Writers Are Like Travel Agents

It is a dark and stormy night…oops, I think that line has been used, although it could turn dark and stormy for my characters anytime. Story settings—locale, weather, time, mood—all bring important elements to storytelling. In so many cases, writers overlook setting. 

Is the reader somewhere on earth, the moon, the afterlife, floating in the universe? Grounding the reader in the character’s surroundings enhances and supports the plot. Setting can even be a character when the story depends on it, such as Burnett’s The Secret Garden and even J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter series.

In my short story about unexpected heroics, a character travels several miles along the West Coast. The journey begins on a blistering hot Santa Ana day in a dreadful neighborhood where drugs and violent crimes are common. 

The second travel location takes place in sunny San Diego, a busy street sidewalk, rerouted for building construction. People walk obliviously around the noisy intersection with their earplugs connected to handheld devices. 

My character’s final stop is Sonoma Valley, wine country. Who wouldn’t want to include the beautiful hills and vineyards in their travel plans? My character is up for it, stopping to relax in a meadow of sweeping yellow flowers. A pleasant day. A beautiful spot for a moment of respite. 

Yes, my character gets around.

Although I’ve only visited one of these places in my own travel experiences, the Internet provides abundant information and pictures, even local slang and haunts. Visiting any place in the world with a touch of a button can help bring authenticity to a setting. For SciFi and fantasy genres, setting takes dedicated world building and imagination. I call them story architects.

Settings do not need to be elaborate or cover pages of a story, except for those genres just mentioned. In most situations, a simple phrase or sentence placed strategically accomplishes enough to ground readers. However, setting should always reflect something about the character.

Readers expect to be transported to new and exciting (or not so exciting) places. Writers are like travel agents. Give them an itinerary and take them there.