Setting is one of the key elements of any story not reliant on the story being fictional or non-fictional. Many writers believe that in literacy, 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. The only settings which would be just a place would be any sort of abandoned location; however, even this type of setting could include details about the surroundings, weather, and any sort of history on why the place is abandoned.

Time, Place, and Historical Period

Time and place are the easiest part of the setting to describe as it just encompasses the date, time, and actual location. The writer can set the time in a fiction story. For a non-fiction story, the writer can research the time. The place for a fictional story could be either a place created by the writer or a real location. If the place is real, then the writer should either visit the location or look at some pictures of the location on the internet or in travel books. The historical period can also be easily established by simply mentioning the period in which the story is taking place, regardless of whether the story takes place in the past, present, or future. However, for fictional stories that take place in the future or on a different world, it is important that the writer spends more time providing details about the period of time in which the story is taking place as the reader cannot fill in any blanks with their own historical knowledge.

Social Statuses and Culture

Social status generally refers to the standing of the people in the area or areas that the story takes place in. For instance, if the story is taking place in a wealthy area, then the people living there are mostly considered prestigious, or if the location is the slums, then the people there are more likely to have low-income employment and not be of a high social class. Culture also plays a key role in describing a setting because the culture of people in the area can explain why people act the way they do. For instance, if a location in the story is a place steeped in Spanish culture, then it would be considered normal to hear people speaking in Spanish and Spanish restaurants would be expected. Culture can also be the general feeling of the area and the way the people of the area react to other people.

Weather

The weather will likely change over the course of the story and it can be used as a literacy device to emphasize emotions. For example, if it is raining and dark outside, that might make the location feel depressing or unsafe versus a sunny day, which might give the feeling of happiness. If the writer does not include the weather in the setting, that can make it difficult for the reader to picture the setting.

Immediate Surroundings

The immediate surroundings is also an important part of the setting because the location or locations of the story will always have something around it, whether that is a bustling city, a dry desert, or vast endless space.

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