I promised to talk to you about my setting this week for "Swept to Sea".
Most of my novel takes place aboard Captain Caspian Archer's ship, Dawn's Mist. His ship is a square-rigged galley that is used for privateering. It can sail relatively fast for a ship of its size.
Dawn's Mist is one of Caspian's most prized possessions.
It affects the story in multiple ways. For one, it forces Caspian and Eden in a small space together during their voyage to the Caribbean. Eden always runs from any trouble she faces, but she cannot exactly do that on a ship when she is confined to such a small space. It also plays a huge part in a lot of the action in my storyline.
At the beginning of my novel, when I'm in Eden's point of view, I describe Caspian's ship darkly, because she is frightened by it.
However, at the beginning through Caspian's point of view, I describe his ship pleasantly, because he adores sailing.
You see how the setting affects the story? Do you think this sounds like an interesting setting?
The setting does sound interesting! It also sounds like a great way to get Eden to overcome her habit of running away from her problems (although I’m guessing she doesn’t feel like it’s a good thing!).
ReplyDeleteThanks, Cortney! That's what I was hoping for :)
DeleteYeah, that sounds like an interesting setting, and I like to see stories that look at the perspectives of different characters and have them see the world around them in very different ways.
ReplyDeleteStories tend to work best when setting is treated almost like another main character like that.
Thanks so much, Nathan!
DeleteI agree. I love it when the setting is described differently through different characters.
Yeah, that sounds like an interesting setting, and I like to see stories that look at the perspectives of different characters and have them see the world around them in very different ways.
ReplyDeleteStories tend to work best when setting is treated almost like another main character like that.
I really like that setting! You should definitely build more on that.
ReplyDelete-Cedar
Thanks Cedar! I'm really glad you stopped by today.
DeleteHeather, that's awesome! First of all, love the name of the ship :) But the part about describing it so differently from one's perspective and the other is really good. I am working on a novel and that is really helpful. I mean, you'd kind of think it's obvious, but I never actually thought about it.
ReplyDeleteThanks for stopping by, Sarah!
DeleteYeah, I hadn't really thought about it before until a recent draft that I was reading through and I went "woah, I just described that completely differently in the last scene!"
I guess that proves that you can learn how to write from reading and not just formal classes. :)