How to Write a Story Setting: Advice from the Word Nerd
The story element of setting is my absolute favorite to write. Maybe because I was a social studies minor during my undergrad years at UW Eau Claire or maybe because I believe, that just like people, places have a story, most often more than one.
Next week I’m headed to Ashville, North Carolina with my husband for our first solo trip since our honeymoon. Why Ashville? If I’m totally honest, I want to visit because it’s where one of my books takes place (Champion Chocolatier #2: Reality Bites). I’ve envisioned the landscape, researched the location, and consumed books and videos on it’s landmarks, but I really want to see it, feel it, breath it in. The Blue Ridge Mountains, The Biltmore Estate, the Pisgah National Forest, the Battery Book and Champagne Exchange (yes, books and champagne, a place truly designed around my favorite delights!).
In anticipation for this trip I am reading, The Last Castle by Denise Kiernan, so I can know as much about the mansion and history of the area before I arrive. I feel like all the things you see, learn and hear when visiting a place are more powerful when they’ve already got some roots in your brain.
But I digress. This post is supposed to be about STORY SETTINGS. So, to that end, here are a few past posts I have written (one even about researching the Biltmore!) about how to convey a story setting on the page. I hope you find them helpful and that wherever your travels take you, there are stories waiting there.
Happy writing and traveling my friends,
Amanda
Traveling Close to Home: Using YouTube as a Writing Tool
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