Principles, Elements, Technique, and Devices in Creative Non-Fiction
Principles, Elements, Technique, and Devices in Creative Non-Fiction
1. Plot
Definition:
Plot is a literary term used to describe the events that make up a
story, or the main part of a story. These events relate to each other in a
pattern or a sequence. The structure of a novel depends on the
organization of events in the plot of the story.
Plot is known as the foundation of a novel or story, around which the characters and settings are built. It is meant to organize information and events in a logical manner. When writing the plot of a piece of literature, the author has to be careful that it does not dominate the other parts of the story.
Primary
Elements of a Plot
There are five main elements in a plot.
1.
Exposition or Introduction
This is the beginning of the story,
where characters and setting are
established. The conflict or
main problem is introduced as well.
Rising action which occurs when a
series of events build up to the conflict. The main characters are established
by the time the rising action of a plot occurs, and at the same time, events
begin to get complicated. It is during this part of a story that excitement,
tension, or crisis is encountered.
3.
Climax
In the climax, or the main point of the
plot, there is a turning point of the story. This is meant to be the moment of
highest interest and emotion, leaving the reader wondering what is going to
happen next.
Falling action, or the winding up of
the story, occurs when events and complications begin to resolve. The result of
the actions of the main characters are put forward.
5.
Resolution
Resolution, or the conclusion, is the end of
a story, which may occur with either a happy or a tragic ending.
Example #1: Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone (By J. K.
Rowling)
Among the examples of plot in modern
literature, Harry Potter and
the Sorcerer’s Stone is probably the most familiar to both
readers and moviegoers. The plot of the story begins when Harry learns that
Professor Snape is after the Sorcerer’s Stone. The Professor lets loose a
troll, who nearly kills Harry and his friends. In addition, Harry finds out
that Hagrid let out the secret of the giant dog to a stranger in return for a
dragon, which means that Snape can now reach the Sorcerer’s Stone.
Example #2: Pride and Prejudice (By Jane Austen)
A very good plot example in romantic fiction appears in
the book Pride and
Prejudice by Jane Austen. The plot of the story begins when
Lizzie’s sister, Jane, falls in love with Darcy’s friend named Mr. Bingley.
Lizzie develops and interest in Mr. Wickham, who accuses Darcy of destroying
him financially.
When Lizzie goes to meet her friend,
she runs into Mr. Darcy, who proposes, and Lizzie rejects. She then writes him
a letter telling him why she dislikes him. He writes back, clearing up all misunderstandings
and accusations. Jane runs away with Mr. Wickham, and Lizzie realizes that Mr.
Darcy is not as bad a man as she had thought him to be.
2. Characters
Definition
A character is a person, animal, being, creature,
or thing in a story. Writers use characters to perform the actions and speak dialogue, moving the story along a plot line. A story can have only one character (protagonist) and
still be a complete story. This character’s conflict may be an inner one
(within him/herself), or a conflict with something natural, such as climbing a
mountain. Most stories have multiple characters interacting, with one of them
as the antagonist, causing a conflict for the protagonist.
A. Major Characters
A major character is an
important figure at the center of the story's action or theme. The major character is sometimes
called a protagonist whose conflict with an antagonist may spark the story's
conflict.
B. The Protagonist
A protagonist is the central character or leading
figure in poetry, narrative, novel or any other
story. A protagonist is sometimes a “hero”
to the audience or readers.
The word originally came from the Greek language, and in Greek drama it refers to
the person who led the chorus. Later on, the word started being used as a term
for the first actor in order of performance.
Iago in Shakespeare’s Othello could be identified as the protagonist of the novel because he played a central role in all the controversies of the play. The question here would be that, even though he was a central character, was he really the lead character too? This type of indistinctness generally results in completely different interpretations of whether the said character is a protagonist or not.
C. Minor Characters
A minor character is a character who has a
name and does stuff that contributes to the plot, but they aren't the main characters. ... She has her
stuff to do, a name and personality, but the plot does
not resolve around her the whole time.
