4 Ways to Choose the Right Story Setting

Most writers don’t have too much trouble when it comes to how to choose the right story setting for their books. Middle Earth; Maycomb, Alabama; Hogwarts—it’s often fairly obvious which locations will serve the needs of the story; then it’s just as matter of picking the best one.

But what about the rest of the settings? A small-town high school might be the sensible choice for your YA novel, but you can’t set every scene in the fine arts hallway. What about when your character is at work, on a date, or hanging out with friends? How does she get to and from school? What kind of home does she live in and what does her personal space look like?

While most authors understand how to choose the right story setting for the overall book, they don’t typically put as much thought into the locations for the individual scenes. Yet these decisions are just as important. The setting choices at this level have the power to make or break the story—to simply set the stage or to bring the scene to life by making it meaningful and drawing readers into it.

If you’re hoping to accomplish the latter, consider the following questions when selecting settings at the scene level.

1. What Is the Purpose of This Setting?

Most writers think of the setting as merely the tool that enables us to establish the time and place for readers. But settings can—and should—do so much more. Through the setting, you can also

Hint at or reveal backstory
Establish mood
Symbolize
Characterize
Foreshadow
Reinforce emotion
Provide tension and conflict

If you know beforehand which of these things you’d like your setting to accomplish, you can choose a location that will suit your purpose and help you achieve that goal.

For instance, maybe it’s the beginning of your story and you want to set the stage while also including some much-needed characterization for the protagonist. Use a personal setting that will reveal truths about her:

Workspace
Car
Favorite room in her home

For a scene that’s meant to add conflict, consider locations that will cause her stress:

The site of a traumatic past event
A place that will trigger insecurities
A location where she’s likely to see someone she’d rather avoid

Always consider the purpose of the scene—what you can organically accomplish through the setting. Our Setting Checklist can help with this, enabling you to plan ahead what you’d like your setting to do in each scene so you can choose the best locations possible.

2. Which Setting Makes Sense for Your Character?

When choosing settings, it’s always important to keep your character in mind. One location might make sense for your story, but if it doesn’t fit with your character, it will fall flat.

For instance, maybe something important has just happened and it’s time for a reflection moment for your protagonist; you need a place where he can process what has happened and prepare himself for the next step. The first place that comes to mind might be a dock by the lake or a walk through the woods. These are great choices for someone who appreciates nature and needs peace and quiet in order to properly reflect.

But what if your character is an urbanite who hates bugs or an extrovert who doesn’t like to be alone? For the former, a solitary ride on the city bus or train might enable him to work through his thoughts. An extrovert’s best reflection time might occur while walking a crowded street or partying with friends at a club.

There are so many setting possibilities for each scene; many of them can feasibly work, but only if they make sense for your character.

3. Which Settings Have an Emotional Pull for Your Character?

Most of the time, identifying your setting’s purpose and making sure it fits for your character will be enough for the location to work for your scene. But some parts of the story need a little more care: highly emotional scenes, scenes that reveal important information, ones that mark a turning point for either your protagonist or the story—these important events can be made more meaningful when they’re set in a place that triggers past memories or impacts the character’s emotions.

In John Grisham’s The Firm, Mitch McDeere learns his house is bugged and his employers have been spying on his family. Now he has to reveal this disturbing information to his wife. Instead of Mitch taking her out to dinner or for a walk, Grisham sets this scene in the one place that makes this news even more impactful: in their house, the site of their violation.

This is their home, their safe place, the one place in the world where they should be able to be themselves. Setting this revelatory scene in their home adds an emotional punch (and an element of danger) that would have been missing had it taken place elsewhere.

When you’re considering locations for an important scene, brainstorm possibilities with your character in mind. What locations are emotionally loaded in some way for him? Which ones elicit strong positive or negative feelings? Are there any that would provide an emotional contrast to what’s happening in the scene? The answers to these questions can help you come up with the perfect settings for the important events in your story.

Have You Thought Far Enough Outside of the Box?

As with any area of writing, it’s tempting to go with the first idea that comes to mind. In doing so, we often settle for good when, with a little more thought, we could unearth something amazing that could take a scene to the next level. For this reason, when choosing a setting, it’s always good to think past our initial ideas.

Melinda, the lead character in Laurie Halse Anderson’s Speak, finds peace and solace in a janitorial closet at her school. Hope Floats’ Birdee Pruitt is dumped by her husband on a live talk show. In Kiss the Girls, the protagonist is kidnapped and held captive in the ruins of an abandoned plantation—creepy and symbolic.

All of these settings are a bit out of the ordinary. There are many locations where each event could have taken place, but these locales add a little something to each scene while still supporting both the story and the character.

So as you’re choosing settings for the scenes within your story, keep all of this in mind. Know your setting’s purpose. Know your protagonist and what makes sense for him. When it’s appropriate, choose a setting that has significant emotional impact for your character. And always think past your first impulse to see what interesting secondary possibilities arise. If you can consider these questions during the planning process, you’re sure to come up with an intriguing array of settings that will add that extra bit of oomph to each scene and to your story as a whole.

Wordplayers, tell me your opinion! What is your top consideration in figuring out how to choose the right story setting? Tell me in the comments!

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