Describing Setting
- Hamin Jun
- May 13
- 7 min read
Updated: May 14
Introduction
We’ve already talked about writing strong dialogue, but what about the world around the dialogue? The characters? The setting? Any character’s environment plays a big role in both the story and development. You don’t want floating heads talking in a void. They need to be somewhere. Even if the location isn’t important to your plot, you should make sure your writing gives the reader a vivid and realistic feel of the landscape and atmosphere, as if they have stepped into that world.
But that doesn’t mean describe every rock and tree and fly to the nth degree. Knowing how much detail to use and when to let readers assume by filling in the blanks themselves gets easier if the setting becomes its own character. Of course, you don’t describe every lock of hair and article of clothing every time a person comes in the room. But you still give enough information that the reader knows who it is and what they look like and what they’re doing. Same basic principle.
“Perfection is finally attained not when there is no longer anything to add, but when there is no longer anything to take away.” – Antoine de Saint-Exupery
Prerequisites
But what exactly is it? Setting is basically the place or type of surroundings where the event or story takes place. When and where are key to understanding setting. For instance, where could be a real place on earth like New York City or DC. The very words “New York” evoke an image of skyscrapers, bustling streets with people coming to and fro, and authentic Chinese food. But it could also be imaginary like J.K. Rowling’s famous Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. If you were fan of the books or movies, did you see Hogwarts’s snowcapped castle, the forbidden woods, or even the little cupboard under the stairs? All these settings are described in much detail, which is why we can picture them. And of course, when can show whether the story takes place in the past, present, or the imagined future.
Research is crucial to the development of any story. If the setting is Boston during the 1750s, where walking and horseback riding were the main modes of transportation, the introduction of the 2025 Ford Mustang cruising through the streets would certainly be off-putting (unless there’s time travel). Of course, there are other elements to setting, such as time of day and weather that can reflect the character’s emotions without being explicit. The setting could even be the very obstacle that hinders them. This idea is explored further below. But the research matters! Having a solid understanding of the context, whether it’s historical or fictional, can create a richer world that both the characters and readers can engage with.
“Places are never just places in a piece of writing. If they are, the author has failed. Setting is not inert. It is activated by point of view.” – Carmen Maria Machado
Warm-up – The Dangers of Floating Heads
So, we mentioned floating heads previously, but what exactly are they? Well, they’re basically setting’s worst enemy. With no action, detail, or setting describing a dialogue between characters, floating heads, aka “talking heads,” make it hard to visualize the scene. Take the dialogue below for example.
“I’m so excited,” Sarah said. “What should we do tonight?”
“I don’t know,” John replied. “But we can do anything we want.”
“Hmm,” she said seriously.
“Not getting any younger here,” he pressed. “How do you want to spend your first day?”
“No, never mind.” Sarah said, suddenly changing her mind.
As the reader, we can vaguely draw the conclusion that Sarah and John are excited for their first night, possibly on vacation, but that’s the extent of it. We don’t know where they are, what they’re doing, or even what they look like. Because of the lack of details, they’re like two floating heads in a void. To fix this, we can do four things:
Describe the setting. Where are they and what does it look like?
Use action beats, not tags. Instead of using the same “he said, she said,” we can incorporate action into the scene.
Show the characters. What do they look like?
Show their emotions. Are they sad, happy, or something in between? By using these four tools, we can recreate the scene above.
Let's take a look at that previous example again.
The moonlight shined brightly as Sarah stepped out of the busy airport. “I’m so excited,” she screamed quietly to her husband, her voice full of enthusiasm. “What should we do tonight?”
John sighed, his shoulders slumped slightly at his wife’s inexhaustive energy. “I don’t know,” he said, his eyes slightly drooping. “We can do anything you want.”
“Hmm.” She thought long and hard, her nose scrunching up in concentration.
John’s eyes twitched. “Not getting any younger here,” he joked, but couldn’t hide the agitation in his voice.
Sarah shot him a look, which he missed. “No, never mind,” she said suddenly, calling an Uber. “Let’s just go to the hotel and check in.”
BOOM. Setting. By adding details of the character and world, we now understand that Sarah and John have just exited the airport, possibly for vacation. Sarah is excited about their trip and wants to do something that very night, but John is exhausted from travel, and possibly by his wife. We see visual cues when John’s shoulders slump slightly at his wife’s energy, and we also see Sarah’s reaction to his lack of energy when she shoots him a look. Now, there’s a story around the dialogue that’s more vivid and relatable.
