Whether you write fantasy or mystery, literary fiction or non-fiction, setting is an integral element of the narrative. A well detailed, believable setting makes the world within which the story or narrative is set come alive, compelling the reader to walk inside the pages, and inhabit the world of the writer alongside their characters. A setting can be real or imagined, and can draw on elements of culture, geography, history, environment, climate, economy, society – and much more. Harini Nagendra is an ecologist who has written seven award-winning non-fiction and fiction books. Her research analyzes why sense of place, and placemaking, are important for people to draw connections to the world around them. In this master class, we will use a few
classic books from a range of genres as case studies to look at how they build in setting and sense of place. We will analyze the techniques used by these writers to convey setting through rich description, bringing all senses alive without laying it on too thick, or coming across like a classroom textbook. Finally, we will also use a few exercises to help writers experiment with developing an integrated world with characters and community that derives from, and contributes to the setting and sense of place in which your work is situated.