Foil – A foil is a character that
has opposite character traits from another, meant to help highlight or bring
out another’s positive or negative side. Many times, the antagonist is the foil
for the protagonist.
Static
–
Characters who are static do not change throughout the story. Their use may
simply be to create or relieve tension, or they were not meant to change. A
major character can remain static through the whole story.
Dynamic
–
Dynamic characters change throughout the story. They may learn a lesson, become
bad, or change in complex ways.Flat – A
flat character has one or two main traits, usually only all positive or
negative. They are the opposite of a round character. The flaw or strength has
its use in the story.
Round
–
These are the opposite of the flat character. These characters have many
different traits, good and bad, making them more interesting.
Stock
–
These are the stereotypical characters, such as the boy genius, ambitious
career person, faithful sidekick, mad scientist, etc.
Extras
- Just as a movie needs hundreds of extra characters for the crowd scenes,
so too do novels.
If
your character eats in a restaurant or walks down the street and there is no
mention of the people around them, the scene will lack realism.
The
good news is that extras in novels aren’t really characters at all, more a part
of the setting.
They’re unlikely to speak or even be named, and if they are singled out at all,
they don’t need to be characterized so much as “labelled”…
C. Characterization
Definition
- Characterization is a literary device that is used step-by-step in
literature to highlight and explain the details about a character in a story.
It is in the initial stage in which the writer introduces the character with
noticeable emergence. After introducing the character, the writer often talks
about his behavior; then, as the story progresses, the thought-processes of the
character.
The next stage involves the character expressing his opinions and ideas, and getting into conversations with the rest of the characters. The final part shows how others in the story respond to the character’s personality.
Characterization as a literary tool was
coined in the mid 15th century. Aristotle in his Poetics argued that “tragedy is a
representation, not of men, but of action and life.” Thus the assertion of the
dominance of plot over characters,
termed “plot-driven narrative,”
is unmistakable. This point of view was
later abandoned by many because, in the 19th century, the dominance of
character over plot became clear through petty bourgeois novels.
Types
of Characterization
An author can use two approaches to
deliver information about a character and build an image of it. These two types
of characterization include:
1.
Direct or explicit characterization
This kind of characterization takes a
direct approach towards building the character. It uses another character,
narrator, or the protagonist himself
to tell the readers or audience about
the subject.
2.
Indirect or implicit characterization
This is a more subtle way of
introducing the character to the audience. The audience has to deduce for
themselves the characteristics of the character by observing his/her thought
process, behavior, speech, way of talking, appearance, and manner of communication
with other characters, as well as by discerning the response of other
characters.
Examples
of Characterization in Literature
Example #1: The Great Gatsby (By F. Scott Fitzgerald)
There are many examples of
characterization in literature. The Great Gatsby, is probably the best. In this particular
book, the main idea revolves
around the social status of each character. The major character of the book,
Mr. Gatsby, is perceptibly rich, but he does not belong to the upper stratum of
society. This means that he cannot have Daisy. Tom is essentially defined by
his wealth and the abusive nature that he portrays every now and then, while
Daisy is explained by Gatsby as having a voice “full of
money.”
Another technique to highlight the
qualities of a character is to put them in certain areas that are symbolic of a
social status. In the novel,
Gatsby resides in the West Egg, which is considered less trendy than East Egg,
where Daisy lives. This difference points out the gap between Jay’s and Daisy’s
social statuses. Moreover, you might also notice that Tom, Jordan, and Daisy
live in East Egg while Gatsby and Nick reside in West Egg, which again
highlights the difference in their financial background. This division is
reinforced at the end of the novel when Nick supports Gatsby against the rest
of the folk.
Occupations have also been used very
tactfully in the novel to highlight characteristics of certain protagonists.
The prime example is Gatsby who, despite being so rich, is known by his
profession: bootlegging. He had an illegal job that earned him a fortune, but
failed to get him into the upper class of New York society. In contrast, Nick has a clean
and fair job of a “bond man” that defines his character. The poor guy Wilson,
who fixes rich people’s cars, befriends his wife; and then there is Jordon, who
is presented as a dishonest golf pro.
