This week we're going to be focusing on setting. Generally speaking, settings are either fictional or real.
If you're going for a realistic setting, it has to be just that. You might not give away the exact location, but what happens there should reflect reality. For example, there are no wild bears or wolves in England, so if there are some in your story consider where they could have escaped from in order to get there.
If you're writing a fictional location, you may still want to base it in reality. For example, Philip Pullman's Northern Lights is set in ‘Jordan College’ at Oxford University. Jordan College is a fantasy place, and is located where Exeter College is in the real world. By using the real world, you are able to more subtly introduce themes of the otherworld and fantasy whilst still allowing your audience to relate in some way.
Otherwise, if you are writing a purely fictional location, there really are no rules. You can make use of mythical creatures and locations, such as the fountain of youth or Atlantis. If you are using mythical locations, it would be wise to do some research around the mythology first - of course you can make some changes, but it still needs to be recognisable.
In your notebook, try writing an accurate description of the town you live in at the moment. What features would you pick out, where would your character go and what would they do?
Next, try adding some elements of fiction - this doesn't have to be otherworldly things like witches, it could be as simple as idealising it; adding in different trees; changing the names of some locations, etc.
Finally, try writing an entirely fictional place. This should be fun, whether you feel you will use it or not! You might never want to write a fully fictional story, but it's always worth trying new things. You might want to expand on some of the ideas from your second piece of writing, or just create an entirely new place - it's up to you!
Happy writing!
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