Describing your settings

This plan encourages you to think descriptively about the settings of your story, preparing some prose that you might use in your book, or to inspire your imagination as you write. You could use this plan to prepare a long description to use when the setting is first encountered, then a shorter line to give a brief sense of place when the character returns.

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Think about the big picture of the place where your novel is set, the county, country or world.

Describe this or write an observation from your character about this place.

Describe your novel's principal location as a whole, the town, village, city or district.

Perhaps describe the houses and the style of architecture, or the people living in this place.

How does your main character perceive this place?

Write an observation or comment from your character about the place where they live.

On a day trip where might your central character go?

Describe a place your character may visit and describe your character’s impression of this place.

Describe a place your character might visit for more than a day, on a holiday or business trip.

If they’re not likely to travel in your story describe a memory of a holiday, or a place that has meaning from the past.

Describe your character’s home place.

Describe how your character feels about their home.

Describe some other familiar places in your character’s life.

Describe a regular setting in different circumstances.

Describe a room where your character spends a lot of time.

Describe how your character feels in this place.

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