Road Trip to NaNo: Don’t Be Afraid of Writing Setting

NaNoWriMo is an international event, and we’re taking a Road Trip to NaNo to hear about the stories being written every year in our hundreds of participating regions. Today, Lori Watson, our Municipal Liaison in the USA :: Massachusetts :: Cape Cod region, shares some tips on how to integrate detailed, informative, and important settings into your novel:

Welcome to Cape Cod, MA!

One of the best things about virtual road trips? No traffic. With only two bridges providing access on and off Cape, things can get pretty squirrelly–especially during tourist season. Still, people continue to flock to the Cape. The beauty of the seashore, the serenity of seaside villages, the taste of salt on your tongue as the sea breeze plays with loose strands of hair…

It’s practically poetic.

In fact, the setting here has been muse to Pulitzer Prize winning poet, Mary Oliver. It’s inspired contemporary authors such as Mary Higgins Clark, and classic writers like Henry David Thoreau, Thornton Burgess, e.e. cummings, Edward Gorey, Sylvia Plath, and more. With a legacy like this, you’d think writers lucky enough to live here would just ooze vivid settings from their pores directly onto the page. If only it were that easy.

“Hi, I’m Lori, and setting is my weakness.”

Anyone with me? When you read, do you skim long descriptions? When you write, do you skimp on settings for fear of boring your readers? Tell me I’m not alone.

Thankfully, one NaNo participant in my region does ooze setting, pores to page. She’s shown me that lack of setting leaves the reader floundering for context, while good setting grounds the reader and enhances the story.

I’m still in recovery, but here are a few things I’ve learned:

1. Stay in Your Character’s Head.

What would your character notice? Would your rough and tumble construction worker really appreciate the exact shade and pattern of the drapes? What effect does the setting have on your character? Does the softness of the couch cushion remind them of Great Aunt Courtney’s house, where they always felt at home? How will that impact their actions in the scene?

The best way to avoid the info dump (and people like me skimming past to get to the good part) is to experience the setting as your point of view character. Setting is best when combined with deep point of view.

2. Describe Setting in Action.

Ground your readers in the setting by having your characters interact with their environment. Skip setting for setting’s sake and describe what’s important. Setting that matters will matter to the reader.

3. Use All Five Senses.

Even if you don’t use them in every scene, consider all five. What does your character hear, see, smell, touch, taste? These help the setting and character feel more real.  

4. Stay in Your Character’s Voice.

You’re in your character’s head, seeing what they see. They notice the cluttered kitchen table. They never could find an uncluttered space at home when they were a kid, and somehow that matters to the story. Then you write something like, “The archipelago of undiscovered items across the robin’s egg blue tablecloth drew me in like a fake flower lei does an ocean bound tourist.”

Whaa–? If that’s your character’s voice, great. But if it’s not, it’ll throw the reader right out of the story. Stay in your character’s head, share what matters to them, and describe the setting in their voice.

Challenge:

As we prepare for November, my challenge for you is to become aware of your own point of view. What do you notice when entering a new setting? Consider your five senses, how you interact with your environment, etc. Be your own character and discover how setting affects your daily story. Come November, your character’s story will be that much stronger.

NaNoWriMo in USA :: Massachusetts :: Cape Cod

Lori Watson is a 5th year ML to a crazy group of creative Cape Codders, and “fearless leader” to the Plot Bunnies writers group. She’s a wife, mom, writer, reader, homeschooler, steampunk MISFIT, tabletop gamer, and all around geek. Stories are her passion in whatever form they’re told; they connect people and remind us we’re not alone. She’ll be sharing fiction and reality of life with an irregular mind on her new website, LoriWatsonStories.com. Like NaNoWriMo, it launches November 1st.

Top photo by Flickr user Chris Martino.