Setting the Table for a Great Setting
Paper plates or fine china? Your characters could eat straight out of Chinese to-go boxes with chop sticks. Or how about picnic style? Maybe they dine on brightly colored Mexican pottery and a bold-striped tablecloth to match. A great ‘table setting‘ can say a lot about your characters. If they insist on washing and reusing plastic-ware, it could imply they are thrifty, concerned with the environment, or just plain crazy! LOL Whatever you choose, make it distinct; think outside the box.
And as they taught us in English classes, setting covers so much more than just where your characters will eat their meals. It creates the mood, establishes the culture and class, and tells the reader when and where the characters live.
Mood
Whether your story’s tone is ominously eerie, is a fast-paced thriller or is a lively comedy, the mood is set by all of the areas discussed in the next few paragraphs. These factors affect dialogue, action, and narrative passages. For instance, if your story is set in a graveyard, it would most likely not be humorous. The time would also reflect the mood…it might be midnight or during a funeral.
Is the story set in a place that’s OCD-clean or pig-sty dirty? Clutter can reflect a chaotic mood. A sterile environment suggests someone who’s uptight possibly or has a medical condition.
How about the lighting? Natural, filtered sunlight? Pitch blackness? Moonlight? Candlelight? Desert sun? Florescent bulbs? Flashing neon? You can do a lot to set the mood with lighting. A good way to observe how lighting is used in movies is to watch without sound.
And speaking of sound…what music will be ‘heard’ in your story? A Sousa march? A love ballad? Totally different moods.
And here’s the biggie that I usually have to remind myself to include: set the mood through the sense of smell. Aromas are powerful— the good and the bad. They trigger deep and sometimes subliminal memories. Just think of how you feel when I say: dirty diaper, hot cinnamon buns, coffee, cat box, blood, diesel, pine, mint, garlic, urine, baked bread…
Culture
Consider spicing up your story by including different cultures. Mixing and contrasting cultures can add conflict while making it interesting. This is demonstrated in a children’s favorite The City Mouse and The Country Mouse. There’s lots of conflict as each mouse finds the other’s culture is difficult and even life-threatening. How about the clash between the human and vampire cultures in Twilight and the bazillion other ‘vamp’ or paranormal romance books and movies out there? The sky’s the limit with cultures to jazz up your story. Just remember to keep your details consistent without being stereotypical.
Class
Whether your characters are wealthy or penniless, both can be interesting. Again, pit one against the other for added conflict. A fanciful setting can be just as memorable as a poor one if you dig in and really show how they live— good or bad. The hardest class to make interesting is the wide and well-known middle class. But even in this class, you can find quirky details that set your characters apart from Joe-average. Your readers probably live in the Joe-average world, so they know what that’s about already. Give them something new to read in a way they can still connect on an emotional level. Maybe your main character has painted his house neon orange because he’s fighting with the neighbors. Just an average white-collar guy…with an orange house. No matter what class you’re dealing with, make it pop.
Time
This is the fun one. When will you set your story? In prohibition time? During war? A Medieval story? When Christ was born? Future? Past? Pick an interesting time in history, do tons of research, and immerse your story in it. But I say this with a word of caution. You will find many, many more details about the time period than you need to include. Pick a few key ones to highlight the era, and let the reader’s imagination take it from there. If your readers want ‘history’, they’ll pick up a history book. Just flavor your story with the facts you find.
Location
Can’t think of a good location? Check out travel magazines or National Geographics. You can also harvest locations from your personal address book or Facebook friends list. Once you’ve chosen a place on the map, go there physically if possible if you haven’t already. If you’re unable to go there, ‘Google’ the spot to see images of it and take a virtual tour if one is available.
Of course other dimensions, science fiction, fantasy worlds, utopia, heaven, and hell always make for exciting locations, but these require more world-creating…and travelling there may prove difficult.
Whether your characters are dining at The White House or inside a dumpster, make it a memorable ‘table setting‘.
