Setting

setting

Setting the scene is one of the best tools a writer can have, as it allows for the reader to truly feel immersed in the story. But… how can an author set the scene? Is there a foolproof way to immerse the reader? (hint: the answer is no, lol.) Here are some things that help me build background and establish the setting. [as always, there’s no pressure to use any of these tips; writing is a unique process and there’s no “one size fits all” formula for it.]

Ordinary does not have to equal boring. Sometimes, it can be hard to escape the pressure of an interesting, entirely unique setting to provoke a reader’s interest. However, it can be hard to fulfill lofty expectations like those! Furthermore, there is absolutely nothing wrong with ordinary settings. In fact, embracing normality can really enhance a story. Office buildings, schools, grocery stores, gas stations… All of these places may seem ordinary, but that doesn’t mean they’re uneventful. In fact, each place comes with its own unique challenges and occurrences, which is really useful for writing! Mundane activities such as purchasing groceries, walking out of a movie theater, and visiting a library for books can all create additional outlets for interaction and occurrence. 

Look to the details. This one is pretty self explanatory and probably something everyone already knew, but I figure it can’t be overstressed. The details really do make a difference! Little things like the way an office worker’s desk looks can reveal a lot about their character. For example, is their workspace cluttered with scattered papers? Or perhaps it’s pristine and looks nearly untouched? Those kinds of mundane things can be utilized to further establish your character’s desires, motivations, personality, etc.! Exploring a character in small, seemingly unimportant ways is pretty enjoyable and a fun exercise to further develop your character-building abilities.  

Utilize weather and climate conditions to add effect. This is another simple way to add some character to a scene! Weather can add symbolism—if a character is feeling melancholy, it may appear gloomy outside—but it can also simply add more detail and further flesh out the scene. Even better, the scene doesn’t even have to occur outside! Weather conditions can still be noticeable from inside a building—think of the sound of precipitation, the presence/absence of sunlight, and the way light reflects off of different surfaces!

Embrace change. Sometimes, a story necessitates a return to a setting that already has been introduced. In these moments, it can be helpful to think of any potential changes that may have occurred since the last time the setting was visited. This can manifest in large-scale ways—such as a banker returning to their place of work, only to find that the building has caught fire and is now just a pile of rubble—or small-scale ways—think of a graduated student returning to their elementary school, only to find that it feels much smaller. Simple things can represent far bigger elements of a story—for example, a missing chair can represent a person’s death or foreshadow their future absence… a previously tidied area turning messy can hint at a future conflict… After all, most settings do not remain entirely unchanged. As people come and go, things are left behind, objects are moved/altered, and more!

Think about noise. Different settings will come with different levels of noise, which can also affect character interactions and conversations. If the characters are standing in a library, their voices may shift to hushed whispers. If there’s potential for eavesdropping (aka they’re in a public space), there may be different gestures and means of communication. 

©2023, @defectivehero | @defectivevillain, All Rights Reserved. 

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For reasons unknown, at the exact same moment everyone in the world lost the ability to change emotions. They were stuck with whatever they were feeling at that moment; anger, fear, constipation, guilt, ecstasy… with a permanent case of curiosity you are determined to find out why.

For the random questions ask: What’s one trope you wouldn’t write, except for money? - 🍀 (@enchanted-lightning-aes)

Easy, Love Triangles.

I’m not a big fan of most romantic tropes, but love triangles make me audibly sigh. I also wouldn’t write anything I don’t want to write, even if I’m being paid. I am very passionate about what I write, because I’d otherwise quickly lose any will to finish writing. My attention span isn’t great, but I try to focus what little attention I have on quality over quantity.

If I were to have to write something I’m against, I’d write a parody of it, and probably somehow include it in the worldbuilding of Alterra. I might have a problem, because every time I try to think of a new story, I accidentally think of a way to have it take place on Alterra. This world I’ve created has taken over my life.

P.S. I need to acknowledge this somewhere, but a random reblog on one of @hayatheauthor ‘s posts (the one about writing injuries) has just exploded in popularity, and I don’t know why. When I woke up yesterday, I was greeted to 142 notifications on that one reblog. The post itself has about 1200 notes, but my reblog specifically has a little over 300 of those. I don’t know what to do, I don’t want to turn off notifications, but at the same time I can’t keep getting 50 random notes daily. Do check out hayatheauthor’s blog, their stuff is great!

For the random questions ask: What is a weird, hyper-specific detail you know about one of your characters that is completely irrelevant to the story? - (@enchanted-lightning-aes)

OH I am so glad you asked this! I think up so much random bullshit for my characters. I’m going to have to break some of the rules for this game, cause there’s no way I can only say one thing. And I think I know the perfect thing to start out with;

Sir James Honorborn is probably my favorite immortal “side” characters of all time, but he is very much an important character to the story. Valthoraxe meets him for the first time, it’s in James’ bounty hunting tavern called, “Blade & Honor’s: Beer, Bounty, Bravery.” James co-owns the tavern with a man named Franvil Bladeson. While never stated in the book, it’s loosely implied that they are married. James is somewhat of a playboy, having slept with literally tens of thousands of guys over the course of his life, and continues doing so after his husband dies.

