Setting the setting
Feb. 14th, 2011 01:36 pmI think I'll blame ![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
green_knight for this :) I've been thinking today on how to establish time and place at the start of a novel. How's it done, obviously. How soon is it done. Opening lines? First page? But also, how is it affected by what the reader brings with them, from the cover, from reviews, from the blurb. That is, when you pick up a book, do you already have some idea of what time & place, whether real or imaginary, you're getting involved with. And, as I think the answer to that is yes, how often does the writer rely on that to do the job for them.
Obviously I need to look at some examples of opening paragraphs, but the problem with relying on library books, if I'm not going to have many modern/recent novels at home that I can look at. (Suggestions for good and bad examples?)
green_knight for this :) I've been thinking today on how to establish time and place at the start of a novel. How's it done, obviously. How soon is it done. Opening lines? First page? But also, how is it affected by what the reader brings with them, from the cover, from reviews, from the blurb. That is, when you pick up a book, do you already have some idea of what time & place, whether real or imaginary, you're getting involved with. And, as I think the answer to that is yes, how often does the writer rely on that to do the job for them.Obviously I need to look at some examples of opening paragraphs, but the problem with relying on library books, if I'm not going to have many modern/recent novels at home that I can look at. (Suggestions for good and bad examples?)
