Setting Checklist

ALL STORIES POSSESS two kinds of setting: the concrete and the throwaway. Concrete settings are dictated by scenes that must take place in a specific locale.

Examples:

The scene in which Elizabeth Bennet and Fitzwilliam Darcy are reunited, after Elizabeth’s refusal of his first proposal, had to take place on the sumptuous grounds of Darcy’s Pemberley estate. (Pride & Prejudice by Jane Austen)

To be historically accurate, specific American Revolution battles had to take place in South Carolina. (The Patriot directed by Roland Emmerich)

Throwaway settings, by contrast, are not confined by the needs of the scene.

Examples:

Darcy’s first proposal, in a drawing room, could have taken place anywhere. (Pride & Prejudice)

The militia’s base could have been set anywhere. (The Patriot)

Whenever you write a scene with a throwaway setting, stop and think. Could you bring a new level to your scene by adding an interesting or unexpected setting? Changing the setting might be all that’s needed to add depth to your scene, heighten the tension, and even lead to unanticipated story angles.

Exercise: Answer the following questions about each of your story’s settings. As you continue to fill out your structure, return to this section to add every new setting you come up with.

Question #1: What is the setting?

Question #2: Write a brief description of the setting.

Question #3: In which of the following parts of the story is this setting introduced? Act 1, Act 2a, Act 2b, or Act 3?

Question #3.1: If introduced in the first half, how can you reuse this setting in the second half?

Question #3.2: If introduced in the second half, how can you foreshadow this setting in the first half?

Question #4: Is this a concrete setting or a throwaway setting?

Question #4.1: For throwaway settings: Can you combine with an existing concrete setting?

Question #4.2: If not, can you list five ways to make this setting as interesting as possible?

Reference: Structuring Your Novel, chapter 5, pages 68-69.