What “Setup” in a Novel Actually Means

By Janice Hardy, @Janice_Hardy

Setup is one of the more confusing (and frustrating) terms in writing.

I was working with a writer recently on developing his novel, and were discussing his struggles in setting up the story. Specifically, his frustrations with the word setup and what it actually meant, because he kept reading articles advising him to avoid setup, but then he’d also see advice on the importance of setting up a story.

I don’t blame him for being confused or annoyed by this.

Setup is a misleading word, especially since it has both positive and negative connotations, and it can be hard to know which one people mean. People say “setup,” even though they mean, “establish the premise of the story and tee up where the plot is going to go.” But that’s harder to work into a conversation.

Continue ReadingWritten by Janice Hardy. Fiction-University.com