I am doing a course on how to be a writer, and I have decided to share with you through my publications, the knowledge I am acquiring. This way we can learn together.
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This time we will talk about the place where the narration takes place, that is, the physical space where the action of the story takes place. Perhaps we often wonder how to choose a place? When thinking about the places that will appear in the narrative, we must take into account what will happen there, who will be the characters and above all, in what era the events will be located, since it has to be consistent with all the elements. In that sense, knowing the relationship of our characters with their environment will help us to make our story more credible.
That is why we must think about where they were born and where they will live, even if we do not even mention it in the final text. The physical space has to emphasize in some way the situation of what is being told. This is achieved either by emphasizing the action, or by contrasting with it. For example, if you are telling the story of a character's loneliness, you can place the character in a space that affects what is being told, such as a gray or melancholy place, or you can have it take place in a place that contrasts with the action, such as a crowded party.
Also, when yours truly is writing a novel set in Pasadena California, USA, he went about getting a map to locate the streets of that city, to place his characters there. Of course, you can create your own place, as with superheroes. Metropolis City is an invention of Batman's creator, and you can place it wherever you like. Remember that you are the maker of that world. For example, Harry Potter, I use a school set in a fantastic time and place, accessible only by magic.
But, whether it is a magical or real place, you must give it all the support necessary to create this world of yours. For this reason, the places in which a narrative develops can be of many kinds: exterior, real, imaginary, magical. We will choose one or the other according to the theme and the type of story we are going to tell.
These places can be:
- Real place: placing the action in a real place and known to us makes it easier for our story to be coherent. I recommend you to make a list of the places you know with a brief description for when you need a suitable environment.
- Non-real places: A technique to imagine a non-existent but plausible place is to merge several places you know to create an invented one.
- There are even enclosed places: A train car, a hospital waiting room, an elevator.
- There are also open spaces: the top of a mountain, a crowded street, a desert, a beach, a forest.
On the other hand, the places that appear in a story can have invented or real names, they can be generic and have no concrete names (such as the beach, the forest or a city without determining which one), invented names can be chosen at random or they can symbolize something. Keep in mind that if you can get the reader to identify with your text by recognizing the places it would be better, the excess of names usually makes a piece of writing heavy. For the description of a place to be effective, you must detail everything the reader needs to understand the story, neither more nor less elements, and avoid paragraphs that are too long.
To conclude, it is convenient to emphasize that the places that appear in a narration must be essential, if not, it is better not to mention them. That is to say, you should describe only those that have to appear for a reason. It is advisable not to add details that seem nice, but are not necessary. Remember that your story does not have to include everything you know about that place, although knowing in depth the physical spaces of your stories will help you to describe it better. In fact, space is made up of the narrator's references.
What place would you like for your story?
Dear readers, your opinions are very valuable to me, I will be very attentive to your comments. Thank you for investing your valuable time reading my post, best regards.
Disclaimer: I would like to let you know that English is not my mother tongue, I may even make some mistakes in the elaboration of sentences in my posts. Feel free to correct me attentively. It will help me in my learning process.
Articles related to writing a Novel:
Types of narrators in a story.
The different styles of dialogue in a story.
The parts that constitute a narrative description.
The characters allow us to know the story.
How to achieve a good ending in your stories.
Planning allows you to organize your ideas.
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