Not only do we not get to choose when inspiration strikes, we also don’t get to choose what form it takes. That’s how some writers end up with fully fleshed-out worlds—complete with unique currencies, languages, political structures, topography, etc.—and no idea what’s going to take place during the actual story.
If all you have is your setting, don’t worry—you have a lot more to work with than you think you do! Whether you’re typically a character-driven writer or a plot-driven writer, there’s an approach for everyone in this blog post. (Not sure which you are? Read this blog post!)
If you’re a character-driven writer…
As I’ve talked about before on the blog, if you can establish who the main character is and some basic facts about them, it’ll be that much easier to get a grip on your story! Under these circumstances, consider trying one or both of the following exercises, then read up on how to create a character arc to carry you through your WIP.
Exercise #1: Writing a Letter
You may have had an assignment in your school days like this: writing to a real or imagined potential pen pal. I’m sure that wasn’t your favorite thing you got to do in class, but we’re going to go about this a little differently.
Instead of starting the correspondence with an info dump about who your character is and what they look like and what a typical day in the life looks like, pretend you’re writing the twentieth or the fiftieth letter (or email, or what have you) to this recipient. Start en media res, and whatever you do, don’t try to make any decisions about what you’re going to write before you start. Set a timer and throw every sentence you can think of on the page. Let the voice take you where it wants to take you.
If this worked well for you, consider repeating the exercise and changing who you’re writing to—will it be your main character’s best friend this time, or their estranged brother? Maybe themselves from the future or the past?
Exercise #2: Q&A
Sometimes being direct about what we’re looking for is the best way to get our brains to deliver. Try brainstorming answers to the following questions. If you find yourself perseverating over an answer, set a timer for five minutes. If you haven’t jotted something down for it by then, circle back to it later.
- What kinds of people choose to live there?
- What kind of people were born there and subsequently stuck?
- Who would be considered odd or out of the ordinary in this setting?
- What are some preconceived notions or misunderstandings the people who live there might have about the setting, themselves, or others?
- How would you change in or adapt to this setting?
- What are the common stereotypes about people who live in this setting?
If you’re a plot-driven writer…
You’ve already dedicated so much time and TLC to your setting, so it only makes sense that it play a large role in your story—almost as though it were a character. Ask yourself the following questions and see if you can glean some potential plot points from your answers.
- What kind of event would be considered a disaster for this setting?
- What activities, actions, or ambitions does this setting make easy?
- What activities, actions, or ambitions does this setting make difficult?
- What are the people who live in this setting most afraid of happening?
- What traditions do the people of this setting keep, and what would happen if they were broken?
- What superstitions might the people of this setting have, and what would happen if they were true/false?
- What is the last thing anyone would expect someone from this setting to do?
If you do get some ideas for goings-on in your story, read up on how to write a story when all you have is a few scenes.
