Setting: A Primer for Writers
The where and when are just as critical as the what
Choosing an appropriate setting for fiction greatly influences the story you want to tell and how it relates to character experience. Some stories can take place anywhere and still have similar impact. For example, the original setting for Shakespeare’s Macbeth is Scotland, though in a PBS version from 2010, it is a WWII-era Eastern European-esque setting with modern weapons. The ambition, fear, and tragedy stay intact though the time and place change.
However, most good stories rely on setting as a vital aspect of plot and character evolution. Here, I’ll share six pivotal examples of setting. In some cases, they function as an unnamed character quietly influencing the events of the plot.
What is setting?
At its simplest, setting is the time and place in which a story is told. It relates more specifically to details including geography, terrain, weather, social conventions, fashion, laws, and customs of the era in question. For some settings, these are governed by historical truths. In others, they are created purely in the imagination of the author in times and places never yet written.
Consider these reflections on setting from authors on the topic:
"The setting sets the stage for what comes next and almost determines it."
-John Steinbeck
"Fiction depends for its life on place. In other words, if you could set your story anywhere else, you haven't given your story a strong enough sense of place."
-Eudora Welty
"Setting is the clothing of a book. It is the outer garment that reveals what is underneath."
-Virginia Woolf
"Places are never just places in a piece of writing. If they are, the author has failed. Setting is not inert. It is activated by point of view."
-Carmen Maria Machado
"A setting shouldn't be just a backdrop. It should be a character in the story, reacting to the plot and influencing the people who live in it."
-Stephen King
1. Rebecca - Daphne DuMaurier
In a book titled for a character readers only hear about but never meet, the setting is critical because it is tethered to Rebecca’s influence over the story. An opulent, rambling manor, Manderley is situated on the Cornish coast of England. In the opening pages, readers learn that the magnificent property is no longer in the peak condition of its former glory, with the narrator speaking from memory before the story begins.
Once the unnamed narrator marries and comes home to live at resplendent Manderely, She’s quickly beleagured by feelings of inferiority and inadequecy. The deceased lady of the house, Rebecca, has left reminders of herself everwhere—from desk drawerful of monogrammed stationery to a shrinelike bedchamber in which her clothing, personal care items, and bedding remain as monuments to her existence. Besides the overtone of Rebecca’s lingering presence, the house and property suggest sinister happenings slowly revealed throughout the novel, presenting as a silent character.
The lonely, windswept landscape of the Cornish coast further underscores the isolation and despair of Manderley’s new mistress. Forbidden from Rebecca’s chamber and what lies beyond a rocky scramble by the sea, the narrator never quite feels at home in her new environment.
The setting also has a daunting and oppressive effect the narrator’s husband’s behavior, transforming him from a delighted newlywed on his honeymoon to a stormy, inattentive, and even churlish husband back at Manderley. The terrain, the house, the furnishings—all deepen the intrigue of this Gothic novel.
2. The Lost Apothecary - Sarah Penner
A more modern example of the power of setting is The Lost Apothecary by Sarah Penner. This story’s use of a dual timeline is connected by an apothecary in London run by Nella Clavinger during the 18th century. The modern timeline reveals the Caroline Parcewell’s serendipitous discovery of an old bottle while mudlarking on the banks of the Thames. This event becomes a connection to the past to follow the parallel story of Caroline and Nella’s lives.
As Caroline sets about discovering the origins of the bottle, she discovers records of mysteries tied to the shop and dives into learning more about the woman who ran it. In turn, she has revelations about her own personal life influenced by her findings, tethering the two times in London together, making this a fascinating look at history and memory.
A dual timeline linked by a place and object works well in this novel and provides tension to create a pageturner effect for the reader. As one chapter ends in modern or past times, it catapults readers back and forth in time to the other characters’ experiences.
3. The Frozen River - Ariel Lawhon
Lawhon’s tale is set in 18th century Hallowell, Maine along the Kennebec River, which is modern-day Augusta. Protagonist Martha Ballard portrays all the grit and determination a midwife of that time and place might need to succeed. The book is based on events from Ballard’s life and speaks to the difficulty of being a woman in newly-developing communities in that part of the U.S. The rugged, chilled landscape of Maine and the ice-jammed river serve as metaphorical obstacles that are critical to the story.
