5-Minute Drill: Setting

Transcribed by Otter.ai; Lightly edited by Linda. Please forgive typos or grammar errors.

Episode 345 - Drill Setting

2:56

Linda 00:00

Welcome to Tart Words. I'm your host, Linda Hengerer. And I'm a writer, a reader, and a baker. I talk to writers about their latest book and what inspires them, chat with fellow author Suzanne Fox about what writers can learn from reading their favorite authors, and share fast and easy recipes for anyone looking for a sweet treat. Join me as I share Tart Bites, Tart Thoughts, and Tart Words. 

In this episode of Tart Words, Linda Hengerer talks about Setting and gives writers a 5-Minute Drill. 

Visuals will help, so I’ll use a movie as an example. 

Setting can enhance or detract from story, depending on how you use it. There’s a reason why slasher movies are set in the dark: because menace hides in the shadows.

In The Wizard of Oz, the beginning and ending of the movie are in black and white while the fantastical world of Oz is in color. 

When you think about Dorothy’s adventures in Oz, the threatening events take place in the turbulent storm, the dark forest, and the Wicked Witch of the West’s gloomy castle. 

Dorothy’s journey on the Yellow Brick Road takes her from light and colorful Munchkinland to the Emerald City. Her adventures ebb and flow from light to dark as she meets new friends (the Scarecrow, the Tin Man, and the Cowardly Lion), and they survive encounters with the Wicked Witch of the West or her minions in her attempts to steal the Ruby Slippers. 

5-Minute Drill: Setting

Think about your work in progress, or the genre you are or want to write in. 

Set a timer for five minutes. 

Write or type everything you can think of about your setting that enhances your story. Consider genre conventions or tropes, the tone of your story (for example, a rom-com will be lighter than a thriller), and how you want the reader to feel when they think about your story.

After the timer goes off, review what you wrote. 

• Does your setting fit your genre? 
• Does your setting convey the tone you want it to? 
• Does your setting give the reader the feeling you want it to?

After your initial draft, consider doing a revision pass for setting that includes these elements.

Thank you for joining me this week. To view the complete show notes and the links mentioned in today's episode, visit tartwords.com/tart345. Follow now in the app you're using to listen to this podcast or sign up for email alerts through an easy signup form for bakers, readers, and writers at tartwords.com/about. Thank you again for joining me, Linda Hengerer, for this episode of Tart Thoughts.