We’ve
been contemplating who we’re writing about and what sort of stories we want to
tell. But where are you going to tell yours? World-building is a crucial
element to the reader feeling like they are truly experiencing the story. What
would DIVERGENT be like without the Dauntless pit? Can you imagine Harry Potter
going to school anywhere other than Hogwarts?
If
you write contemporary fiction, you might think world-building isn’t as
important. I disagree. I think no matter what sort of story you’re writing,
it’s important that the reader feel like they’re experiencing it beside the
main character. Some of the best contemporary stories have settings that really
come to life: TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD, PAPER TOWNS, OPENLY STRAIGHT.
This
is one of my pet peeves about a lot of New Adult Contemporary Romance. Off the
top of my head, I can name half a dozen New Adult titles that open with a
bar/drunken party scene set in a college town. But I can’t tell you anything
about the setting. It doesn’t stay with you.
Engage
the reader with your world.
It’s
early in our planning process, so you might not have a firm idea of what your
world looks like yet. For those folks, let’s focus more generally on the sort
of places you’ll need to include in your book. But if you do have a rough idea
of your world—how will you make it come alive? What are its rules and norms?
How do people communicate there? How do they dress? What do they do for fun?
What’s the government like? Are there socioeconomic classes? Where do your
characters sleep?
Where
will your main character find his story? Brainstorm a list of places that might
become a part of your world. And if you’re Pinterested, create a board of
setting inspo and share it with the group!
Today’s links:
Thanks for the shout-out!
ReplyDelete