In my article “Setting: Elements of Towns and Cities,” I wrote about how many writers believe a setting is merely a location; however, setting is not just a location, but everything that would define a location as a place. The seven elements that a writer should focus their setting writing on are the local restaurants, local shops, local events, local activities/entertainment, culture, day/night differences, and people. The best settings serve to incorporate all of these seven elements throughout the story. One area that has an abundance of these seven elements is Key West. Key West is one of the more popular of the Florida Keys and is well known for attracting tourists and cruise ships.

Local Restaurants & Local Shops

Key West has numerous bars, restaurants, and shops that are all locally based and since there are barely any chain stores or restaurants on the island, most of these can be found on Duval Street. This does make some of the prices for items that have to be imported to the island a bit expensive. While there are many shops, most of them are aimed at attracting tourists and they mostly sell the same types of items, which include mugs, t-shirts, toys, and souvenir items. 3D Mini Me is one unique shop that sets itself apart from the rest. It is a 3D printing shop that creates three-dimensional sculptures of people and pets.

Local Events

 Key West often play host to art festivals and theater plays. The art festivals generally take place outside on a roped off street and they provide the opportunity for local artists to show off and sell their work ; the theater plays vary from month to month, but they have been known to include everything from musicals to high school plays. Key West is also well known for its Key West Pride event that takes place annually in June to show the island's acceptance and approval of all orientations.

Local Activities/Entertainment

Key West does offer traditional island entertainment in the form of beaches and a national park. In addition to the traditional island entertainment, Tropic Cinema is a movie theater on the island that is entirely non-profit and run only by volunteers, which makes it a bit quirky and fun as they offer a diverse variety of movie snacks and drinks that differ from traditional theaters.

Culture & People

Key West is well known for its relaxed and laid back atmosphere; the residents tend to be friendly and easy going, but it can get a bit crazy when the tourists come in en masse from cruise ships or due to spring break. The Key West culture is a mix of Bahamian, Cuban, African-American, and American. Key West is also well known for being very dog friendly as most restaurants have outdoor dog friendly seating and there is even a dog beach located on the island.

Day/Night Differences

 During the day, Key West is very family oriented with many activities for children of all ages; however, at night Key West does take on a more adult atmosphere. The numerous bars tend to get very popular after sundown and the drunken party atmosphere has been known to spill out onto the streets, especially on the weekends.