Setting the Scene

I feel like a giant from up here. People the size of my hand scramble around, darting between brightly-colored isles. The smell of something warm and sweet fills my nose – I must be above the bakery. My computer keys feel cool against my sweaty hands and my peaceful playlist hums quietly in my ears, keeping the thrum of the crowd below at a minimum. 

Where am I?

Only the best grocery store in Utah: Harmon’s. There’s even a second level where you can eat your salad and people watch (or attempt to work). All of which I’ve been doing. Did it feel like you were here with me? Maybe you could see the image of distant shoppers, or smell the fresh bread from the bakery? That’s what we like to call setting the scene

Setting the scene is one of the most important parts of engaging writing. Readers are much more likely to be interested in your story if they feel like they are there with the character. If you can provide them just enough detail to place them in the story, they are much more likely to continue reading. 

One of the easiest ways to set the scene is to use sensory details. We have five senses (six if you’re Macaulay Culkin), so try to include at least a few in your scene. For example, my paragraph about Harmon’s included sight (the people scrambling), smell (the bakery), touch (the cool computer keys) and sound (my music). 

I could’ve added taste (the floury taste of my roll, perhaps) but that felt like overkill to me. Which leads us to our second point: setting the scene is all about balance. Too little detail and your reader won’t be engaged in the story. Too much and they’ll be annoyed.

Some books, generally in the fantasy or sci-fi genres, require a lot more setting. If the world you are creating is primarily in your head, you do have to use a lot of detail in order to accurately put your world on paper. However, if your novel takes place largely in the real world, you might not need as much detail. I would say my example of setting was a bit too much. As I read back over it, by the part I talk about my music, I’m thinking, “Okay yeah, I get it.” 

But how do you know whether you’re creating too much or too little setting? You’ll learn that this is our answer for most things: by reading different books. Pay attention to how other authors set the scene.

For example, my husband and I have been rereading the first book of The Hunger Games series by Suzanne Collins. She sets the scene beautifully right at the beginning of the novel:

“We settle back in a nook in the rocks. From this place, we are invisible but have a clear view of the valley, which is teeming with summer life, greens to gather, roots to dig, fish iridescent in the sunlight. The day is glorious, with a blue sky and soft breeze. The food’s wonderful, with the cheese seeping into the warm bread and the berries bursting in our mouths. Everything would be perfect if this really was a holiday…” (Collins, 8).

The narrator in this scene is Katniss. She and Gale are attempting to enjoy a meal together before they go to the reaping. Collins uses this time to describe the setting around Katniss, to place readers there with her. First, pay attention to the different sensory details she uses. Sight is the most obvious. Katniss takes note of the blue sky. Touch is another one – she mentions the “soft breeze.” And of course, taste, with the food. Collins uses three different sensory details in just a few short sentences. 

In addition, Collins really highlights the aspects of this setting that someone like Katniss would pay attention to. Katniss is a hunter and gatherer, who has hunted illegally in these woods her entire life. She notes that she and Gale are invisible, something that would be important to her because they aren’t supposed to be in the woods. She also focuses mostly on the foods she can get from this setting: “greens to gather, roots to dig, fish…”. Collins does an excellent job of characterizing Katniss as a hunter and survivalist, purely with how she describes the setting around her. This is an excellent example of creating an effective setting.

The most important thing about setting is that you need it. In order to effectively draw people in, you need to set the scene. Use sensory details and pay attention to how much or how little setting you include. Read over your manuscript with this in mind. When your character is walking down a street, do you feel like you are as well? How can you characterize your characters through your setting? 

As always, pay attention to the setting in the books you read. The more attentive of a reader you are, the more intentional of a writer you’ll become.

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