Setting the Scene
Setting the Scene
When setting the scene of a story, use descriptive words to describe the location, time, atmosphere, and details that will help your reader visualize where the story is taking place.
Primary Considerations for Setting the Scene:
LOCATION: Clearly define the setting of the story - including the physical environment. An example of location descriptions could be a noisy classroom, a crowded emergency room, or a quiet library.
TIME PERIOD: Specify the time frame that the story takes place. Is it a historical era, present day, or a futuristic setting?
WEATHER: To further enhance the setting, don’t forget to describe the weather. Is it raining, snowing, windy, or is the sun shining? Don’t forget to talk about the temperature, too.
ATMOSPHERE: Express the emotional time of the setting. Is it peaceful? Is it joyful? Is the atmosphere intense?
SENSORY DETAILS: Help the reader experience the story by describing what they might see, hear, smell, taste, or feel.
REMEMBER TO BALANCE THE DESCRIPTION WITH ACTION: Make sure to integrate your characters into their surroundings and describe how they interact with the details of the people, places, things, and events in this story. This includes putting on a jacket because they are cold or opening an umbrella to stay dry during a rainstorm.
