tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32292343.post5799824342930986142..comments2024-02-14T07:03:03.048-06:00Comments on Cynthia Reese: Don't settle when it comes to settingCynthia Reesehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13128418037470085123noreply@blogger.comBlogger18125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32292343.post-64071431727405879392010-06-28T09:34:30.523-05:002010-06-28T09:34:30.523-05:00THIS is great!THIS is great!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32292343.post-88182680500555273992010-06-24T09:24:18.973-05:002010-06-24T09:24:18.973-05:00great post! My problem with setting is that someti...great post! My problem with setting is that sometimes I get so into describing the scene, personifying the background that I can go on and on and on. Yes, I over-share. It's a disease, really. Don't worry. I'm on medication for it and going to the occasional meeting. :)Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13612218172442721987noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32292343.post-21829300438728439202010-06-24T08:59:44.418-05:002010-06-24T08:59:44.418-05:00Great post Cynthia!
I too struggle with conveying...Great post Cynthia!<br /><br />I too struggle with conveying setting and you give some great tips here that I'm going to keep in mind.Sara Besthttp://www.bestofsara.blogspot.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32292343.post-28760617918355641732010-06-24T08:00:56.629-05:002010-06-24T08:00:56.629-05:00Julie, I think your idea of the notebook is great!...Julie, I think your idea of the notebook is great! There are so many times that I think, "Oh, yeah, I'll remember that sight/sound/smell/feel," and then ... of course I don't.<br /><br />But knowing me? I'd lose the notebook!Cynthia Reesehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13128418037470085123noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32292343.post-77510152545844417692010-06-24T07:32:19.030-05:002010-06-24T07:32:19.030-05:00Jamie D, I'm with you on the mumbling, "A...Jamie D, I'm with you on the mumbling, "AAARGH, they're in the living room, isn't that enough?!"<br /><br />Linda G, guess that means we're both drama queens?? Okay, I'll be the princess, and you get to be the queen, how about it?<br /><br />Kelley, I'm with you -- one of the hardest books I had to write was set partly in Oregon, and if it hadn't been for Tawna Fenske and some friends of hers, I would have been hopelessly lost. I sort of assume the whole WORLD is flat, yanno?<br /><br />Mia, I do house plans, too! Er, that's not geeky, is it?<br /><br />LR, that authenticity is so important -- and you're right. It's the keeper detail that makes people know you've been there.<br /><br />Sandy Shin, I look at sci-fi and fantasy and I just am amazed at all the world building writers have to do. They have to DESCRIBE weird things so they seem commonplace. There are no hooks in the reader's brain to hang some concepts ... amazing!<br /><br />Susan, too funny on the ancient flowers and lovely architecture!<br /><br />Mary -- you're welcome! But your blog is a treasure trove of reminders that are just as great, if not better!<br /><br />Jayne, I know -- it's all about that mythical critter balance, isn't it?? Blast that critter!Cynthia Reesehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13128418037470085123noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32292343.post-68229480783524739022010-06-24T04:46:32.125-05:002010-06-24T04:46:32.125-05:00AGH that tree!!!
I am a big fan of settings - it...AGH that tree!!! <br /><br />I am a big fan of settings - it is important to know where characters are, although I don't like to over-kill with description. :)Jaynehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11309191526500602452noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32292343.post-61217520054048540382010-06-23T20:12:44.528-05:002010-06-23T20:12:44.528-05:00I keep a notebook with me and jot down setting not...I keep a notebook with me and jot down setting notes. I file them in a setting notebook to refer to later. That way I get the sight, sound and smells all on paper!Julie Musilhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02150454913885915017noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32292343.post-79031346101891235512010-06-23T17:58:12.352-05:002010-06-23T17:58:12.352-05:00Thanks for the great reminders.Thanks for the great reminders.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13267066733031149882noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32292343.post-7942747670958872162010-06-23T17:43:50.183-05:002010-06-23T17:43:50.183-05:00I remember reading books that had miles of descrip...I remember reading books that had miles of description about ancient flowers and lovely architecture. Or ancient architecture and lovely flowers. Obviously, it didn't stick. :)<br /><br />Weaving it in, I find, comes most naturally when I have a strong feel for the setting before I even put pen to paper (or fingers to keys). Sometimes it doesn't happen that way, and I have to do a little immersive setting imagining during the edits. Otherwise I'm totally in the white room! :)Susan Kaye Quinnhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07348197999397141067noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32292343.post-74172857305094460802010-06-23T16:48:35.512-05:002010-06-23T16:48:35.512-05:00Thank you for all these advice. I tend to overlook...Thank you for all these advice. I tend to overlook setting, even when I'm writing fantasy/sci-fi. These are very helpful -- I'm definitely keeping them in mind in the future. :)Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32292343.post-32959977869730316322010-06-23T16:30:49.930-05:002010-06-23T16:30:49.930-05:00I liked this post a lot.