The fledgling community is overshadowed by powerful men with wicked intentions and worse behavior, thrusting Martha into the position of courageous feminism at a time when such a notion was considered folly. The Frozen River is a powerful story of bravery, resilience, and sisterhood relies on the roughness of its time and place to propel it forward.
4. 1984 - George Orwell
This mid-20th century dystopian classic depends upon the bleak hopelessness Oceania, a reimagined conglomerate of nations. Crumbling residential infrastructure and imposing buildings that seem to describe Brutalism-style architecture loom everywhere, inviting readers to feel the hopelessness and fear Oceania’s citizenry.
Protagonist Winston Smith is simultaneously plagued by fear of ubiquitous surveillance and driven to rebellion against powers controlling the propaganda-plastered world he lives in. Grim, drab, and dusty, the world of 1984 serves as a cautionary tale against fascist cults of personality and blind conformity.
Orwell contrasts the lack of natural beauty in Oceania’s London with a place called “The Golden Country,” where Winston meets a mysterious woman and begins an illegal love affair with her. The absence of nature from the book further sets the tone of industrial sprawl bleeding vitality and hope from citizens’ lives.
Only in a world made of looming concrete buildings and extreme surveillance could such a nightmarish story of government control truly explore what it means to be trapped at every turn, penned in by barbed wire, cameras, and Thought Police.
5. The Heaven and Earth Grocery Store - James McBride
The Chicken Hill neighborhood of Pottstown, Pennsylvania is the setting for this beautiful book about the families and communities we design for ourselves. Chicken Hill in the 1920s and 30s was a vibrant, diverse community of Blacks, Eastern European Jews, and Irish and Italian immigrants.
The community’s struggles with bigotry and white supremacy punctuate the novel and influence unlikely friendships, begging the question, “Who is my neighbor?” While any imagined neighborhood could serve as the setting, Pottstown is key because of its proximity to Philadelphia and the historical diversity present there in the early 20th century.
A close-knit community doing its best to survive and band together while navigating typical neighborhood conflict, The Heaven and Earth Grocery Store captures working-class life, love, and loss in a believable and beautiful way.
6. Lord of the Flies - William Golding
A pristine island refuge for British schoolboys fleeing war sounds like the solution to a terrible problem. They’ve crash landed and have no adults in sight to help reorient them. Safe from the harm of war in an Edenic setting, it would seem the boys could live off the land and work together until rescued.
However, Golding’s commentary on human nature is that much like the fall of man in the Garden of Eden. The idyllic perfection of the island is corrupted once mankind arrives, even if they are little boys. The unblemished island bears the scar of a plane crash, symbolizing the corruption of mankind on the natural world. The tropical paradise is silent witness to the terror of unchecked human nature.
Despite the abundant resources on the island, factions develop and tragedy ensues because the beast the boys fear and hunt is really much more sinister than anyone imagines. The Lord of the Flies ends with a spectacular display of destruction and the worst of mankind’s impulses. The beauty of the island simply isn’t enough to quell the beast that lies within.
NOTE: This post contains Bookshop.org affiliate links to books and authors referenced. Sales benefit local bookshops and pay The Writer’s Garden a small commission. Let’s support independent bookstores!
Research and implementation
When reading, consider setting and pay attention to how it shapes character experience. What message does the time and place convey about the themes and topics woven throughout the narrative? How can you apply these principles to your own fiction writing?
Doing research to ensure you have anchored your story clearly in a time/place that are believable and meaningful goes a long way. A few tips:
If writing historical fiction, avoid anachronisms that might jar the reader and make your story less believable.
Check maps for distances and relative direction from one place to another.
Understand the weather in your location to be sure descriptions are faithful to the climate.
Clothing, hairstyles, personal hygiene habits, and other factors related to time/place need consideration.
Language and customs are tied to time and place, so be consistent and faithful to these when crafting dialog and interactions between characters.
Ground readers by creating a world so believable (even if fantastical) that it anchors the story into place, allowing it to unfold effectively.
Community Garden:
Join in the conversation by leaving a comment. Let’s get to know one another better as we continue on the writer’s journey.
What is a favorite book that establishes an effective and engaging setting?
Do you enjoy books set in the present, past, or future?