D. Point of View
Definition
- Point of view is the angle of considering things, which shows us the
opinion or feelings of the individuals involved in a situation. In literature,
point of view is the mode of narration that an author employs to let the
readers “hear” and “see” what takes place in a story, poem, or essay.
Point of view is a reflection of the opinion an individual from real life or fiction has. Examples of point of view belong to one of these three major kinds:
1.
First person point of view involves the use of either of the two pronouns “I”
or “we.”
- “I felt like I was
getting drowned with shame and disgrace.”
2.
Second person point of view employs the pronoun “you.”
- “Sometimes you cannot clearly
discern between anger and frustration.”
3.
Third person point of view uses pronouns like “he,” “she,” “it,” “they,” or a
name.
- “ Stewart is a principled
man. He acts by the book and never lets you deceive him easily.”
Examples of Point of View
Example #1: Hamlet (By William Shakespeare)
Hamlet, the protagonist,
explains the feeling of melancholy that afflicts him after his father’s death:
“I have of late, — but wherefore I know not, — lost all my mirth, forgone all
custom of exercises; and indeed, it goes so heavily with my disposition that
this goodly frame, the earth, seems to me a sterile promontory.”
This is one of the best first-person
point of view examples in literature. The use of first-person point of view
gives us a glimpse into the real inner feelings of frustration of the character.
The writer has utilized the first-person point of view to expose Hamlet’s feelings
in a detailed way.
Example #2: Daffodils (By William Wordsworth)
“I gazed – and gazed – but little thought
What wealth the show to me had brought.”
What wealth the show to me had brought.”
Notice how William Wordsworth uses the
first-person point of view to express his subjective feelings
about the scene of daffodils in his famous poem.
The use of the pronoun “I” gives a special quality to the feelings expressed in
these lines. The reader can see that the poet has employed first-person point
of view to share with us his own personal emotions.
E. Angle
Definition
- The angle is the point or theme of a news or feature story, which is most often
found in the lede of the article. It's the lens through which the writer
filters the information he or she has gathered. There may be several different
angles to a single news event.
For instance, if a new law is passed, angles might include the cost of
implementing the law and where the money will come from, the legislators who
authored and pushed for the law, and the people most closely affected by the
law. While each one of these could be included in the main story, each one also
lends itself to a separate story.
Types of
Story Angles
Both news and feature stories can
have different angles. A few examples include the local angle, the national
angle, and the follow-up story.
- Local angle: Sometimes reporters are asked to "localize a story." You can
have a national news story, like hurricane ravaging shorelines across the
East Coast. But a news outlet in Florida would focus specifically on the
area where its readers/viewers are located.
- National angle: This approach is taken for major
stories, trend pieces, and issues that affect the country as a whole. An
example would be how President Barack Obama's Affordable Care Act affected
Americans of different socioeconomic groups.
- Follow-up story: After a breaking news story hits the Internet and newspapers, reporters will often write a follow-up story where the lede focuses on the new information. Using the inverted pyramid style of writing—where the most relevant information is at the top of the story—a follow-up article gives readers new details followed by the background that is found in the initial story.
F. Setting and Atmosphere
Definition
- A literary technique, atmosphere is a type of feeling
that readers get from a narrative, based on details
such as setting, background, objects, and foreshadowing. A mood can serve as a vehicle for establishing atmosphere. In
literary works, atmosphere refers to emotions or feelings an author conveys to
his readers through description of objects and settings, such as in J. K.
Rowling’s Harry Potter tales, in which she spins a whimsical and enthralling
atmosphere. Bear in mind that atmosphere may vary throughout a literary piece.
The setting of a novel can be an important element and
can be closely related to the development of the plot. Setting can be much more
than a simple ‘backdrop’ against which the action takes place and often can be
closely bound up with the characters themselves. For example, in Jane Austen’s
novel, Emma, the action is set in Highbury which is described as ‘a large and
populous village almost amounting to a town’. The main storyline of the novel
concerns the social status of the various families in Highbury. Although Austen
gives little description of the setting, because her main focus is on the
social interaction between the various characters, she does occasionally give a
glimpse of the surroundings. In this short extract, for example, she gives us
the description of the grounds of Donwell Abbey, the home of Mr Knightley.
