Setting the setting

[xenith]

I think I'll blame 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?)

Comments

[gillpolack.livejournal.com]

I wrote quite a bit on opening pargraphs for the ASiF website (the special guest section, where they brought writers in for discussions and open questions) and also I did a blog series here, ages ago. We're talking years, in both cases, but my approach was a little unorthdox and it might be useful for you.

Maybe I should - one day - pull all that togehter as a single article.

[monissaw.livejournal.com]

You should. I'll go and see if I can dig them up now.

For all that's been written and written on opening paragraphs, I don't think I've ever stopped to think about this aspect. If I'm writing "other world" settings, it's natural to lay down the bones ASAP. If I'm trying to write real word stuff, it's easier to stick in a few pointers and hope that's enough.

I've certainly never thought about it from the POV of a reader either, which I find rather interesting actually.

[gillpolack.livejournal.com]

When I teach, I talk about the reader side of things and most of the writers in my classes don't seem to have thought of it.

[monissaw.livejournal.com]

I have noticed this on writing forums. Even the idea that if a piece of writing works/doesn't work for you as a reader then it might be worth looking at how it was written seems to pass some people by. As if the end result of writing is to produce a good piece of writing not a good piece of reading. (I do at least try to think as a reader when I'm writing, and a writer when I'm reading.)