setting can give the writer an insider’s perspective of the location. Due to the advancement in technology, the writer could conduct these interviews via a video call, social media, email, or by telephone. Some suggested questions for the writer to ask are:

What is it about the location that you like or dislike?

Did you feel safe or unsafe?

What was the culture like?

How was it different during the daytime versus at night?

Are there any spots that are considered local secrets?

What is the weather like most of the time?

What are the locals like?

Do you get a lot of tourists?

Reference: Literacy Devices. (n.d.) Setting. Retrieved from http://www.literarydevices.com/setting/