How to write a story: setting and worldbuilding

Setting is defined as the place and the time a story takes place, and is one of the most important elements of a story. Writers often focus on creating immersive characters and compelling plots, and don’t pay as much attention as they need to creating a realistic setting to immerse readers in their stories. 

The amount of preparation and research writers need to make for the setting of their story depends on whether the setting is based in a real or fictional place and what kind of story they are writing (contemporary, historical, paranormal, fantasy, romantasy).
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Different kinds of setting
Real setting
Fictional setting
Setting vs info-dumping
Linking setting to characters
Setting questionnaire
Worldbuilding questionnaire

Different kinds of setting
There are many different kinds of settings that a writer needs to include to craft a realistic story for their readers.

Macro setting: It refers to the general area of your story, such as a planet, country, or city. 

Micro setting: It refers to a specific location where the story takes place, such as an apartment or school.

Temporal setting: It refers to the period during which the story takes place, such as the 1950s or 2005.

Seasonal setting: It refers to the season(s) the story takes place in, such as winter or summer.

Real setting
If your story includes real settings, make sure to research the particular locations you want to include in your story and get your facts right, even if you are familiar with the locations because you live in the general area or you have visited those places in the past. Use trusted resources, such as published books, journals and educational websites.

Fictional setting
If you are creating a fictional setting that is based on a real setting, you can fictionalize a real setting that not many readers are familiar with.  You can fictionalize a local place or a location that is not well-known.

In this way, you will have more flexibility to add, delete or move details and descriptions in your fictional world without being concerned that many readers would find the world unrealistic. 

You can also create your own fictional setting. If you decide to create a fictional setting, create a map and take down notes about the main places on your map.

You don’t need to create anything complicated. Just a sketch with the main towns and buildings of your story so that you always know where they are and how far they are from each other. Accuracy and consistency are key to creating a realistic and believable story.

Setting vs info-dumping
Info-dumping occurs when writers provide a large amount of background information or exposition to the story that is unnecessary or irrelevant to the specific chapter.

Often, writers try to incorporate large descriptions of the setting in their attempt to create a realistic and believable setting for the reader.

As a result, they end up providing paragraphs of unnecessary details of the story’s setting that bore the reader and drag the pacing of the story.

To make sure you are writing a compelling story for the readers, keep only the most important and relevant information about the setting in a specific chapter.

Linking setting to characters
Instead of just mentioning various details of the setting, the pov character of your story can describe the setting from their perspective. The way the pov character notices, experiences, describes and interacts with their setting in a particular chapter shows their personality.

​When describing the setting in a particular chapter, it is important to ask yourself what elements of the setting your pov character would be observing based on his personality and the plot of the chapter.

Setting questionnaire
Here are some questions about the setting to help you brainstorm your fiction story.

1. Where does your story take place ( country, city, apartment)?
2. When does your story take place (time period, season)?
3. Is the setting realistic, believable and plausible?
4. Is the setting real or fictional? If the setting is based on real locations, have you done research to accurately describe it?
5. Do you integrate the details of setting into the plot of the story?

Worldbuilding questionnaire
Once you find the answers to the above questions, you might want to flesh out the worldbuilding elements of your story. Depending on the kind of story you are writing (contemporary, historical, paranormal, fantasy, romantasy), you will want to focus on specific world-building elements.

Below is a list of categories and questions to help you brainstorm the world of your story. This is by no means an exhaustive list of questions. This is just a guide to get you started. 
Government

• What is the structure of the government, and who is the leader?
• How many political parties are there, and do they interact with each other?
• How does your main character feel about the government and the laws of the world? 
• Do different species, races and social classes have different opinions about the laws?

People

•  Are there any intelligent or supernatural species, such as aliens, werewolves, vampires or witches, besides humans, and how do they get along with each other?
•  How is your world divided into countries, towns, nations, or societies, and how do they get along with each other?

Languages

• What language(s) do people speak in your world?
•  Do different countries, races or species speak different languages, and how easily do they communicate with each other?

History

• What are the origins of your civilisation?
• What are the major historical events or legends that shaped your civilisation?

Education

• What are the levels of education in your world (kindergarten, middle school, high school, university)?
• How accessible is education for all citizens of your world (public vs private education)?

Employment

• What types of professions exist in your world? Does your world have any unusual or rare types of professions? 
•  Are there any professions that are more reputable than others, and why? 
• Are there any professions different across species and races based on their magic powers or social status?

Arts and entertainment

• What are the most important or famous arts, sports and forms of entertainment, and how do they shape your world?
• What kind of infrastructure is there for these activities, such as theatres, museums, and concert halls?

Magic

• Is there magic in your world?
• Who controls the magic, and what are their roles and status of these people in your world?
• What are the rules, limitations and risks of magic?

Climate

• What is the climate in your world like?
• Are there seasons in your world?

Terrain

• What is the terrain of your world like (sea, forests, desert, rivers)?
• What are the major cities or towns in your world? 

Now you have everything you need to know to create a real and believable setting for your romance story. You are one step closer to writing a compelling story and achieving your writing goals.

If you need more guidance in brainstorming your story, check the further resources section on how to brainstorm the main characters and outline the structure of your manuscript. Good luck!

Additional resources
How to write a romance novel in 5 steps
How to write a romance novel: genre and main characters
How to write a romance novel using the 3-act structure
How to write a novel using Romancing the Beat

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About the author

​Maria Georgiou is a professional developmental editor and beta reader for romance authors. She specialises in editing contemporary romance, YA romance, romantic comedy, romantic suspense, paranormal romance and romantasy. She is a member of the EFA and ClubEdFreelancers. 
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