Types
of Setting
There are two main types of setting:
Backdrop
Setting
Backdrop setting emerges when it is not
important for a story, and it could happen in any setting. For instance, A. A.
Milne’s story Winnie-the-Pooh could
take place in any type of setting.
Integral
Setting
It is when the place and time
influences the theme, character, and action of a
story. This type of setting controls the characters. By confining a certain
character to a particular setting, the writer defines the character. Beatrix
Potter’s short story The Tail of Peter
Rabbit is an example of integral setting, in which the
behavior of Peter becomes an integral part of the setting. Another good example
of this type of setting can be seen in E. B. White’s novel Charlotte’s Web.
Examples
of Setting in Literature
Example #1: Wuthering Heights (By
Emily Bronte)
In Emily Bronte’s novel Wuthering Heights, its setting plays a vital role, as it reflects the mood of major characters and their actions, while contributing to its overall atmosphere. The novel has three main settings:
1.
The Moors
2.
Wuthering Heights
3.
Thrushcross Grange
The Moors symbolize wilderness and
freedom, as nobody owns them, and everyone can freely move about anytime.
Wuthering Heights depicts weather around this house, which is stormy and
gloomy. The characters are cruel and extremely passionate. Thrushcross Grange,
on the other hand, is contrary to Wuthering Heights because its weather is
calm, while its inhabitants are dull and weak.
Example #2: The Passionate Shepherd to His Love (By Christopher
Marlowe)
Christopher Marlowe’s poem The Passionate Shepherd to His
Love is set in the countryside in the springtime. The
springtime has a double purpose, as it refers to baby animals and budding flowers, and the fifth month of the
year. Then the month of May sets the scene as well as emphasizes fertility and
new life linked with springtime. Thus, the poet has idealized the image of
rural life in the background of his personal emotions, while time is stationary
in the poem.
Examples
of Atmosphere in Literature
Example #1: An Unspoken Hunger (By
Terry Tempest Williams)
“It is
an unspoken hunger we deflect with knives – one avocado between us, cut neatly
in half, twisted then separated from the large wooden pit. With the green
fleshy boats in hand, we slice vertical strips from one end to the other.
Vegetable planks. We smother the avocado with salsa, hot chiles at noon in the
desert. We look at each other and smile, eating avocados with sharp silver
blades, risking the blood of our tongues repeatedly.”
Here, Williams creates a dangerous
atmosphere, where she presents the hazards of knives and avocados. In fact,
when an author tries to establish atmosphere by using objects, these objects
represent unspoken reality. Besides, appearance of two characters also adds to
a sexually charged atmosphere.
Example #2: The Vision (By Dean Koontz)
“The
woman raised her hands and stared at them; stared through them.
Her voice was soft but tense. ‘Blood on his hands.’ Her own hands were clean and pale.”
Her voice was soft but tense. ‘Blood on his hands.’ Her own hands were clean and pale.”
When we read these lines, they
immediately bring to our mind an emotional response, and draw our attention.
This is exactly what atmosphere does in a literary work.
G. Symbols and Symbolism
Definition
- Symbolism is the use of symbols to signify ideas and qualities, by
giving them symbolic meanings that are different from their literal sense.
Symbolism can take different forms. Generally, it is an object representing another, to give an entirely different meaning that is much deeper and more significant. Sometimes, however, an action, an event or a word spoken by someone may have a symbolic value. For instance, “smile” is a symbol of friendship. Similarly, the action of someone smiling at you may stand as a symbol of the feeling of affection which that person has for you.
Symbols do shift their meanings
depending on the context they
are used in. “A chain,” for example, may stand for “union” as well as
“imprisonment”. Thus, symbolic meaning of an object or an action is understood
by when, where, and how it is used. It also depends on who reads the work.
