Six Ways to Immerse Your Reader in the Setting of a Story

Reblogged from https://thewritepractice.com/story-setting/ by Joslyn Chase.

Imagine The Shining taking place in a shopping mall. Or the movie Se7en set in sunny Florida. It just wouldn’t work. The setting of a story plays a vital part in the success of these stories, and it should in your stories, as well.

Setting does more than provide the backdrop for your characters. It opens certain possibilities for your story and closes down others. It helps establish the tone of the story and often supplies support for the theme. Often, setting can function as a character in the context of your story.

Setting is of supreme importance in writing a stellar story.

What is setting?

The setting of your story goes beyond place. It encompasses factors such as historical background, culture, socio-economic environment, and atmosphere. It influences character language, writing style, type of story, and overall ambience. All of these elements should work in harmony with the plot, characters, and theme of your story.

Here’s an example of what I mean. Let’s look at one of my all-time favorite books, Daphne DuMaurier’s Rebecca. The story is a romantic suspense in a gothic setting, the language lush and dreamy with leisurely cadences:

“Last night, I dreamt I went to Maderley again. It seemed to me I stood by the iron gate leading to the drive, and for a while I could not enter, for the way was barred to me…”

Do you see how the author’s style matches the setting? The perfect pairing contributes to the success of this enduring classic. Let’s contrast that with the opening from Thomas Harris’s The Silence of The Lambs:

“Behavioral Science, the FBI section that deals with serial murder, is on the bottom floor of the Academy building at Quantico, half-buried in the earth. Clarice Starling reached it flushed after a fast walk from Hogan’s Alley on the firing range. She had grass in her hair and grass stains on her FBI Academy windbreaker from diving to the ground under fire in an arrest problem on the range.”

The setting and language are different here but nicely matched to each other, laying the groundwork for the kind of story Harris is getting ready to tell.

Setting is integral to story, so take care to choose a setting that will best complement what you want to communicate to your reader.

What can setting do for me?

I cannot enumerate all the perks that come from selecting an appropriate setting, but I can touch on some of them.

1. Setting helps determine your story parameters

When you choose a setting, you put limits on your story—and that can be a good thing. It helps in your decision-making process, presenting an array of options applicable to your setting, and eliminating others from the pool, letting you focus on what works best.

For example, Andy Weir set his story The Martian on Mars. That limited his choices of plot events. Having Mark Watney meet the woman of his dreams on the red planet was not on the table, and would have shifted the story off its axis and made it into something else entirely.

2. Setting helps unify story elements

Setting contributes a lot to unity in a story, and much of it happens on a subconscious level. But here’s a handy technique you can make conscious use of to bind the moving pieces of your story into a coherent whole: Make repeated references to a particular element.

If you work it right, this can also be a powerful way to express theme, as discussed in the next section.

For example, if my story was set in a town next to a roaring river and my theme touched on the frantic nature of time rushing on, I could use that river as a central element. I’d spend a paragraph or two, early in the story, describing the river with specific sensory detail, making sure readers understand how fast and loud and unrelenting the river is, etc.

Then, use the river again and again as a unifying symbol. Feature the river in a newspaper article a character reads; have another character tell how her brother died there. Have two characters agree to meet there. Look for opportunities to mention or incorporate the river, and thus it becomes the spinal cord of your story, unifying the outlying elements.

“

Use the setting of your story to bind the story together by making repeated references to a particular element.

Tweet this

Tweet

3. Setting helps communicate theme

Beyond providing a consistent framework and tying together plot elements, setting can help express theme.

For instance, my new thriller, Steadman’s Blind, is a wild ride told from four different viewpoints and changing trajectories, but the setting—the aftermath of a volcanic eruption—unifies the various elements and highlights theme.

As the ash in the air thickens, so does the plot and the desperation of the characters. Toward the end, when the wind shifts, clearing the sky, it is an omen of hope.

4. Setting can help define your character

If you show your character as a product of his environment, whatever you do to develop your setting reflects on your character as well. This is a great way to convey important aspects of your character without spoon-feeding them to your reader.

By contrast, you can use setting in another way, placing your character in a setting completely opposite to his nature. A fish-out-of-water scenario creates instant tension and can lead to a compelling story.

5. Setting can advance plot

Change in a setting can force your characters to act, advancing the plot. As a bonus, such changes will increase the tension level, too.

