April 25, 2008

Anne McDonald: Okies, let's get started. I'll open up in prayer, go over protocol and then introduce tonight's professor. Lord, thank You so much for meeting each of us at our needs. Please be with us tonight. Bless our guest and help us to apply the lessons she teaches tonight.

Please bless each of our participants and put a hedge of protection around our friends and family who are in the path of the severe storms tonight. Let our conversation tonight be a blessing to you and to others. In Jesus name, Amen.

Protocol reminder: when the floor is open to questions, please raise your hand by typing ? for questions, ! for comments and wait to be called on in turn to keep us from stepping on each others' toes, when you have finished typing a question or response, please type ga  ga= go ahead.

Tonight, I'm thrilled to introduce author Lena Nelson Dooley. She's been an advocate for Christian fiction for a long time and has published several novels along the way. Tonight she's going to teach us how to develop settings for our fiction. Please give Lena a warm welcome. Glad to have you, Lena. 

*Annie leads the applause 

Anne McDonald: Could you give us a bit about your background before you begin to teach? 

Lena Nelson Dooley: I was born in. . . No, I won't start that long ago. I've been writing professionally since 1984, when God told me to. You can read my testimony on www.lenanelsondooley.com .  My 18th book release will be in September. I also mentor the authors God sends to me. In addition, I interview other authors with their releases on my blog. 

Settings B Beyond Talking Heads, Bare Stage 

I host a critique group in my home and have for over 20 years. You=d be surprised to see how many people bring a very good story, filled with emotion and conflict, but completely bare of setting. That=s what I call Atalking heads, bare stage.@ 

What is setting? It=s the description of the place surrounding characters. Many elements make up setting. Time is part of the setting. In a contemporary novel, the time is present day, and in a historical novel, it denotes the time period. In the book, it could be winter, summer, autumn, or spring, or the book could span all the seasons. Each of these elements adds to the fabric of the story. 

Place should be revealed early in each scene. Does the scene take place indoors or out? If inside, what kind of building, with what kind of furnishings? If outside, is it rural or urban? There are a lot of varying settings that paint your book. 

Another important element is the weather. And weather can add to the tone of the book. We all know that stormy weather increases the darkness of a brooding mystery or gothic novel. Sunshine can add to the feeling of well-being.  

Some authors use the setting almost as another character in the book. One that comes to mind immediately is my friend Colleen Coble. Study her work to see how she uses these elements. 

Why do we need setting? It anchors the reader in a time and place. It enhances the story whether a dark mystery, a tender love story, a family tragedy, or a myriad of other scenarios. 

How should you use setting? When I first started writing, I dumped large sections of description of setting into one place. Tracie Peterson, my editor at the time, told me that she didn=t want a laundry list description of the setting. Her words really revealed to me what I was doing. Thank you, Tracie. 

Don=t overload the reader with unnecessary information. It=s best to include setting in snippets woven throughout the story. And reveal the snippets from the viewpoint of the POV character. How that person responds to the particular part of the setting will add to the overall feel of the story.