Symbols don’t
have to be the kind of things you only find on keyboards. A tree
might symbolize nature. Einstein symbolizes genius in our culture. Anything can
be a symbol, if we make it one. In literature, symbols are often characters, settings,
images, or other motifs that
stand in for bigger ideas. Authors often use symbols (or “symbolism”) to
give their work with more meaning and to make a story be
about more than the events it describes. This is one of the most basic and
widespread of all literary techniques.
Examples
of Symbolism in Literature
To develop symbolism in his work, a
writer utilizes other figures of speech, like metaphors, similes, and allegory,
as tools. Some symbolism examples in literature are listed below with brief
analysis:
Example #1: As you Like It (By William Shakespeare)
“All
the world’s a stage,
And all the men and women merely players;
they have their exits and their entrances;
And one man in his time plays many parts,”
And all the men and women merely players;
they have their exits and their entrances;
And one man in his time plays many parts,”
These lines are symbolic of the fact
that men and women, in the course of their lives, perform different roles. “A
stage” here symbolizes the world, and “players” is a symbol for human beings.
Example #2: Ah Sunflower (By William Blake)
William Blake goes symbolic in his poem Ah Sunflower.
He says:
“Ah
Sunflower, weary of time,
Who countest the steps of the sun;
Seeking after that sweet golden clime
Where the traveler’s journey is done;”
Who countest the steps of the sun;
Seeking after that sweet golden clime
Where the traveler’s journey is done;”
Blake uses a sunflower as a symbol for
human beings, and “the sun” symbolizes life. Therefore, these lines
symbolically refer to their life cycle and their yearning for a never-ending
life.
H. Irony
Definition
- Irony is a figure of speech in which words are used in such a way that their
intended meaning is different from the actual meaning of the words. It may also
be a situation that ends up in quite a different way than what is generally
anticipated. In simple words, it is a difference between appearance and reality.
Types
of Irony
On the grounds of the above definition,
we distinguish two basic types of irony: (1) verbal irony, and (2) situational irony. Verbal
irony involves what one does not mean. For example, when in response to a
foolish idea, we say, “What a great idea!” This is verbal irony. Situational
irony occurs when, for instance, a man is chuckling at the misfortune of
another, even when the same misfortune is, unbeknownst to him, befalling him.
Irony
Examples in Literature
Example #1: Romeo and Juliet (By William Shakespeare)
We come across the following lines in
Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet,
Act I, Scene V:
“Go ask his name: if he
be married.
My grave is like to be my wedding bed.”
My grave is like to be my wedding bed.”
Juliet commands her nurse to find out
who Romeo was, and says if he were married, then her wedding bed would be her
grave. It is a verbal irony because the audience knows that she is going to die
on her wedding bed.
Example #2: Julius Caesar (By William Shakespeare)
Shakespeare employs this verbal irony
in Julius Caesar,
Act I, Scene II:
CASSIUS:
” ‘Tis true this god did shake.”
Cassius, despite knowing the mortal
flaws of Caesar, calls him “this god”.
I. Figure of Speech
Definition
- A figure of speech is a phrase or
word having different meanings than its literal meanings. It conveys meaning by
identifying or comparing one thing to another, which has connotation or
meaning familiar to the audience. That is why it is helpful in
creating vivid rhetorical effect.
Types of figures of Speech
There are many types of figures of
speech. Here are a few of them with detailed descriptions:
Personification
It occurs when a writer gives human
traits to non-human or inanimate objects. It is similar to metaphors and
similes that also use comparison between two objects. For
instance,
“Hadn’t
she felt it in every touch of the sunshine, as its golden finger-tips pressed
her lids open and wound their way through her hair?”
(“The
Mother’s Recompense” by Edith Wharton)
In the above lines, the speaker is
personifying sunshine as it has finger tips that wound their way into her hair.
This is trait of using finger-tips in hair is a human one.
Understatement and Hyperbole
These two figures of speech are opposite
to each other. Hyperbole uses extreme exaggeration.
