If you want to read an author who really knows how setting factors into the story, read anything by John Hart, especially Down River and The Last Child. He's won at least 2 Edgar Awards.
When it comes to writing the setting. Do you always have to write what you know or where you've actually been to. And if you want to write a story in a place you haven't been to for example a country like Germany , how do you write about it, if you haven't been to that country before?. You don't know the structure of the roads, or the name of the supermarkets....etc. You can Google it, but it will still be hard to put it in words and won't feel organic as suppose to if you've actually been to that country...well that's what I assume.
If you think about it, there are countless writers who write about places they've never been to, from fantasy worlds to being in space or on a different planet entirely. And they still maintain a great imagery for the reader. A few different ways you can figure this out, in the case of a country that already exists, is exactly that, to do research just like any author usually does. Look up the architecture, like some landmarks of the country or what the schools look like and businesses. Also the type of clothing the people are wearing depending on the time period you want to set for your story, as well as how those people behave as a society and what they usually talk about, and their gastronomy. Watch the news and shows of that specific country and you'll get a good feel of what the country and culture is like, even if you don't know the language per se. Immerse yourself in it. Most importantly, just come to the conclusion that there's no need to invent the wheel when it comes to what a street looks like in a city or in a village besides minor details sometimes. Another way is to simply read how other authors themselves describe different places/countries, depending on what area their story or part of the story is happening.
That's my issue. I'd like to place my characters in specific settings so that a reader has visuals, but because I've never been outside of my own state, I'd likely get descriptions, historical sites, and landmarks and all that goes with it completely wrong despite researching. I have seen some fiction novels where the story takes place in some unknown country or state with a fictional town and it makes it feel like the setting could be anywhere, and I think I like that approach for someone like me who's never been anywhere exciting. I feel like if I haven't experienced it, then it's probably a good idea not to write it 😆 I think I'd feel better setting my story in that way rather than try to put my characters in places I've never been.
@@LadyCapricorn87 As long as you know how to bring a place alive with your writing, it doesn't matter. It could even be a desert with over 1 million camels on it on a rainy night. What's important is how you convey that. A city street will always be a city street and an apple tree is an apple tree. What matters is what you add to this and how you write about it. There's not much else to it. lol
Yeah, this is something I struggle with. There's so many fascinating settings/cultures/time periods I want to use, but I know it would take SO much research to even begin to get a grasp on it, and even then I'd be bound to get something wrong. It's so obvious when someone writing your place/culture/whatever has never actually been there, and I'd hate for that to be me.
@@TomorrowWeLive exactly!, but I still would like to write on a setting that I've never been to .coz it makes me versatile but it is still challenging.
In The girl who loved Tom Gordon the woods are every bit as much of a character as Trisha and a wonderful antagonist to her. Brilliant example of what this video is getting at
I am struggling with setting so much with my Nanomwrimo, it's a very political and internal based conflict so I'm so busy pumping out the dialogue before I forget it, the setting is completely neglected DX Some heavy setting adding in the redraft later...
@@TomorrowWeLive sorry but you identified asexuals wrong. They can still be interested in romance, just not sex. i think the thing you're talking about is aromantic. not trying to be mean just correcting^^
ppl comig here form there teacher Me who came hereon my own for help and to write a bigger setting for my report I dont wanna be bland and just say The book Charlotte's Web mostly takes place in a barn