A dam breaks; a town floods. A prosperous business gets bought out and people lose their jobs. A family finally builds their dream home where their children can safely play and the state builds a maximum-security prison next door.

You get the idea. Change your setting, advance your plot.

And the change doesn’t have to be something tangible—it could simply be a change in perspective.

For example, Martha appreciates her husband. He never complains that she spends her days hanging out in coffee shops with friends. He’s undemanding about her cooking and housework. He tolerates her draping pantyhose over the bathroom shower and taking up all the counter space for her cosmetics.

And then Martha pulls a long, blonde hair off her husband’s sock while doing laundry and her perspective changes. His laissez-faire attitude now suggests he’s got other interests. Martha has to do something about it.

6. Researching setting can spark ideas

In most instances, you’ll need to do at least a little research to flesh out the setting of your story. Doing this often opens up new possibilities and suggests plot events you hadn’t considered. Research has many times led me to a treasure trove of ideas and fabulous details to add verisimilitude to the story.

The caveat is that you can get carried away. Don’t overspend your time on research, and don’t overburden your story with irrelevant details.

A few final thoughts on setting

I used to work for our public library system, and I was trained to help readers find just the kind of book they’re looking for. One thing I learned is that many readers are highly sensitive to setting, wanting books with a particular type. Setting holds great appeal for a lot of hungry readers, so think about that when choosing the setting for your next story.

Pay more attention as you watch and read, looking for ways the setting has influenced the story. For an interesting look at how setting was used in some of Hollywood’s biggest films, check out this article.

Now that you know how to use setting to strengthen your story, go forth and put this power to work in your writing!

Are you aware of setting in the stories you read? How about the stories you write? Tell us about it in the comments.

PRACTICE

There’s little point in fixing on the right setting for your story if you don’t pull your readers into that setting so they can experience it along with your characters. Remember item #2 above? Before you make repeated references to the significant element, you have to describe it such that your readers will understand it’s important.

Choose from the options provided and write one or two paragraphs of description, using sensory detail that shows the emotions and opinions of the viewpoint character. Remember, every word should come through that character and be colored by their attitudes and preferences.

• Clock tower in the town square
• Pool at the neighborhood gym
• Lightning-charred tree at the edge of town
• Rocky ridge on nearby mountain

Write for fifteen minutes. When you’re done, think about ways you could incorporate this image into your story, using it to unify and express theme. Post your work in the comments, and be sure to provide feedback for your fellow writers!

Joslyn Chase

Joslyn Chase loves suspense fiction and writes thrillers, mysteries, romantic suspense, and horror. She is the author of the thriller Nocturne In Ashes, an explosive read that will keep you turning pages to the end. What Leads A Man To Murder, her collection of short suspense, is available for free at joslynchase.com. Joslyn loves traveling, teaching, and playing the piano.

October Festivals in the Philippines

Filipinos love to party. They will find any excuse to have a party. They celebrate births, marriages, saints’ days and everything else. The Spanish adapted traditional rituals by celebrating a saint’s birthday on dates formerly associated with animistic rituals.

You will see festivals in every ethnic group, as people get together for essentially spiritual events. Drama, excitement, food, music, and renewal of relationship are shared extensively. Fiestas range from large, organized, regional events to small barangay happenings. Activities usually center around the church, and from there, proceed into the community.

Here are some festivals for October:

Zamboanga Hermosa Festival – 2^nd week in October, Zamboanga City, Zamboanga del Sur, Mindanao

Zamboanga City’s biggest fiesta commemorates the apparition of the Virgin at Fort Pilar and her miraculous intervention against enemy attacks. It celebrates the Virgin Mary towards whom the people of Zamboanga hold a special devotion as a unifying cultural and historical symbol of the land. There are fireworks, parades, a regatta, variety shows, games, a carnival and the Miss Zamboanga Pageant.

La Naval de Manila – 2^nd Sunday in October, Quezon City

An evening candlelight procession from Santo Domingo Church, Quezon City along Quezon Boulevard honors Our Lady of the Holy Rosary to whose intercession is attributed a series of Spanish-Filipino naval victories over the Dutch in 1646.