It exaggerates to lay emphasis on a certain quality or feature. It stirs up
emotions among the readers, these emotions could be about happiness, romance,
inspiration, laughter or sadness.
I’ll love you, dear, I’ll love you
Till China and Africa meet,
And the river jumps over the mountain
And the salmon sing in the street.”
(“As I Walked Out One Evening” by W.H. Auden)
Till China and Africa meet,
And the river jumps over the mountain
And the salmon sing in the street.”
(“As I Walked Out One Evening” by W.H. Auden)
In this poem,
Auden has used hyperbole to stress on how long his love his beloved would last.
Just imagine when China and Africa would meet and can river jump up over the
mountains? How salmon can be intelligent enough so that it could sing and
evolve enough and walk the streets?
Whereas understatement uses
less than whatever is intended, such as,
“You
killed my family. And I don’t like that kind of thing.”
(“The Chosen One” by Boon Collins and Rob Schneider)
In this line, the speaker is using an
understatement because someone has killed his family and he is just taking it
very normal like nothing serious has happened.
Simile
It is a type of comparison between things or objects by using “as” or “like.” See the following example:
My
heart is like a singing bird
Whose nest is in a water’d shoot;
My heart is like an apple-tree
My heart is like a rainbow shell…
Whose nest is in a water’d shoot;
My heart is like an apple-tree
My heart is like a rainbow shell…
(“A Birthday” by Christina Rossetti)
Rossetti has used simile thrice
in this part of the poem, comparing her heart to a “singing bird”, “an
apple-tree”, and a rainbow shell.” The poet makes comparison of heart to a
happy bird in a nest, an apple tree full with fruits and a beautiful shell in
the sea, full of peace and joy.
Metaphor
Metaphor is
comparing two unlike objects or things, which may have some common qualities.
Presentiment
– is that long shadow – on the lawn –
Indicative that Suns go down –
The notice to the startled Grass
That Darkness – is about to pass –
Indicative that Suns go down –
The notice to the startled Grass
That Darkness – is about to pass –
(“Presentiment is that long shadow on the lawn” by Emily
Dickinson)
In this example, Dickinson presents
presentiment as a shadow. Presentiment actually means anxiety or foreboding,
which she calls a shadow. In fact, she makes compares it with shadow to provide
a better description of anxiety that could creep up in a person’s life and
cause fear.
Pun
Pun is the manipulation of words that
have more than one meanings. It brings humor in
an expression.
Whoever
hath her wish, thou hast thy Will,
And Will to boot, and Will in overplus;
And Will to boot, and Will in overplus;
(“Sonnet 135” by
William Shakespeare)
See the use of odd grammar rule, which
is the capitalization of word “Will.” Usually in the middle of a line or sentence,
writers capitalize a name. Here it is the first name of Shakespeare. It means
he has created pun of his own name.
Definition
- A dialogue is a literary technique in which writers employ two or more
characters to be engaged in conversation with one another. In literature, it is
a conversational passage, or a spoken or written exchange of conversation in a
group, or between two persons directed towards a particular subject.
The use of dialogues can be seen back in classical literature, especially in
Plato’s Republic.
Several other philosophers also used this technique for rhetorical and
argumentative purposes. Generally, it makes a literary work enjoyable and
lively.
Types of Dialogue
There are two types of dialogue in
literature:
- Inner
Dialogue – In inner dialogue, the characters speak to themselves and
reveal their personalities. To use inner dialogue, writers employ literary
techniques like stream of consciousness or
dramatic monologue. We often find such
dialogues in the works of James Joyce, Virginia Wolf, and William
Faulkner.
- Outer
Dialogue – Outer dialogue is a simple conversation between two
characters, used in almost all types of fictional works.
Examples
of Dialogue in Literature
Let us see how famous writers have used dialogues for resonance and meaning in their works:
Example #1: Wuthering Heights (By Emily Bronte)
“Now
he is here,” I exclaimed. “For Heaven’s sake, hurry down! Do be
quick; and stay among the trees till he is fairly in.”