Setting is important to...I liked this post a lot. <br /><br />Setting is important to me in what I read and what I write. To capture a location, I try to go there myself (that's important) and try to notice something that I could only have noticed by actually being there (a smell, a detail). Setting shouldn't include details that could be just anywhere. Be specific. What sets this place apart?LRhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16839870925431989156noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32292343.post-31025910781709118952010-06-23T14:34:14.418-05:002010-06-23T14:34:14.418-05:00Thank you so much for this post! I suck at descrip...Thank you so much for this post! I suck at description and setting. Give me dialogue to write, any day. I don't describe setting much in the first draft, because I think the setting should fit the story/character/scene, and I usually can't figure that out until the ending. <br /><br />My first book? Oh. The. Horror. First I set it in California. Then I switched it to Tennessee. Oh, wait, then it was in Indiana... so there's another reason I wait to establish the setting until the second draft/rewrites ;)<br /><br />I recently did something kind of geeky for my book, but it helped me. See, I had my villain breaking into my MC's house, and she was hiding in the shadows. But then I couldn't figure out where the back door was, and how could he be in the living room so fast? So I drew a detailed floor plan for my MC's house. Geeky, yes. Also a lifesaver for this girl, though ;)Miahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06847210876356844336noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32292343.post-83187551198898115152010-06-23T12:51:35.653-05:002010-06-23T12:51:35.653-05:00For me it's staying inside settings that I kno...For me it's staying inside settings that I know personally. I use the southeast for my settings because no matter where I set them up at I can get there pretty quickly if I have to in order to do the research that needs to be done. I hope that as I progress and grow I will venture, even to areas I am unfamiliar with, but for now. I stay close to home.Kelly Breakeyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07170230808730463954noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32292343.post-16343586471753808552010-06-23T12:36:11.491-05:002010-06-23T12:36:11.491-05:00Like you, I'm all about the dialogue. Sometime...Like you, I'm all about the dialogue. Sometimes I wonder if I should try writing a screenplay. Still, it's fun to go back and add in the small touches that bring the setting to life.Linda G.https://www.blogger.com/profile/04576828490765434497noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32292343.post-78155370812871673902010-06-23T12:36:06.132-05:002010-06-23T12:36:06.132-05:00Ugh. Description is so not my thing. I'm getti...Ugh. Description is so not my thing. I'm getting better at it, but I have to constantly be mindful of the fact that I often consider "in the living room" a perfectly adequate description of where a conversation is taking place. I'm fine when it comes to adding in character description and actions...it's the big settings, like you say, that I suck at. <br /><br />Anymore as I'm writing I'm often mumbling to myself "where are they" and "what does the room look like" or something of the sort, just to remind myself to document the setting. I'm getting better, but it's definitely counter intuitive for me. ;-)Jamie D.https://www.blogger.com/profile/05486427517423813962noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32292343.post-32739628511879347782010-06-23T12:20:05.601-05:002010-06-23T12:20:05.601-05:00Why, thank you, Al! That makes two awards in a wee...Why, thank you, Al! That makes two awards in a week! Wow! Off to check it out!<br /><br />Prettyswirl, glad I could help you out ... it's so hard to write when I'm focused on IMPORTANT things, like, yanno, what the characters are saying ... who cares if they are hanging around, just two talking heads? Works for ESPN and CNN! ;-)Cynthia Reesehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13128418037470085123noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32292343.post-1964020580928597792010-06-23T11:52:19.331-05:002010-06-23T11:52:19.331-05:00I am TOTALLY guilty of white room syndrome. I writ...I am TOTALLY guilty of white room syndrome. I write lots of dialogue/action (lots of running and jumping and talking) and I need to figure out how to incorporate setting into that. Thanks for your post! Very helpful.prettyswirlhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15333157818937264964noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32292343.post-83409315932262271772010-06-23T06:50:50.551-05:002010-06-23T06:50:50.551-05:00I've got an award for you. Check it out at my ...I've got an award for you. Check it out at <a href="http://publish--or--perish.blogspot.com/2010/06/happiness.html" rel="nofollow">my blog</a><br /><br /><br />Al<br /><br /><a href="http://publish--or--perish.blogspot.com" rel="nofollow">Publish or Perish</a>Alhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15625543235578144620noreply@blogger.com