Writers in the Storm

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May 31, 2017

Enhancing Your Story Through Macro & Micro Setting Descriptions

Tasha Seegmiller

At a recent conference, I attended a class taught by Ally Condie where she went over the nuances of setting in story. As someone who strives to make my settings rich, and even feel like another character, it was something I was very interested in. While there were many concepts that she discussed that were valuable and should be integrated, the two that I have been thinking about for the longest are micro and macro settings.

When we are in the process of developing characters, we often weave in information about the big (jobs, family life, hobbies, appearances) and the small (likes, dislikes, moments of vulnerability, doubt, joy, satisfaction). By doing so, we are able to hone a deeper understanding of the characters and convey that depth to readers.

Dedicating the same amount of attention to setting can add another layer to the story and it doesn’t have to be done with pages of purple prose.

Macro:

This is the way that you get the reader settled in the world of the story. The attention needs to be focused on both the familiar and the unique. This needs to be done soon in the story in order to allow people who have never been there to become acquainted enough that transitions through the story DO NOT pull them from the plot to get settled again. If you are dealing with a real-world place, it also needs to have a few elements that allow those who have been there to identify with the setting correctly: humidity, sounds, travel methods, famous markers, etc. are all essential to success.

These are three books (by WITS contributors) who nail the macro setting. I have never been to any of the settings selected for these books, but within pages, I was immersed in the setting in a way that made it feel familiar. Even though I was reading in my home in southern Utah, I could get a sense of the horses in The Distance Home, longed for the southern atmosphere present in The River Witch, could feel the familiarity and isolation of a small town in The Far End of Happy.

Orly Konig Kimberly Brock Kathryn Craft

Micro:

This is where you make the setting personal to the character(s). This is your opportunity as a writer to really pull the reader into the world you have created. By utilizing quality micro descriptions in the storytelling, you can begin to evoke an emotional connection between the character, setting and reader. Whether it be the smell of horses that welcomes someone to an unexpected home, the songs of the river, the people, and memories that solidify the need to heal, or an old house with so much potential that mirrors the relationship and lives now in peril, dropping in little bits of detail will enhance the readers ability to relate to the character.

How to Create Macro and Micro Settings:

There is a great temptation when it comes to any kind of description so simply tell what it looks like, but that would be seriously handicapping the potential of the setting to feel real. In order to accomplish this appropriately, we, as writers, need to really pay attention to the way that we, and people around us, engage with their setting. Orly Konig has written about how to write with all your senses, and that's a great place for us to start.

Consider the place in your hometown where you can go to see people who you know - is it a bar? a restaurant? a local activity? While there, what would you see and feel? Is the weather warm? Humid? Just breezy enough to need a jacket?

Now consider someone, like me, who may have never been there. If you like this place, how would you convey the sense of pride that comes with it? How would you let me know about the things that can sometimes make this place less than desirable? What tips and tricks would you share about negotiating the setting, the people, who to watch for, who to avoid? Are there cultural nuances that you love? Hate? Is it different for you because you are a "homegrown product" of the area? How about a newbie?

Through honing our awareness of the grandeur and subtlety of our own setting, we can become better prepared to convey the same in our story, adding a depth to our craft that will enhance the experience for readers even more.

What stories have you read that enveloped you in the setting? What tips do you have for others trying to create that just right atmosphere?

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About Tasha

Tasha Headshot ColorTasha Seegmiller is a mom to three kids and coordinator of the project-based learning center (EDGE) at Southern Utah University. She writes contemporary women’s fiction with a hint of magic, and thrives on Diet Coke, chocolate and cinnamon bears. She is a co-founder and the managing editor for the Thinking Through Our Fingers blog as well as a board member for the Women's Fiction Writers Association. Tasha is represented by Annelise Robey of the Jane Rotrosen Agency.

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14 comments on “Enhancing Your Story Through Macro & Micro Setting Descriptions”

  1. Having spent over 30 years in Florida, any book set in the south (except in February) that doesn't convey the heat and humidity loses me. If the characters aren't sweating, it's NOT Florida. Or a book set in Los Angeles that doesn't mention the traffic.
    At a conference, someone said that transplants do a better job with setting than natives. Now I live in the mountains of Colorado, and as a newcomer, I'm even more attentive to details, since the setting is so different, and I don't take anything for granted.
    JD Robb's In Death books capture the New York in 2060 setting (and she can't get it 'wrong' since it hasn't happened yet.) Michael Connelly and Robert Crais take me back to my home town of LA.

    1. I'm getting my first chance to experience Florida at the end of September. I'm hoping the humidity is a little more bearable then, but having been in the south in summer, I get hot just thinking about what you southerners deal with every year.

      The newcomer idea is very true.

      Thanks!

  2. My most poignant memories, Tasha, were gathered from the back roads of the west, from the pillion seat of a motorcycle. i think that's why i decided that my setting would always be in the west, though i came from back East. Great post, and even greater examples in the books you chose!

    1. The book I just finished outlining is going to be a sort of love letter to my area - the west is incredibly diverse (I'm slightly biased - I know).

      Thanks!

  3. I like the idea of describing our hometown or area where we grew up. The Mojave Desert with its hidden beauty combined with the stark landscape provides me with the challenge to use sensory perception to describe the experience and isolation of a small town not far from Death Valley so that a stranger can actually feel being there. A great way to exercise my creative muscle, and a very informative post.

    1. I'm a bit east of the Mojave in southern Utah, but you are right about the desert. It can seem very arid, but there is so much life to it. Good luck working those creative muscles!

  4. For some reason, I get captivated with the sounds of water - the tinkle of a fountain, the roar of a waterfall, the crash of the waves in the Pacific (and yes, the ocean sounds different on each coast). The nuances of sound and scent will nearly always pull me into an author's setting.

    1. Oh, water! That's a great way to work setting in. And I love smells of settings - most of the time 🙂

      Thanks!

  5. I love writing dialogue but struggle with descriptions and therefore setting. I want to thank you for giving me one more tool to help me describe my settings. Great post!!

    1. I'm happy that you found it useful! Good luck with your descriptions.

  6. What fun to see your name here, flip to your post, and see my book cover! Thanks for using The Far End of Happy as an example. I agree with Terry that it can be more difficult to establish setting in our backyards, because we see it every day and "assume" it is normal. There is no "normal" setting. Or a full setting, really, since we pick and choose the details that will add meaning to our stories. My debut, The Art of Falling, and Jennifer Weiner's Good in Bed are both set in Philadelphia, yet utilize completely different details. Not every story needs a Liberty Bell—and as a matter of fact, neither of ours used one. Love this topic!

  7. Anita Hughes has a great way of enhancing her stories to make you feel you could be there and know what's going on in the surroundings.

    denise

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