Valthoraxe’s species, the Firath, have always had excellent relations with the higher classes of dragons, and Draconic is taught in the Firath’s equivalent of an education system. I have so much lore about the dragons that I will only delve into in the sequel. A part of that lore is how Valthoraxe rules by sending orders and setting laws to every major city on Alterra, including the region of Lizea (the top third of Kio), which is recognized as dragon territory. Dragons are always welcome in The Lord’s Wastelands, which is why they are often seen flying overhead when heroes attempt to confront him. Valthoraxe knows many dragons personally, including Rathnir Cascada, king of the dragons of Kio.

Thank you @enchanted-lightning-aes for this ask, this was very fun!

One Song for Every OC Tag

Thank you @rickie-the-storyteller for tagging me!

Rules; Assign a song that fits the vibe of your OC.

A few of my OC’s originated from music I was listening to at the time, so this should be very fun.

Lord Valthoraxe - Once Upon A Time… A Monster (King Stephen)

Valthoraxe is a broken creature, who has gone through more pain and trauma than any of us could even fathom imagining going through. He’s mentally snapped several times, and has become a monster the world bows before in fear. This song portrays everything I could connect with him, with a perfect title to match. My book is his story, the story of how a great person descended into madness, rose to tyranny, and eventually fell. In the land of Alterra, there was Once Upon A Time… A Monster.

Sir James Honorborn - Sicilian Defense (Rok Nardin)

James is a very mysterious person, who seems like just another goofball side character, but is actually a terrifyingly powerful and immortal master of the arcane, with several spells that have taken him several centuries to write. This song has the same otherworldly charm I imagine him to have, while eventually rising to an energetic and powerful level.

DiamondMan - Selenica (King Stephen)

Diamond is one of the heads of NOVA, specifically NVO, and is a main character of the book. Diamond is actually based on another character from a very close friend of mine who is working with me on the sci-fi aspects of the story, so this song was chosen by him. In his own words, “It fits my character perfectly.”

The Heads of the NOVA Corporation - Virtual Armageddon (Kings & Creatures, Brandon Lau)

NOVA is the primary Sci-fi faction in my world, with 9 people leading it. NOVA is a problem solving company, be it inter-galactic travel through the complex NOVA-Gate Network of wormholes, to the hired extermination of hostile lifeforms. While being a neutral entity that’s held very highly in the public eye, it is also a machine of war that is ruthlessly efficient. This song captures the power and threat brought by it’s autonomous forces run by a nigh-sentient AI.

Melody - Absolute Territory (Ken Ashcorp)

Melody is just a fun little character I thought up, while listening to music and thinking, that will never appear in the final book. I went into more detail about her in a previous post, but in short; She is a half-elf shunned by her race and ends up making a deal with the tyrant, Lord Valthoraxe, for a set of magically enhanced clothing. The outfit vastly amplifies her magical abilities by syncing it up with whatever song she’s currently listening to. Naturally, she prefers to be listening to energetic and powerful songs that pop out, and this one in particular matches her new found self-confidence.

I’d love to write down more characters, but I currently only have the one wip, and these are the only fully fleshed out characters I have so far.

This was a lot of fun, I’ll be tagging these wonderful people to play along as well;

@orionsworldbuilding, @hayatheauthor, @author-a-holmes, @shiversdownyourspleen, and @raventsurara

Thanks! This is really helpful, I’ve been worrying about what I’m going to do for my cover. Do you have any good suggestions on how to actually get your book printed?

novlr.org

How to Source Publisher-Quality Book Cover Design as a Self-Published Author - Novlr

I spoke with art commissioners from Faber and Bloomsbury to get their top tips on how to source great art for your book cover design.

The post is full of great insights, but here are some of the top tips to give you a sneak peek:

Top tips to making sure you’ll get quality book cover design

To give you the best chance of finding quality illustrators and artists for your cover art, these are the top tips from the publishers I spoke with:

Find artists who have worked on commission before. Make sure they show evidence of problem-solving, and that their portfolio gives a clean and clear idea of their style.

When in discussion with an artist or illustrator, make sure you can describe what you’re looking for in 5-10 words. This gives your designer a clear idea of what you want for your book cover design and ensures they’ll be working to a clear brief. If you can describe your work succinctly, then they’ll be able to design a memorable cover that reflects exactly that, and nothing else.

Look for illustrators who suit your themes. You might really love an artist’s work, but if they specialise in subdued, soft lines and specialise in fantasy art, they’re probably not the right designer for your romance or horror cover.

Do not ask for custom samples without being willing to pay a fee. Never ask an artist to work for free. You can get a sense of their style from a portfolio, but if you want to see tailored work samples, you must be willing to pay them – you will attract better-quality designers.

Always work with a contract. This is essential for both parties to ensure you both know what is expected from the other. It alleviates the likelihood any nasty surprises and keeps both parties protected from things like intellectual property theft or copyright infringement. Besides, if an illustrator isn’t willing to work with a contract, that’s usually a red flag that they’re someone you don’t want to work with. It’s worth it for that reason alone.