THE SETTING

The time and place in which the events of a narrative occur are called setting. The setting may be described specifically by the narrator or one of the characters, or it may be suggested through dialogue and action.

The setting can be:

1. general, unimportant
2. specific, significant to theme
3. time elapsed, furthering the story
4. time selected in historical perspective
5.significant to characters

USING SENSORY DETAILS

Descriptive writing creates an impression in part through sensory details, appealing to the reader's sense of sight, hearing, smell, taste, and touch. Sensory details in the following selection help create a vivid impression of the wonders of an old-fashioned circus parade.

CHARLES PHILIP FORX in A TICKET TO THE CIRCUS

One of the most glorious and delightful aspects of the circus is now gone forever. In its heyday the parade's purpose was to advertise the show's presence in town and stir up excitement, interest and enthusiasm in the people. And this is did -- for no other advertising medium ever devised so played upon the three key senses of men. For the eye there were the gigantic gold-leafed bandwagons pulled by ten-horse teams; scores of beautifully appointed ladies riding on sleek well-groomed horses; colorful zebras; clowns riding donkey carts; haughty camels, and plodding elephants bedecked in gorgeous red velvet robes covered with sparkling spangles; glorious wood-carved tableaux representing faraway countries; open cages and dens of wild animals, colorful birds and reptiles from all over the world. For the ear there were many bands high up on wagons and playing circus music. There were bell wagons, organs and the shrieking, puffing, blowing steam calliope. There there were special sounds that could only be heard in a circus parade ... the deep-throated knock of the heavy wheels caused by the slight lateral motion of the wheel when it hit the axle housing; the soft shuffling sounds as dozens of elephants slid their sandpaper-like feet on the pavement; the clopping of forty shod hooves as a ten-horse hitch passed by; the rattle of chains; the sudden roar of a tiger or lion. Then too, the parade imparted to the nose very special odors that added a thrilling touch of reality to the whole spectacular pageant -- a fantastic array of wild animals, each with its own peculiar jungle of scent drifting out from the cage; the individual exotic aroma of the camels, not quite like a horse; and the dense penetrating odor of the elephants.

THE WRITER'S CRAFT

The description contains details that enable the reader to see, hear and even smell the circus parade. But if the author had simply said that there were bandwagons in the parade, a sharp picture would not have been created in your mind. To enable you to see the bandwagons clearly, he specifies that they were 'gigantic' and 'gold-leafed' and that they were 'pulled by ten-horse teams'. Find words that enable you to see the different aspects of the parade.

To develop the skill of descriptive writing, one seeks to create a clear picture or impression of a person, place, or object. It grows of a writer's ability to observe closely, then through skillful use of words to convey those observations in writing.

Not every detail of a person, object, or scene should be included in a description. On the contrary, from all the details present, the writer carefully selects only a few -- those that will contribute to the purpose of the description.

Usually the reader needs to know where individual details that make up a scene are located, and how they are related to each other. To indicate location, a writer uses words and phrases that reveal spatial relationships -- expressions such as 'over, beneath, beside, on the right, between, and in the distance.'

Again, the setting includes time and place. Most of the setting may come at the beginning. But often the setting flows with the story at the appropriate moments to create a backdrop for the character's action.

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These pages are from various handouts and excersises that I've collected from school over the years - I did not write them myself. If anyone ever finds the original teachers who wrote these (probably at some point in the 70s or early 80s), please let me know so I can credit them! If you wish to copy, print, link to or use these pages in any way, you do not need to ask me for permission.