Our Lady of La Naval de Manila housed at Santo Domingo Church in Quezon City is one of the most historically significant objects in the Philippines. It was commissioned by the Spanish Governor General Don Luis Pérez Dasmariñas in 1593 who wanted a statue of Our Lady of the Rosary to which the public could pray. The reason it is so revered in the Philippines dated to some 60 years after its creation when the Dutch Republic attempted to conquer the country as part of a strategy to dominate the key trade routes in the region. Up against the superior Dutch forces, the Spanish and Filipino forces prayed to the statue for victory.

After five battles, they succeeded in repelling the foreign invaders. Believing that this almost miraculous victory was due to the intervention of the Virgin Mary, they walked barefoot to pray to the statue which was later named as the protector of the navy of Manila.

Masskara Festival – Weekend near the 19^th of October in Bacolod City, Negros Occidental province, Negros.

No event of religious or cultural history, no saint or divine spirit serves to justify this big blowout. What we have here is fun for fun’s sake. In this city, on these days, it’s time to party, masked, costumed, and in the streets. Even if you don’t feel like dancing and singing, the pig-catching and pole-climbing competitions are musts. The contest for the best mask is also exciting. Of course it’s not as purposeless as it may appear: the festival is meant to lift people’s spirit and to attract tourists, who flock here to join the merrymaking and to buy the orchids and ornate handicrafts on sale.

A smiling mask is the symbol of this festival which was started in 1980 to reflect the people’s spirit in spite of hardships caused by the sugar industry’s decline. The festival also concides with the city’s charter day on the 19^th of October. A spectacular street parade climaxes a weeklong celebration. It is Bacolod’s Mardi Gras-like festival.

Gigantes – also called the Feast of San Clemente – late October in Angono, Rizal province, Luzon

In honor of the town’s patron saint, San Clemente. The party center around papier mâché giants, colorfully garbed and painted, surrounded by much dancing, singing and feasting. These gigantes (giants) lead the procession, mounted on stilts or carried by members of the community. Puppets, trailed by dolls that portray the occupation of their creators, follow as part of the entourage. At the end of the procession are small puppet children and a brightly painted papier mâché bull, whose body sparks with fireworks.

Sources:

Philippines Handbook – Carl Parkes

Traveler’s Philippines Companion – Kirsten Ellis

Limahong - A Chinese Pirate Who Invaded the Philippines - Part II

Invasion by Limahong. Painting by Carolos 'Botong' Franciscco, 1956

Limahong was determined to capture Manila in spite of the loss in Parañaque. He set sail again and arrived in Manila Bay. He sent forward his Lieutenant, Sioco, and 600 fighting men to demand the surrender of the Spaniards.

Alarm was raised in Malate which is close to Intramuros but the Spaniards took no credence to the report so no resistance was offered until the invaders were within the gates to the city.

Martin de Goiti, the Maestre de Campo and second in command to the Governor, was the first victim of the attack. Goiti and several Filipinos under the leadership of Rajah Lakandula were killed. Goiti's wife was badly wounded but survived.

The Spaniards took refuge in Fort Santiago which the Chinese were about to take control when they were interrupted by the arrival of fresh troops led by a Spanish sub-lieutenant. A bloody hand-to-hand combat followed. With great difficulty, the Chinese collected their dead and sounded the retreat. Sioco reported the result of the attack to Limahong who was in Cavite with his reserved forces.

Limahong resolved to rest his troops and renew the attack in two days’ time. Meanwhile, Juan Salcedo arrived by sea the next day with reinforcements from Vigan, and preparations were made for the expected encounter. Salcedo having been appointed to the office of Maestre de Campo, vacant since the death of Goiti, was entrusted to the defense of the city.

By daybreak on December 3, Limahong and his fighting men took off for the capital. Sioco swore to take the place or die in the attempt. Sioco, with his division, advanced towards the fort. A hand-to-hand fight ensued as he entered the fort. Salcedo and his men fought fiercely like a lion. The Spaniards finally gained the victory. The Chinese were repulsed with great slaughter, and Sioco having been killed, the Chinese fled in complete disarray. They retreated on board the fleet. Unfazed by his loss in his attempt to take over Manila, Limahong was determined to set up his capital in other parts. He then set sail again for the west coast of the island.

The panic of the Chinese spread rapidly and Limahong, in despair, landed another contingent of about 500 men. He remained at sea but even with this reinforcement the morale of his army could not be restored.

