What Questions Does This Setting Inspire?

When you first consider a setting for a story, it should prompt questions. That’s what I love about this photo prompt. What’s going on here? Has the room been ransacked in a search? It doesn’t look messy enough for that. But who would place papers all over the floor? Who is the woman? The owner? The ransacker? A neighbor concerned about the owner? Or a cop called to a strange crime scene? What questions does this setting inspire? And what are your answers?

Here are more photo prompt for writing settings.

September 22, 2025 2

Settings for NaNoWriMo

As you tackle your novel for NaNoWriMo, you may run into writer’s block. One way to overcome it is to find fresh settings. Setting as a source of inspiration is often overlooked. But a new setting can provide the spark for new characters and fresh plot twists. Let’s say your city police detective needs to question a suspect. Sending him to a location where he feels uncomfortable is a perfect way to create tension. Where could that be? A rural location could work, like a farm. A farm suggests a farmer. Who could this farmer be? Would he or she want to take to the detective or not? So the right setting can be just the first step in a new creative process. Take a look at the photos below as settings for NaNoWriMo if you need inspiration to break down a writer’s block.

For more photo prompts for settings, click here.

I find this photo fascinating. Where is the house built? It could be a setting now or in the future.

Let me know if any of these photos inspire you!

November 14, 2022 1

NaNoWriMo Prompts for Settings

While writing my YA mystery, I noticed that my characters seemed to hold a lot of conversations in vehicles. Since the book is set in a rural county in Ohio, driving is an integral part of the lives of my characters. But I didn’t want to bore my readers. So I changed one scene from a conversation in a SUV to the two characters talking while hurrying to the SUV and then just the final lines while they were in the vehicle. A small change, but I knew I needed to provide more variety in my settings. If your characters need to find some fresh locations, take a look at these NaNoWriMo prompts for settings.