“When we tune in to an especially human way of viewing the landscape powerfully, it resonates with an audience.” – Galen Rowell
Writing Scenery as a Character
Like any character, we need to know what role the setting plays in your book. Every story is different. Is it there just to be the backdrop? A landscape to paint a pretty picture? That’s perfectly fine. Not every book focuses on the landscape.
However, you can choose to have it as a side character of sorts, where your main character uses the landscape to their advantage over an enemy. Or, hey, maybe the landscape itself is the enemy. Maybe it’s the very thing holding your character back from reaching their goal.
It can even be a reflection of your main character’s emotional state. The setting, like the weather, can reflect their emotions. When the protagonist is in danger, the scene might be stormy, showing the turbulent feelings they’re experiencing within. But it could also be sunny, showing the calm and happy state of their heart. Of course, this type of approach could easily become cliché, but used wisely, it could be a powerful tool.
Some well-known examples of character-esque settings include: Hogwarts (Harry Potter), the Overlook Hotel (The Shining), and the Park’s house (Parasite). The former is not just a physical location, but an environment that shapes the characters’ motivations and actions. Sometimes, it helps the characters, like the Room of Requirement, but other times, it impedes or even harms them, like the Whomping Willow. In The Shining, the Overlook Hotel exhibits its own desire for violence, even murder, by reshaping the architecture in its own favor. And the Park’s house in Parasite is not only a symbol for wealth and social class, but a character with hidden secrets like the underground bunker housing a stranger.
Just like with people, the scenery can play any role you want it to, you just need to decide what that is and know how to execute it.
“One of the biggest mistakes writers make in developing their story is neglecting the importance of setting. Character, plot, and dialogue are all essential to story progression; however, so is setting. It serves a purpose far beyond a backdrop for the action. Setting can frame mood, meaning, and thematic connotations.” – Haley Newlin
Sensory Details - The Five Senses
Now you know what role your scenery plays, but how exactly should you go about describing it? This is where the five senses come into play. Because “I saw a tree, a barn, and cow” is a little bland and doesn’t exactly set the mood. But “I saw the grand oak tree burn fiercely, billowing smoke across the lush pasture and barn, as the cow ran away” sets the mood and describes the scene.
Generally speaking, people have five senses: hearing, smell, taste, touch, and sight, to interact with the world around them. So, the job of a good writer utilizes those senses to make the reading experience come alive. Below are the five senses using the example above.
Sight
The red flames clenched the root of the tree and quickly spread across all its branches.
Smell
The scent of burning oak filled the air.
Taste
The smoke was so thick, I could taste the ashes in my mouth.
Touch
I gripped my denim overalls, unable to move, as the fire slowly surrounded me.
Hear
Ambulance sirens grew louder as I stood motionless, waiting for the fire to consume me.
Let the readers live vicariously through your characters. They want to leave the real world behind for a little while and experience a new one. Most writers focus on the sights of a scene, which is important, yes, but there’s more to the world around us than that. Illustrating further with the barn example, if you see a cow, maybe mention the smell, that mix of grass, manure, and “barnyard funk.”
If your character is walking along a gravel pathway, does it crunch under their shoes? If they’re not wearing shoes, how does the gravel feel under their feet? Is it hot under the sun? Are they used to walking barefoot, or is the gravel irritating them? Give us some personality.
“Writing that is only about a time is not literature, it is history. If it is only about a place, it is geography. Literature is about neither; it is about people and all of the wide range of joys and troubles that people tumble into.” – Ron Rozelle
Conclusion
Setting is incredibly important. That’s the key takeaway from this blog. Whether you’re a student writing an academic essay or a fantasy writer searching for the right audience, using descriptive imagery will engage your audience, captivating them until the last word. So, do it. Write well, and write descriptively. And if you ever need help again, this resource is here, as well as others to help you on your writing journey.
Resources
Writing Dialogue: 4 Ways to Avoid Floating Head Syndrome! – Author Bryn Donovan explains "Floating Head Syndrome" and how to combat it.
Setting – On LitCharts, we get an overview of what setting is and how it's used across media.
Ha Min Jun is the newest junior editor at A.E. Williams Editorial. He’s currently pursuing writing and editing because of the undeniable lure of good stories. As an aspiring writer himself, he hopes to help others achieve perfection in their craft.
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