Setting

If you have ever (like I have, multiple times) given a writing workshop, you’ve probably talked about setting. If you’ve ever taken a writing workshop, you’ve probably discussed setting.

Setting in writing is huge and I agree with the people who say setting can sometimes become another character. I think the island setting in Appaloosa Summer is like a character, and many of my readers seem to agree.

However, the “setting” I’m talking about in this post, is MY setting. Where I live, and raise my family, and – yes – write. I’m someone who is hugely sensitive to my surroundings, and if they’re wrong, I find it very hard to feel like other things are right. This starts on a micro level - for the most part if my family is safe, and around me, I feel pretty good. I’m not a big traveler, but when we’re (for example) in Wales, if I know my kids are snug asleep down the hall from me, and the four of us are together, and fine, that’s a great start.

But more than that - because if we’re talking about a prolonged period of time, comfort is a major contributor to my happiness. I love our little, old, crooked, funny house. I need access to the outdoors. Ottawa suits me because we are only ever steps from the river. Wolfe Island is a fantastic escape. Kingston is a city I love because it’s small, and manageable and, again, just steps from the water. Western Quebec has always drawn me.

I used to think a happy person would be happy no matter where they were. On that principle, I moved to Toronto after my first degree. I thought “if I’m happy, I’ll be happy in Toronto.” I tried – I ran in the ravines whenever I could, and I kept up my mountain biking, and riding, but I WAS NOT happy. It was too much for me. I had a couple of experiences that were probably close to panic or anxiety attacks, and I thought it was me, but when I left Toronto, they never came again. I moved from Toronto to Halifax, and Halifax was much better. I’m definitely a small-to-medium-sized place kind of person, and that place needs to have a fairly laid-back pace of life, and access to nature.

This is how I live best, this is how I function best (and am best able to support others around me) and this is how I write best.

I know this about me, and so I try to give it to myself, and I’m so lucky to have a family that feels pretty much the same way, and access to great nature on our urban doorstep here in Ottawa. Here, for example, is what we walked through today, just a few minutes from our front door:

The light is amazing this time of year.

It’s hard to believe these views are from right in the heart of Ottawa – inside the Greenbelt.

In case you’re from Ottawa, and you’re wondering – yes – this is Mud Lake.

There’s nothing quite like feeling chickadee feet wrapped around your finger. It’s like they suck all the stress out of you … (sorry for the blur – it’s hard to take a good picture while not scaring the birds!)

And the geese are never shy … (note the apartment buildings in the background – we really are in the CITY, but it’s hard to remember that).

This is one of the settings I need to visit regularly to keep me balanced. What setting do you need? Have you thought about it? Are you able to be in the setting you like the most?

I’d love to know!