I decided to combine two of my favorite things, cupcakes and writing, and each Wednesday another cupcake flavor will be compared to an aspect of writing. Well, until I run out of flavors, or inspiration, whichever comes first. Bon appetit!
If you've missed any of the first five Cupcakes and Writing posts in the series, you can find them in the archive here.
Carrot: Incorporating the Setting
Carrot cake is my usual go-to, since it's the hubster's fave. But I must confess, I've never been one to peel and grate carrots and measure flour. Nope, I use the boxed stuff, add the required number of eggs and portion of water and vegetable oil, scoop into the cupcake wrappers, and pop them in the oven. Done!
Much like my methods, I've been known to take shortcuts with my writing. And one of the things I like to skip out on is the setting. Figuring it out, describing it, etc, the setting is usually one of the last things I incorporate in a manuscript. I care about the characters and the plot so much more and so that's where my focus goes.
But much as a carrot must live in the ground for it to grow and thrive, our characters need a place for their journeys to develop and for their personalities to thrive and develop. I can skip out on peeling carrots to make cupcakes my husband will appreciate, but I can't really skip out on developing my setting.
Once I realized the importance of setting, I began to see what you can do with it. It can become a symbol in the story, or seem to have a life of it's own like a character, or can help increase or decrease the tension in a scene. It's a powerful thing that is easy to overlook.
Now, while I still am not a fan of writers who describe the setting for pages and pages, or who start out their stories with scene description, I am a fan of writers who delicately interweave the setting into their stories. And I don't just mean writing about a location, but incorporating how it looks, smells, tastes, sounds, and feels. It's an art form I still am working on, but I recognize it's potential.
How do you fellow writers feel about describing setting? And what tips might you have for those who are struggling with incorporating it in their writing?