“I
must go, Cathy,” said Heathcliff, seeking to extricate himself from his companion’s
arms. “I won’t stray five yards from your window…”
“For
one hour,” he pleaded earnestly.
“Not
for one minute,” she replied.
“I
must–Linton will be up immediately,” persisted the intruder.
Miss Bronte has employed surprises,
opposition, and reversals in this dialogue like will-it-happen, when he says, “But, if I live, I’ll see you …” She
has inserted these expressions in order to develop conflict in
the plot.
Example #2: Crime and Punishment (By Fyodor Dostoevsky)
“But
who did he tell it to? You and me?”
“And
Porfiry.”
“What
does it matter?”
“And,
by the way, do you have any influence over them, his mother and sister?
Tell them to be more careful with him today …”
“They’ll
get on all right!” Razumikhin answered reluctantly.
“Why
is he so set against this Luzhin? A man with money and she doesn’t dislike
him …
“But
what business is it of yours?” Razumikhin cried with annoyance.
In this excerpt, notice the use of
conflict, emotions, information, conflict, reversal, and opposition flowing by.
The ideas and information are expressed with perfect timing, but here an
important point is that the characters are not responding with a definite
answer. This is a beautiful piece of dialogue.
Definition
- A scene is a section
of your novel where a character or characters engage in action or dialogue. You
can think of a scene as a story with a beginning, middle, and an end.
Examples
1. Give your story
setting detail – J.K. Rowling’s Hogwarts
A
magical ‘elsewhere’ is one of the key ingredients of many fantasy novels,
particularly in portal fantasies where characters travel between our ordinary
world and a world of magical landscapes and creatures.
One of
the reasons why children (and adults) around the world fell in love with J.K.
Rowling’s Harry Potter series is
the depth and intricacy of Rowling’s settings. Rowling’s world is one of stark
contrasts, from Harry’s aunt and uncle’s ordinary and oppressive suburban home
to the towering spires of the series’ school of magic, Hogwarts.
Like
Rowling, give your setting detail. Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry
is a character in itself. Portraits of prior staff hanging in corridors are
animated and talk. Stairways move by enchantment. Even the ceiling design of
the school’s dining hall changes according to school events and seasons.
Further, Rowling is smart because she gradually reveals details of Hogwarts’
many additional rooms and secrets over the course of the series. There is
thus setting development as the reader moves deeper into her fictional world.
As you
plan and create your setting [a section of Now Novel’s idea finding tool is
devoted to this – try it], think about how you can expand
your characters’ environment as the story unfolds. For example, if you’re
writing a novel set in a real-world city, think about how a plot development
might take a primary character to a region of the city they’ve never
frequented. This expansive approach to setting helps to prevent a static,
unchanging and ultimately boring setting.
2. Learn from vivid story setting examples –
Charles Dickens’ London
The
Victorian author Charles Dickens was a master at crafting believable, mood-filled
settings. Dickens’ London is almost a character in itself in novels
such as Great Expectations (1861) and Nicholas Nickleby (1861). In this setting description example from Oliver Twist (1838), Dickens creates a
journey into the bustling heart of 19th Century London:
The public-houses, with gas-lights burning
inside, were already open. By degrees, other shops began to be unclosed, and a
few scattered people were met with. Then, came straggling groups of labourers
going to their work; then, men and women with fish-baskets on their heads;
donkey-carts laden with vegetables; chaise-carts filled with livestock or whole
carcasses of meat; milk-women with pails; an unbroken concourse of people
trudging out with various supplies to the eastern suburbs of the town. As they
approached the City, the noise and traffic gradually increased; when they
threaded the streets between Shoreditch and Smithfield, it had swelled into a
roar of sound and bustle.
In
just a few lines, Dickens conveys the passage from city outskirts to inner city
and the multitude and variety of inhabitants you would find in this place, at
this time. If you’re setting your novel in a real city, whether now or in the
past, find novels set in the same area and examine how other authors have
conveyed place successfully.
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