Why is setting important in a short story

Understanding this change in time helps in keeping up with the story. Time: Cinderella as a young woman, long ago in the past. As the sun set in the evening sky, Malcolm slowly turned and walked toward his home.

All was silent and still. Through the window, he could see his older brother James watching a football game on the TV. James was home from his first year of college in the city. Time: evening, senior year of high school, and modern times they have a TV.

Have you ever read a story, but found it difficult to figure out what time period in which the story was written or where it is? The story probably had a backdrop setting. The story is timeless and can happen at any point in history or anywhere. The focus is on the lesson or message being delivered. It could also be any town or country, which means children anywhere can relate to it. With an integral setting integral means to be a part of or important to , the time and place are important to the story.

For example, a story dealing with a historical setting will have a direct impact on the plot. A story that happens in the s will not have technology, so the characters will have to write a letter, ride a horse or take a carriage to visit each other; they cannot travel long distances in one day as we do now with cars, buses, and planes.

This will have a direct impact on the events of the story, especially if there is distance involved. It can also create the mood how the reader or viewer feels.

The time of day, time of year, and ages of the characters will also affect how they act and what they say. All forms of literature will have some form of setting; even backdrop settings have an age range of the characters, which is part of time, and a location, either indoors or out, for example.

Without a setting, readers and viewers cannot follow a story plot. All good literature uses setting. No story can exist without an element of time or place. How do they get the fruit and vegetables? Are the animals simple pets or advanced creatures? Do they live in peaceful harmony, almost symbiotic, or are they at constant war with the population? Think outside the box when it comes to creating a setting of a story for a fictional world.

The setting is a delicate balance. Swing too far one way or the other, and your tower of blocks could crumble. You need more details in a fictitious setting than you do in a real setting—the reason being that your readers have no frame of reference from which to draw.

We need to know about the acid rain that comes every night and cleanses the land of the evil creatures that dare prowl in the dark. Describe the water running down the cold walls and how he felt a cold chill run down his spine as he peered into the darkness leading toward a single burning torch. Give us details. Use specific words. Figure out the important places in your story. What is the capital city of Neiphour? What is the main throughway? Where is Jabesh traveling to?

What little towns might he stop at along the way? Even include his favorite hideaway and his fishing hole. Include everything of importance. Map out the distance between places. Still hav questions about what the story setting is, and how to craft a powerful one that hooks readers? You might just need to read more and practice writing setting on your own!

The three types of setting are the elements of time, place, and environment both physical and social. Each of these types contributes to building the setting of a story. To find the setting of a story, you will have to read through the book or story, and identify sections where the time, place, and environment is being described.

It is easy to identify the setting of a story through detailed descriptions the author may include that tells the reader when and where the story is taking place.

An expert author also incorporates elements of setting subtly for the reader, such as through dialogue. Setting affects the story by contributing to the plot, character development, mood, and theme. It also affects the story by engaging the reader and helping them visualize the events and context in which the narrative is being told.

A good setting is one that appropriately describes the time, place, and environment of the narrative. A good setting also helps to connect the plot to the characters, and builds the mood and theme appropriately. If you need some inspiration to guide you, use these creative writing prompts to help think of things to write about.

Go to your desk, pull out your pen and paper, and begin mind mapping your setting! Write the place of your setting in the middle of the paper and circle it. Write everything you can think of about that setting. If your setting is fictitious, all the better. Ages ago, writers had to write by candlelight with quills and ink. Now, it's as easy as whipping out your phone while w Every November, writers from around the world get together and work on cranking out an entire novel in a month.

Part of the fun of writing a book is simply the freedom that comes with it. You start with a blank sheet of paper and o If you change any of these it will affect the quality of the others. Settings can not only have character; they can be a character in their own right.

The setting functions as a catalyst, and molds the more traditional characters that animate a story. The central character is often really the place, which is often linked to the protagonist.

In Lord of the Rings , for instance, Frodo is very much an extension of his beloved Shire. Setting, then, comes to mean so much more. Search for: Search. The Importance of Setting in a Story. Watch more with these video collections:. Design Ah! How a failed invention lead to a potentially life-saving new idea Rion Nakaya November 5, June 26,