Dear Sally,

I’m thinking of you sitting in our coffee shop, the hush of the waves of Lake Superior combing the shore, the sky so blue you could dive in, the smell of evergreen fresh in the air from last night’s rain. But I’m writing to you from the beaches of Hawaii, my toes dug into the creamy sand, the salt of the ocean drying into crystals on my skin.

As you’re diving into your novel and writing scenes, I thought it might help if we touched upon Storyworld this week.  Storyworld is so key, from the first scene to every scene beyond to anchor your character – and especially your reader – into the story.

Think of Storyworld as more than just the setting, but as the world you wrap your reader into as you tell the story.  The facts, the five senses, the dialogue, the culture  – everything that makes up the world of your novel.

Great storyworld contains what I call the DETAILS. It’s the rich combination of all the elements that go into the world of the scene.

Here’s how it breaks down:

1. Dress – It’s not what color gown she wears, but why. It’s not whether he wears a suit, but what kind of suit, or tux. The reader wants to see the character, but don’t throw your character into any old outfit – pick their clothes carefully, to betray their goals, and, their attitudes and intentions for the scene.

I am a fan of fantasy novels because they are masters of storyworld. They have to be to help us see the speculative world they invite us into. Consider the Hunger Games, every detail of Katniss’s entrance into the Hunger Games, including her attire, is essential to building the story.

Be specific and thoughtful with your character’s dress.

2. Environment – This is more than the setting, it’s the season, and the place, and architecture. Stories set in New York should note the garbage laying on the streets in July, and the beauty of Central Park in September. They should include the smell of the subway, and the noise it makes as it rushes into station with a shudder that the character can feel to their bones. Stories set in Montana should note the trailer houses, the rough-cut terrain covered with bramble, the undulating fence lines that ride over gully and knoll, and if it is in winter, the patches of gray snow, the brown-yellow grass, the trails of hay that beckon the cattle. Make it real, and use finite details to bring your reader into the world of the character.

3. Time Period – Even if it is a contemporary, you can build in the faces, music, and norms of the time. But if it is a historical novel, be rich with the nuances of the culture. Do your research to discover things unknown to most readers. It will make their reading even more rich. This also includes influences of movies, books, political figures – anything to help build the appropriate time period for your world.

4. Attitudes – Insert the attitudes of the place, culture, setting, time period. What social circle does your character run in? What would be normal for him to say, do, allow, think? How about those around him? Dropping clues through dialogue, dress or action about the prevailing attitudes of the world of your story will help your reader understand the situation and motivations of your character.

5. Inferences or Expectations – Think about the things in your life that you “expect.” Your internet to hook up. Your cell phone to ring. Your character will have things he/she expect to happen – and writing that expectation into the scene will help it flow, and keep the reader in story world. What do I mean? Let’s say you are writing a Biblical fiction story. Going to the well for daily water would be an expectation. You wouldn’t expound on it like you’ve never done it before. Another common way to say this is R.U.E. (Resist the urge to explain).

i.e “Rachael searched for the wooden bucket that she always used to fetch water, which she did every morning. It had a rough handle, and she hated how it dug into her hand when she lugged home the family’s water, although she was careful not to spill it. She had done that yesterday, and earned a beating.”

That’s a lot of information, and probably something your character wouldn’t think. Instead, infer the expectation that she goes to the well, simplify the details, focusing on the most vivid, and most profound.

“The rough handle of the water bucket gouged her hands as she trudged back from the well, but she bit back her pain and held it out from her body. Mamma would be furious if she spilled it, again. Her back still ached from yesterday’s beating.”

6. Language – Every place, time period, social strata and even age group has their own language. Utilize it to illuminate the world they live in. A great example of this is, of course, Liza and Henry Higgins, from My Fair Lady. Is anyone else amazed at the transformation right before our eyes of Liza as she begins to speak proper English? Language is a powerful tool for Storyworld (as well as characterization). Don’t let your Scottish warrior sound like a Englishman from Parliament. (Or your Bostonian sound like a Minnesotan!)

7. Senses – I know I’m constantly harping on you to use the five senses when writing a scene but USE YOUR FIVE SENSES! Don’t just tell us what it looks like! The five senses help the reader enter Storyworld with your hero. Don’t leave him staring as if through a glass.

Those seven points should spell the word…DETAILS. (You know how I like my acronyms!) And that’s what Storyworld is. It’s specific nouns, and rich (yet sparing) adjectives, and vivid verbs. It’s taking the time to build your world around your hero.

I hope you’re having a great writing week.  See you next week, same time, same coffee shop.

Fondly,

Susie May