Seminar 1/11/12: Geographical Voice

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Category: Blog

Written by Megan

Setting is a fundamental aspect of literature, especially narrative prose (though setting is not limited strictly to prose - think of the poetry of the Romantics).  How is possible to describe events if they don't have a place to occur?

It is this place that concerns tonight.  Even within a given state, people from different areas react differently.  Think about how someone from the south orders a soft drink, and then think about the rest of the country.  If that same Southerner were to order a "Coke" in say South Dokata (or just about anywhere outside of the Southern United States), the individual would get a specific brand of cola.  In the south, this person would then be asked "What kind of Coke?"  Conversely, someone traveling to the South who was asked "What kind of Coke?" would be confused:  he or she would expect the brand, not an offer of a range of soft drinks.

This brings me to my point:  setting is created not just by the surroundings of a character, but also the culture of those surroundings.  How does the character (or speaker?) react?  And the others around the character?  In the Coke/soda example above, the differences for the travellers create tension.

Give this a bit of practice. Define the setting of your work in progress not just through the surroundings, but also through the culture - through the actions, reactions, and expectations of your characters (or speakers).  What specifics about your setting might someone take for granted but are different?  Can you explain them quickly?  Or are they complicated?  What do the differences add to the story?  How do the characters deal with these nuances of life?  What do your characters take for granted.

Now go write!