Salcedo, profiting by the confusion, now took the offensive and followed the enemy, pursuing them along the sea-shore.

Sources: Wikipedia, Kahimyang.com

Until next time. The Philippine history continues. . .

Rosalinda

Limahong - A Chinese Pirate Who Invaded the Philippines - Part 1

Limahong, or Lin Feng, also known as Lim Ah Hong or Limahon was a Chinese pirate and warlord who invaded the northern islands of the Philippines and also established a short-lived kingdom in Pangasinan. He built up a reputation for his constant raids to ports in Guangdong, Fujian and southern China. He is noted to have twice attempted and failed to overthrow the Spanish city of Manila in 1574.

There are different stories about Limahong with some degrees of historical accuracy. According to some legends, Limahong was from a Chinese Noble family; did something that offended the Emperor or Empress of the day which made them hire a pirate to rush him away from danger. He was leaving his homeland forever. This pirate sailed south to the natural harbor at Batangas, and as far north as safe harbor in Pampanga with Lim Ah Hong in tow. Lim Ah Hong, took to the pirate who saved him and was treated as a son. When the pirate died, Lim Ah Hong inherited the fleet and being of noble birth was a natural leader.

He was very successful at relieving the Spanish Armada of their gold which is why he began to appear in history books and ships logs. One of his safe harbors was Batangas with its deep waters. Lim Ah Hong found the local ladies to his liking. He took a wife but as a Chinese warlord was allowed as many concubines as he could afford, he populated the province of Batangas with his wife and countless concubines who gave forth progeny of whom there are several direct descendants.

Another tale is that Limahong was born as Dim Mhon. Since he was young, he started to do criminal activities, including robbery. He met and became a protege of an old pirate, Tial-lao. When Tial-lao died, Lim became his heir, inheriting the old pirate's fleet and around 2,000 pirates. His numerous attacks on ports and ships throughout southern China made the authorities issue a warrant for his capture. This brought him to pursue his criminal activities on higher seas, far from China's reach.

And there’s another tale that Li-ma-hong also known as Lin Feng or Li Tao Kiem, was born in the port town of Tiuchiu in the province of Cui Tam. At an early age he manifested a martial spirit and joined a band of corsairs which for a long time had been the terror of the China coasts. On the demise of his chief, Tai -La Ong, he was unanimously elected the new leader. Pursued at length in all directions by the imperial ships of war, he was determined to conquer the Philippines. Presumably the same incentives which encouraged the Spanish conquistadores to conquer lands and overthrow dynasties, the vision of wealth, glory and empire, awakened a like ambition in the Chinese corsair. He was able to accumulate 40 ships which increased to 95 ships when he took over the fleet of another pirate, Vin To Quiam. He came to be the notorious king of the waters of southern China.

On the death of Governor-General Miguel Lopez de Legazpi, the Government of the Colony was assumed by the Royal Treasurer, Guido de Lavezares. During this period, the possession of the Philippine Islands was unsuccessfully challenged by a rival expedition under the command of a Chinese pirate, Limahong. For the many attacks committed by him against private traders and property, the Celestial Emperor of China outlawed him.

It was in late 1573 that an army of 3,000 outlaws, bandits, and pirates led by Limahong fled to the island of Luzon. There, he and his band of outlaws sought refuge, established their own kingdom and waged war with the Spanish Empire.

By this time, a force of 40,000 soldiers and 135 ships was sent by the Wanli Emperor to kill and capture the pirates. Limahong and his troops first arrived in Ilocos Sur in early 1574 where they had a run-in with the Spanish commander, Juan de Salcedo.

A few troops were sent ashore to get provisions. While returning to the junks, they sacked the village and set fire to the huts. The news of this outrage was hastily communicated to Juan Salcedo, who had been pacifying the Northern Provinces since July 1572, and was at the time in Villa Fernandina (now called Vigan). Li-ma-hong continued his course and anchored on the Ilocos coast of Cagayan where a few Spanish soldiers were stationed under the orders of Juan Salcedo, who was still in the town of Vigan. Under Salcedo’s direction, preparations were made to prevent the enemy entering the river, but such was not Li-ma-hong's intention. After that brief struggle with the Spanish army, his troops set sail again.

