What I mean by having writing fun with settings is finding places you can explore and see what fun you can have if you develop a story around them.
Fun Ideas for Settings
Here are some ideas to use if you just want to have fun writing about settings.
- Research a location you’ve always wanted to visit and see what story ideas your research sparks.
- Scroll through photo sites, like Pixabay, using search terms for locations you’d like to see, especially sci or fantasy landscapes.
- Scroll through photo sites and write a quick scene set in the first setting that captures your interest.
- Make a list of settings you personally hate. For example, I don’t like hospitals. Try writing a scene with a character who hates being in this setting. Then write one with a characters who loves it.
- Do the same as above with settings you love.
- Select a setting where you’d feel uncomfortable. For example, if you’re an urbanite, choose a small town. Write about what you would dislike about the setting. Write about what you might like.
- Write about some of your favorite locations from childhood.
Since setting can also mean a period of time …
- Research a favorite time period.
- Write about which seasons is your favorite and why.
- Write about which holiday is your favorite and why.
- Write about the best event or year in your life.
Fun Ideas for Settings within Your WIP
Like I said last week, sometimes you need to have fun with your writing, but you can’t leave your WIP for very long because of a deadline. Here some suggestions for having fun writing settings within your current project.
- Determine if you can move a scene you’ve already written to a new setting. For example, your main charcter’s (MC) best friend works at a candy store and you haven’t set any scenes there yet.
- Examine your overall setting to see if there are locations within it you’ve overlooked. If your overall setting is a business within a skyscraper and most of your scenes take place in offices, see if you can set some in an elevator, the cafeteria, a stairwell, or even a bathroom.
- Examine your settings to see if you’ve taken full advantage of what they offer. If your MC has a fight with a henchman in the kitchen of a restaurant, make sure the two opponents are using what’s in the kitchen–grabbing a chef’s knife, hurling a bowl of salad, throwing eggs on the floor.
For more tips on writing settings, click here. I’d love to read your suggestions for having writing fun with settings.