How to Create a Setting with Personality

Although many writers consider setting to be impersonal, every place has a distinctive personality. Regardless of whether a protagonist creeps into a dilapidated Victorian mansion on a dark, rainy night or whether a character walks in a cheerful woodland cottage with a cool breeze blowing through the many open windows, every location interacts with a hero as another person would.

Sure, a writer needs to use all of her senses when describing surroundings; however, being selective in the details chosen can make a considerable difference between adequate writing and words that help a reader connect more deeply with a character.

Consider your protagonist’s emotional state at the beginning of a scene. If he feels on top of the world, he might notice the brightly colored houses in the fishing village, the laughter of children playing nearby, the warmth of the sun on his bare shoulders, the smell of hamburgers cooking on a grill and reminding him of his carefree summers as a child, and the aftertaste of the cold beer he just finished at an outdoor cafe.

In contrast, if your main character is at a point where all feels lost at the end of act two, the cigarette smoke of a fellow pedestrian may burn her eyes, the incessant racket of a jackhammer might exacerbate her headache, the stench of garbage in the street might cause her to cover her nose and mouth to keep from gagging, the tang of residual vomit from purging earlier taints her tongue, while a billboard for a Florida vacation reminds her of a similar trip with her boyfriend who broke up with her via text earlier that afternoon.

Humans often notice details that reflect their emotional state. Use this to your advantage when your character enters a setting, especially a new space. The more vivid the description, the more memorable it will be for the reader.

Look for ways a setting can act as an antagonist for your protagonist. If your character’s car breaks down on the side of the road, how can the surroundings turn up the heat in the crucible for your hero?

If your main character has fallen in love, how can the setting seduce your heroine further?

If your hero has gone on a hunger strike, what in his surroundings incite his stomach to growl and his mouth to water?