In his sea-wanderings he happened to fall in with a Chinese trading junk returning from Manila with the proceeds of her cargo sold there. This he seized and learned that Manila was a new and relatively unprotected city though already occupied by the Spaniards. From this information and the knowledge that China had a no-war policy with its neighbors during that time, he decided to capture Manila and make it his kingdom. The captive crew were constrained to pilot his fleet towards the capital of Luzon. From them he learnt how easily the natives had been plundered by a handful of foreigners, the probable extent of the opposition he might encounter, the defenses established, the wealth and resources of the district, and the nature of its inhabitants.

Salcedo, naturally supposing his course would be towards Manila, also started at the same time for the capital with all the fighting men he could collect, leaving only 30 men to garrison Vigan and protect the State interests there. With the remainder he reached the coast at Parañaque, a village seven miles south of Manila.

It was November 29, 1574. The inhabitants of the town of Paranaque, a royal encomienda, was under heavy attack from the forces of this Chinese corsair, who were on their way to Intramuros, the seat of Spanish rule in the Philippines. Folk accounts have it that the inhabitants were at first disorganized, until a man from a barrio, by the name of Galo, came forward and took command. Under his able leadership, and with the arrival of Spanish forces led by Captain Juan de Salcedo from Ilocos, Limahong was repulsed and the occupation of the town was prevented.

The strong resistance of the barrio residents shocked the Chinese pirate, who thought that capturing Manila would be easy. What Limahong did not expect was that the defenders of the community, that would later be known as Don Galo, despite being ill-equipped, would fight to the end, so much so that the sea in front of the barrio turned red with their blood. The battle became known as the "Red Sea Incident".

The Parañaqueños not only saved their town, but they contributed decisively to Limahong's abandoning his plans to conquer the area. In appreciation for Galo's leadership and heroic deeds, the Spanish authorities granted him the title of "Don". The barrio later on was named after him - Don Galo or Dongalo.

Sources:

Wikipedia

http://www.tsinoy.com

https://kahimyang.com

Until next time. The Philippine history continues. . .

Rosalinda

The Philippines and Its Species-Rich Ecosystem - Part II

FAUNA

Philippine fauna forms a distinct subdivision within the Malayan region and provides evidence of the land bridges that once linked the archipelago with mainland Asia via Borneo. Palawan is especially rich in wildlife, which is closely related to Borneo’s. The wildlife of mainland Mindanao and Sulu also show affinity with Borneo, while northern Luzon has species in common with Taiwan and the Asian mainland.

Although the fossilized remains of elephants, have been found, the Philippines today has few large mammals. The absence of major predators means an abundance of small animals.

Tarsier - Photo by Wikipedia

There is a variety of fauna. Each September, migratory birds stop over on their way south from a chilling China. The Philippines is home to several indigenous birds and animals: sea turtles, mouse deer, tarsiers, and the Philippine eagle to name a few.

Carabao - Photo by Wikipedia

The strong domesticated carabao (water buffalo) is widely used in farms – as a form of transport and for tilling the soil. The carabao have no sweat glands and they cannot work in intense heat. In areas where it is too hot for carabao, farmers use zebu (Brahma cattle). In many places you will see ponies providing transportation.

Tamaraw - Photo by Wikipedia

Wild water-buffalo, probably descended from domestic animals, can be seen in Luzon, Mindoro, the Calamian group, Masbate, Negros and Mindanao, but a very small buffalo, called the tamaraw, on Mindoro, is native to the Philippines. This tiny buffalo, savage and untameable, often attacks and kills the larger water-buffalo, nearly twice its size.

The Philippine has quite a few kinds of mammals, but no marsupials. On the tiny islands of Balabac, between Palawan and Borneo, a kind of mouse deer ranges, one of the smallest deer in the world. Axis deer found on Sulu were probably introduced a century or two ago. On the islands of Basilan, Mindanao, Leyte, Samar and the Calamian group, red and brown deer occur, related to the sambar deer of Asia. Another deer, found on Masbate, Panay and Guimaras (between Panay and Negros), and native to the Philippines, is dark-colored with buff spots.

Two kinds of wild pigs and a kind of monkey can be seen on most of the larger islands, and tiny primates called tarsiers are found from Basilan to Samar. Squirrels live on the eastern islands, and also on Palawan, and a strange anteater called the pangolin, on Palawan.

