Build Your Story: 8 Strategies for Writing Innovative Setting with Impact
“You present your
story in terms of things that can be verified by sensory perception. Sight,
hearing, smell, taste, touch—these are the common denominators of human
experience; these are the evidence that men believe.” Dwight V. Swain
Introduction Local Influence
No sensory observation is considered complete until the fictional
character’s emotional response is included. When eating new foods, or hearing
new sounds, the concrete details help the reader recognize the character as
more real as he reacts to the senses. Just as word choices need to be specific,
so do the sensory details need to be definitive, externally as images and
internally as personal reactions.
What are the telltale signs that we’ve moved from one neighborhood to
another? What makes the restaurant on one street so much better than the next?
We also want to make these sensory observations unique.
When we examine the local flavor of a setting we discover a treasure
trove of details in attitude and speech, special foods, ceremonial events,
public safety, law enforcement and city hall meetings.
Merrie Destefano set
her richly layered urban fantasy in New Orleans. Here’s the first question in
her discussion guide. As you think
of your ‘local’ setting consider how you would want readers to answer this
question for you. What influence would you want to filter down?
“Discussion Questions:
1. Afterlife:
The Resurrection Chronicles is set in New Orleans, a city rich in culture and
cuisine. It’s the historic birthplace of jazz, a center known for voodoo and
Mardi Gras, and it’s also a city that suffered greatly as a result of Hurricane
Katrina. How did the setting of New Orleans add to this story? How would you
describe the voice in which the author tells this tale? What does it add to the
overall effect of the book? Discuss.”
Share: What style
voice will you choose for your story?
Read deep, marcy
Stop by and visit Merrie's website at www.MerrieDestefano.com for a full discussion guide and more.
Stop by and visit Merrie's website at www.MerrieDestefano.com for a full discussion guide and more.
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