What is unique about that?
The goal of every writer is to submerge the reader into the world they have created. Last week’s post was on using setting as a secondary character. A key factor to having your reader total immersed in your story is they need to know where they are. Many writers focus solely on a character appearance and scent (cologne, perfume, shampoo, etc).
Every setting has something that makes it different and as a writer we need to show the reader what that difference is. For instance, if five people go to a clearing in the woods and they are asked to list seven smell and sounds. The list will be very different one might say an annoying bird while another has the chatter of a squirrel and a third the buzz of a bug.
Pick a scene from your current WIP you feel is lacking the pull to engulf the reader.
Ask yourself:
(1) Where is this scene set?
(2) What are some of the smells – list a couple positive AND negative.
(3) What does your character hear? Try to avoid the common or be really specific. If it’s a show, name it.
After you have listed a couple of new key scene details, add one or two them. The results will be a clearer picture for your reader.
If you have one place that is a reoccurring location, it might be beneficial to visit it. Spend some time with the intention of picking out the different. In a short story, I wrote – Racing Through Love – I went to a motorcycle shop and sat. My brother-in-law races motorcycles, so I had been there numerous times but I went this time looking for sounds besides an air compressor. I was amazed at how many smells and sounds I had never noticed before. Many of which found their way into my story.
A reader enjoys a story that gives them full access to the world the characters live in. Have fun and share the unique with them
