By Shobhan Bantwal
Could your setting make or break your novel?
If the settings in fiction books could talk they would
have plenty to say about themselves. They could also speak out in their own
defense if an author has not researched them well or has given erroneous
information. And yet, despite their inability to literally talk, settings do
make a clear statement in each and every book.
Whether your story occurs here on earth or some
imaginary place, setting will undoubtedly play a major role in how readers
react to your story.
Why choose a unique setting?
Setting is as vital to a story as
the characters and the plot. No one lives in a vacuum, not even fictional
people. The characters' lives revolve around the rhythm and pulse of the town
or city they reside in. In that sense, the backdrop takes on a life of its own
and becomes yet another character in the story.
Editors and
literary agents alike seem to agree that unusual settings are worth seeking out
in the thousands of manuscripts they are inundated with year after year. A
book's setting could make the difference between a sale and no-sale for a debut
author.
One of the reasons my agent, the late Elaine Koster (Koster Literary Agency) signed me on back in 2005 was because she loved my debut book's (THE DOWRY BRIDE) setting: a small, fictional town in southwestern India, full of political conflict, community spirit, cultural contradictions, and natural beauty.
Utopia or Dystopia
New authors may want everything in their books to be picture-perfect.
Nonetheless, to be realistic, just like characters, a setting needs to have its
imperfections exposed along with its assets. It is the author's creativity and
expert treatment of the background that makes the difference between ordinary
and stunning.
While it is hard to envision a dysfunctional or dismal
world as a setting for a good story, many famous writers have made dystopian
backgrounds work brilliantly for them. William Golding's Lord of the Flies
and Aldous Huxley's Brave New World are highly successful older dystopian
novels that have the set the tone for more recent authors like Terry Brooks,
who published Armageddon's Children in 2007.
Building your extraordinary world
The age-old adage, "write what you know" is
often the best advice in choosing a setting. However, the challenge of picking
and researching an unfamiliar place may be exactly what an author needs to get those
creative juices flowing.
Nevertheless, research is still the number one rule
for success in terms of credibility and authenticity of settings. The
characters need to fit into their environment like peas inside a pod.
Research today is so much simpler. Almost every city
in the free world seems to have a website, with information on its geography, history,
ecology, points of interest, demographics, and economic data.
No matter what
kind of setting one chooses, it is necessary to do some homework first. Yes, it
requires work, but it can pay rich dividends later.
Location involves culture
Culture is an integral part of a book's setting. The residents, the
language, the cuisine, the dress, the traditions—they all come together to form
the background for a riveting piece of fiction. To make a story credible, it is
vital to stay true to the uniqueness of the community.
Setting is one element in fiction that can stretch as
far and as wide as your imagination can take you. The sky is literally the
limit, as evidenced by the popularity of sci-fi novels. You can pick almost any
corner of the solar system and make it a memorable backdrop for your stories.
Does unusual setting equal success?
Literary success is never a
guarantee, even if all the elements in a book are outstanding. Why? Because
success is based on multiple and complex factors, only one of them being setting.
Unusual settings do not always lead
to greatness either. On the other
hand, the success rate in capturing the attention of an editor or agent can be
high when it comes to extraordinary backdrops, something worth keeping in mind.
Besides, choosing a location and making it work can be one of the most creatively
fulfilling aspects of fiction writing.