Colugo - Photo by Wikipedia

Carnivorous animals of the Philippines include shrews and otters, two kinds of civet cat, and a small wild-cat. Bats and flying foxes are very common, and another strange flying mammals is found in the Philippines – the colugo, which looks vaguely like a cross between a bat and a flying squirrel, and is sometimes called a “flying lemur”.

Sadly, most of these animals face extinction. The incessantly over-expanding human population, however, encroaches relentlessly on natural habitats. Deforestation and hunting have caused many species of animals that once ranged broadly to be confined to specific areas. Wild pigs are an exception: they have adapted well to the changing environment.

Bird life in the Philippines is abundant – over 700 species have been recorded. Pheasants are confined to Palawan, but jungle fowls are found almost everywhere, and a strange megapode (or incubator bird) builds next mounds in the warm ash on volcano slopes. Water and shore birds include snipe, plover, turnstone, herons, bitterns, and ducks.

About 50 kinds of birds of prey live in the Philippines, ranging in size form a sparrow-sized falcon to the large monkey-eating eagle – twenty kinds of birds of prey are found nowhere else in the world. Some twenty kinds of kingfishers, most of them native to the Philippines, live along the streams and waterways.

A dozen kinds of hornbills occur only in the Philippines. One kind of cockatoo and about twenty kinds of parrots and parakeets live in the forests, as well as larks, barbets, broadbills, starlings, orioles, weaver finches, nuthatches, titmice, shrikes, tailor birds, thrushes, flycatchers, swallows and swifts. The swift whose nest, collected for soup, is eaten with relish in Asian countries, lives in some parts of the Philippines.

About twenty kinds of woodpeckers, and the same number of cuckoos and honeyeaters are found here, and some twenty-eight species of colorful sunbirds. Some of the other kinds of birds in the Philippines are frogmouths, beebirds, and night-hawks.

The Philippines has over 20,000 types of insects, including ants, termites, locusts, land-leeches, butterflies, moths, beetles, cockroaches, mosquitoes, and wasps. One of these wasps, the tiger hornet, is among the most feared of jungle creatures in the Philippines – just as terrifying as any of the venomous snakes of the region. Nesting in small colonies low to the ground, these large black insects have a four-inch wingspan, and a bright orange strips across the abdomen. Occasionally they nest on a jungle path, where an unwary person might disturb them. One or two bites cause intense pain but, if the whole group of wasps attack, they can kill the strongest of men in a very short time.

Filipinos are very fond of honey, especially in places where sugar cane does not grow. Honey bees are encouraged to nest in trees with easy access.

Philippine Crocodile - Photo by Wikipedia

Land and freshwater reptiles include many small lizards, such as skinks and geckoes, and large goannas, venomous snakes, the reticulated python and other pythons and boas, and the only sea-snake in the world known to have adapted itself to a life in fresh water (found in lake Taal). Land turtles are also common, and a crocodile grows to a length of 25 feet, and may measure about three feet across the back.

About 40 kinds of frogs live in the Philippine region – most of them closely related to species found in Borneo. Scientists believe that these reached the islands on canoes laden with produce, or crossed many centuries ago when the Philippines region was connected to Borneo by land bridges.

The seas on the western side of the Philippines and between the islands, fairly shallow and warm, support a huge variety of marine creatures. Sea mammals are represented by dolphins, dugongs, and whales. The largest marine animal in these waters is the striped whale. Turtles, sea snakes, coral snakes, and the huge estuarine or sea-going crocodile are also common. Over 2,000 varieties of fish live in the Philippine region, including the smallest fish in the world, only half an inch long when fully grown. Most of the fish are of Indonesian origin, with some Chinese and Japanese kinds, and others similar to fish found near Tonga, Samoa, and Hawaii. Tereapon, catfish, perch, mudfish, mullet, milkfish, trevally, long-tom or garfish, shrimps, crabs, oysters, and squid are caught close to shore by commercial fishermen. Salmon, herrings, and other fish are farmed in tidal pools. Oceanic fish are anchovy, bonito sailfish, marlin, sharks, mackerel, barracuda, jewfish, bass, snapper, tuna, and many others. Many kinds of colorful reef shells come from the warm seas close to the islands.

Source:
The Philippines by John Cockcroft
Philippine Handbook by Carl Parkes
Philippine Guide by Jill & Rebecca Gale de Villa