Basics of Setting

When writing literature, there is often considered a "holy trinity" of sorts - that being plot, character and setting.  These are all considered essential for the beginnings of narrative.  So what exactly is setting?  Well, it is basically what it sounds like.  Setting is the culture, time, space, geographical location, feel, and weather of a story.  It is where the story takes place, the backdrop to the main tale.  The details given in a setting help to inspire a reader to picture new worlds, new landscapes.  Sometimes it allows for gargantuan, fully-imagined worlds - this is described as high fantasy.  Let's take a look at Game of Thrones' Westeros and Essos as an example:

Westeros and Essos are a perfect example of the setting found quite often in high fantasy - a complete world, much like our own, but the creation of a sole individual who created an entire fictitious history of the one we know and understand.  In this case, George R. R. Martin managed to create his own world, a world in which winters can last for decades and the Iron Throne is the symbol of ultimate power.  This world has whole histories of noble families (Stark, Targaryen, Lannister, Baratheon) and peoples (such as Dothraki).  Worlds forged in high-fantasy, such as Tamriel from The Elder Scrolls video game series or Middle-Earth from Lord of the Rings, are what most people think of when the term "setting" is discussed.

Yet this is simply not the case.  In fact, high-fantasy is but a fractional example of setting in narrative.  While most other fiction does borrow from our world here on Earth, they are still examples of setting as a key literary device.  While writing literature, it is key to remember that far-away temples...

secluded California mountain ranges...

or abandoned houses...

are all potential settings for a story.  Actually, just looking at these pictures is inspiring me to write.  Perhaps these examples will become true settings in the near future!

Thanks for reading once again this week!  I hope to see you next week as well!