I’m adding this as a transition from Character to Setting, but don’t dismiss it as unimportant for writing. Have you ever read a book where the furniture and even the doors move? Unless, of course that’s part of the book–Terry Pratchet comes to mind, but I know his use of it was deliberate.
When writing, my characters usually spend some time in their places of work and at home at one time or several times during a book. Having descriptions of these places have proven helpful in not having to scroll back through a 70,000 word novel to remember what I placed the bed in their house or the computer in their cubicle.
This sketch was adapted from one of my favorite writing books by Karen S. Wiesner, First Draft in 30 Days.
NAME OF CHARACTER:
Year and/or Time Period:
Season:
Region/Country/State/Territory they live in:
Describe their surroundings (big city, rural area, suburbs, etc.):
Describe their neighborhood & neighbors, especially ones that appear in the book:
CHARACTER’S HOME:
Address, if this is important:
Describe the exterior of the House (house, apartment, or trailer):
Describe the interior of the House or draw a picture (decor, rooms, etc):
Physical, Mental, Spiritual, and/or Emotional Atmosphere of the Home:
CHARACTER’S WORKPLACE:
Business Name, Type, and Address:
Neighborhood:
Describe the exterior of the business:
Describe the interior of the business:
Describe the Individual Workspace:
Co-workers:
MISCELLANEOUS NOTES:
Note: if they live in a city like New York, having a map of the city can be helpful. My sister draws a full map of each setting in her fantasy novel so she knows where everything is. I do sketches of certain places though I lack her drawing ability. I find doing this helpful, because there are some readers who do pick up on these things.
Great idea!
There’s a balance and obligation in character and setting detail; to maintain an authenticity deep enough to drag the reader into the word and suspend their disbelief but also to minimalize details to those that reveal something about the character.
It’s pointless to say John Barnes wears a Pasolini Navy business suit unless something happens to it, or around it, or he did something abnormal to get it, and last and leastly it sets off something in his mind. How does he react when Bob drips peanut butter onto his sleeve in passing? Does he rage and rant, ending a positive acquaintanceship; does he wave it off as an immaterial inconvenience? Was the suit an offhand purchase with pocket change as far as he was concerned or did he save for months, eating insta-noodles and saltines in order to make an impression on a singular special day of presentation?
In movie making (screenwriting) there is a saying that goes “If a shotgun hangs on the wall in Act 1, then it’s fired in Act 2 or 3.” Paraphrased, of course, but that’s the gist and it’s applicable to books as well. Not to say details aren’t important, but we as authors should focus on those details that serve double duty. They reveal setting and character.
Very nicely said
This is great! I complete a detailed character profile packet on my characters, but love this idea. I once wrote a guest post about the frustration and embarassment of having to scour through over 200 pages to find what I’d named a cafe I’d had my characters dine at and where I’d mentioned the gym’s layout….I claimed after that (It was my first book and I was woefully inexperienced, ahem.)…’Write It Down!’ This little organizational tool takes it a few steps further. Lovely.
Thank you and I completely agree, browsing back through the book to find out what you named something sucks.
You know, Stephannie, if I’d do this, I wouldn’t overwrite and then cut. Good idea. Thanks.
You’re welcome
The last stage of my book featured an assault on a villa on a Greek island. I ended up drawing up blueprints for both floors of the villa to keep my own sense of where everything was as I was writing it.
Nice. I just did the same for my Children of Khaos series’ Mount Olympus. I kept getting everyone’s rooms mixed up.