Every time we pick up a book, we enter another world. Whether that world is a made-up one such as in fantasy or a lived one like in a memoir, there is always a setting where a scene takes place.
These settings are integral to the telling of a story. For example, imagine the crux of a book. The protagonist faces off against an evil warlord in the middle of a dirty battlefield. There is fighting around them, they have to dodge enemies not just in front of them but also at their backs, and it looks like the warlord will win.
Contrast that with the same characters in the middle of a modern living room. They have the same armor and weapons, but now they're fighting alone over couches and through windows.
That simple change from one location to another has vastly altered the tone of the scene. It's gone from what might be considered a traditional epic fantasy to a contemporary fantasy. The characters now feel out of place, and the tension has lessened somewhat.
While this example is extreme at the climax of a novel, it applies to smaller scenes as well. Each piece of the story is going to paint a picture that builds to this moment. And if it's in the wrong place, it may read differently than we hoped. (I'm sure we've all been party to pages of dialogue with little to no mention of where the characters actually are.)
So what does this mean? It means that setting and atmosphere are essential pieces to building an impactful novel.
Creating a believable world
The first step is to create a world that feels lived in. Personally, I'm not a huge world-builder. I like to write the story and add in world-building elements as they become necessary. Most of my books don't have complicated economic structures that I could describe to you, and that's okay. I don't write for readers who are looking for immersive worlds.
But it's still important to have enough so the world feels real, at least on the surface.
So how do we go about doing that? It starts with the small things. The first step is to describe the world not just in how it looks, but its practical functions. How do your characters interact with the world? Why do they notice certain things over others? What pieces matter to their lives?
If we think about it, even in real life, different people are going to notice and care about different things. I don't wake up in the morning and pick apart the painted lines on the street. Not unless something drastic has happened that makes it stand out to me.
In the same way, a character might live over a busy market, and they don't notice the bustling crowds or the noise of payments being exchanged. But these pieces might stand out to the character who has been sent to that area of the city for the first time ever.
World-building matters for the story because it matters for the characters. In this way, marking the setting based on the way the characters interact with it is going to tell us a lot about the characters themselves. Therefore engaging their arcs and furthering the telling of the story.
If you'd like advice on areas to make your worlds feel lived-in, I recommend this subreddit. It's choc full of various points to build out a world from it's most basic foundations.
Building tension and suspense
In the example I used above, we can see how the setting and atmosphere of a scene plays into the tension. Risking death at every turn, even a death you may not see coming, keeps the reader on their toes.
In the same way, a knife in a knife fight is tense because...well, knives. But there's a reason the saying, "Don't bring a knife to a gunfight" exists. By adding a gun, we level up the tension in a scene. Especially if that setting is, say, close quarters and coated in metal. Meaning a stray bullet could hit not only the target but also the shooter.
I remember seeing a quote (and I wish I knew who said it; if you know, please tell me) that said, "If you find your scene is boring, put your characters in the rain." A simple change such as setting and weather instantly increases the tension.
Changes like weather can also help to establish the meaning of a scene. Different weather patterns often hold their own symbolism, but they can also be used in regards to how characters respond to them. For example, maybe a character hates the rain because they lost their father in a car accident during an abnormally heavy rainfall. In this case, rain can be used throughout the novel to increase tension. It could also be used at the end of the book to signify the character's transformation as they no longer avoid rainfall.
The book 1984 by George Orwell is well known for its oppressive atmosphere (the totalitarian society ruled by Big Brother). The bleak and grim environment is an excellent mirror to the protagonist's internal struggles, in turn creating unease within the reader. This would be an entirely different book if it occurred in a bright, sunny outdoor space with lots of open fields where one could simply run to freedom.
Ways to include setting and atmosphere in your writing
There are plenty of ways to build worlds and plenty more words to describe them, but knowing what to include and how to include it can be trickier. So here are a few simple ideas for bringing out the setting in writing.
What time of day is it? Where is the sun?
What is the weather like? How do the characters react to this?
What is the landscape? Will this help or hinder the character's goals?
How do the characters experience the setting with the five senses (sight, smell, taste, touch, feel)?
Who is in charge of this particular area? Do the characters like or dislike this?
Are any elements of the setting changing over time? Why? What do the characters believe to be happening?
Would a different setting change the scene's dynamic? Would that strengthen the scene?
Note that not all these pieces need to be disclosed at once. In fact, I wouldn't recommend that at all. But having little hints throughout the pages of these interactions will help to ground the reader in the scene. In turn, creating a strong setting that supports the dynamics of the story.
In addition, remember that any time characters change locations, there should be at least a small description of where they've ended up. Even if they're talking while walking, the reader should have an idea of where they're going, what they're passing, do they know this route or are they figuring it out as they go? etc.
What it comes down to is that setting and atmosphere have a strong correlation on the tone and impact of a scene. But it's also important to remember that these things always need to relate back to the characters. How are they experiencing the world? And why are these settings particularly impactful for them?
Without that pull back to the subjects of the novel, the world is simply a world.
What are some of your favourite settings? Let me know in the comments!
Happy writing,
Erin
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