Wednesday, March 2, 2011

Balancing Setting & Action

A beautiful, descriptive paragraph draws me right into a book, but it isn't what keeps me reading. If a book is filled with paragraph after paragraph of setting description then I'll eventually get bored. There has to be action or tension of some kind that keeps me reading. Don't get me wrong, I love it when an author gives such a vivid description that I feel like I'm there, but even that can be over done. As writers we have to find the happy balance between action and describing the setting.

How much is too much? Any time you describe the setting the reader shouldn't feel like the action or tension has stopped. Instead, the setting should add to it and help propel the story. If your protagonist is feeling blue it might help to have it raining, or make the room they're in dark and dismal, if they're mad you could have a storm approaching or make the room chaotic and messy. Your character's environment will reflect them in some way because what they're feeling and going through will affect the way they see it. Contrast can also work for you if you do it right and have the character responding to how the environment is clashing with them.

Have fun with it, try a few writing prompts and try out setting and mood. Just remember, don't stop the flow of tension or action. The story must go on! As with everything in your book, if part of your setting description doesn't move the story forward or add to it in a necessary way, it isn't needed. Join us this Thursday, 6pm PT on Twitter for the #WritersRoad chat where we'll discuss this in depth.

~Heather

7 comments:

  1. Really excellent points, Heather! You said it all. How the character sees and interprets the setting: "what (your character) is feeling and going through will affect the way they see it."—perfect.

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  2. Thanks Linda! You made me think of another excellent point. The setting should really be from the main character's point of view, something they would see and notice, not an omniscent author pov. Unless of course we're writing omniscent!

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  3. This is one of my weaknesses. I tend to focus less on setting. Period.

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  4. I have to say when I see a dense paragraph full of description, I skim it sometimes. I love books that sprinkle the description in.

    Looks like it will be a good #writersroad chat.

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  5. Stina, I'm the opposite. We should trade notes sometime!

    Karen, there are times I do that too but only if the book is dragging. I love how you put that, sprinkle, that sounds like the perfect amount!

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  6. Heather, Thank you for a great post! Balance is the key to life and to writing. I'm trying to figure out how to get the action to describe the setting. Is that possible? I need more work, I know.

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  7. So true Karlene! I think that's definitely possible. Sounds like a great topic for another day.

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