Write a setting with me
- Jeremy
- Apr 25
- 6 min read
Reading time: 5-6 min
It is vital when writing a story to write a setting. Because the ‘where’ is just as important as the ‘what’ and ‘who’. Here are my steps for writing any setting, no matter how big or for what purpose.
I will go through the steps with you sharing how I would answer the questions for one of my settings. My answers are written in yellow, so they are easy to distinguish from the prompts and questions.
Begin
I always start by figuring out my concept, purpose, and theme. This might not be your actual first step but these elements are the most important parts and need to be defined early on.
Purpose: In the story you are telling, why does this place exist?
This is the location where the adventurers get their quest to explore the dungeon.
Theme: What is the core of the setting? What is the message or lesson to be learned?
The core of the game is about what it means to leave a legacy. This location is filled with people who want to leave a legacy.
Concept: What do you want to make?
The setting is a small adventuring guild in the middle of a busy town.
It is important you think about a place you’re interested in writing which fits the theme and purpose.
Once you figure these things out, you must consider the emotion in your storytelling. When telling a small story or making an important setting it is important to consider emotion in every step of writing.
Tone: What type of words does the narrative use? What emotion do they convey?
The inside is described as: spacious, eclectic, constant talking, and welcoming. This conveys joy, trust, and the ability to let your guard down.
Mood: What is the player/reader feeling when in this setting?
I want players to feel comfortable and excited when entering.
Aesthetics
Now that we vaguely know what the setting is, we should think about how it looks and feels.
Time: In what time/era does this setting exist?
The story is set in a fantasy medieval setting.
Tone and Theme: What does the tone and theme look like in this setting?
The tone is shown through the decoration and people visiting the guild. The theme of legacy is shown through family pictures on the walls and people talking about their past and future adventures. On a wall hangs a large shield in the colours of the country.
Mood: How does this evoke the mood in the player/character/reader?
The relaxed and trusting environment will make players feel comfortable and the constant talking will make players feel like there is a lot going on making them feel excited in anticipation of their coming adventure.
Are there any elements that stand out visually? Can you not fully imagine what the location would look like? Look online at imagines that fit your tone, mood, theme, and time, and combine those into a collage/moodboard.
Demographic
Next step is to think about the people who frequent or live in this setting.
Type: What kind of people would you find here?
In the guild, you find professional adventurers, guild staff, and new adventurers.
Tone: How would seeing these people in this setting strengthen the tone?
Seeing professional adventurers gives players an idea of what they can expect in the future, strengthening their excitement.
Seeing new adventurers shows that it is okay to not be perfect or incredibly strong, making them feel comfortable.
Theme: How do these people being here further your theme?
Seeing professional adventurers shows what people making a legacy can look like.
Seeing new adventurers shows the want for legacy and how people act if they feel like they cannot do so.
Break time
You’re doing great, take a little break to look back at the 3 steps we just went over. Do they match? Are there elements in the first step which don’t really work with the third step?
Iteration: Make sure all elements match and improve them where possible.
History
This setting now has a strong basis. It is important to expand on it to make sure that it feels alive.
Choose 1 or 2 of the following and answer them:
What took place there that is often misremember?
What event happened that people do not want to talk about?
What is something great that happened a long time ago but still gets brought up?
How did this setting come to exist?
1. A man came in drunk and started talking about something big. "The lion of the east lay bare that which is stolen". Some believe that he was talking of a monster, others think he was speaking of prophecy.
2. A famous adventurer who visited often, came in and collapsed, dying hours afterwards. Those who were present arranged the burial and informed their family. When those who don’t know the adventurer's fate ask about him, they are told a story of a grand quest he went on, each time, the story is bigger and better.
3. When the Mortom city council started pressuring the guild to shut down and for adventurers to make their own more bureaucratic guild, the adventurers supported each other outed the scandal causing most members not to be re-elected.
4. The guild building was created decades ago as the home base of an adventuring group. When the adventurers retired 6 years later, one of them kept ownership of the base. Ann Archer spends her days in the guild to welcome newer adventurers and offer guidance.
One-liner
Knowing the core of your setting is vital. Describe your setting in one-line and make sure every little word matters.
Ann Archer’s adventuring guild is a welcoming place for new and old adventurers alike to plan quests and share stories.
To check if your one-liner is good, tell it to someone and ask them to describe what they imagine the setting to be. If their imagination varies largely from what you planned, iterate on the one-liner until their imagination matches your plan.
The adventuring guild is filled with laughter and storytelling as the patrons, new and old, talk of grand adventures past and ones to come.
Use
Now that we have the full setting beginning to end we revisit the setting’s purpose.
Purpose: In the story you are telling, why does this place exist?
This is the location where the adventurers get their quest to explore the dungeon.
The setting should feel alive. Your setting only having one reason why it exists would make it feel like just another plot point, something that comes up once.
Activities: What are other things you could do in this setting?
Other than receiving quests, in the guild you can also sign up as a guild member, meet other adventurers to join your group, and receive tips about adventuring. The guild building also serves as a bar for members.
Demographic: How do the people in this setting feel about this?
To people at the guild, this is very normal. New people come by often and as long as you don’t look for trouble they will welcome you with open arms. Most seasoned adventurers are happy to offer tips but are less likely to join a new group if they already have one.
New adventurers are the opposite as they struggle to offer meaningful tips but are happy to join your group as they likely don’t have one yet.
Describe
The last step of writing a setting for me is writing a short introduction or description of the setting. If there are any mismatched elements in what you wrote previously, you will notice these misalignments best when describing the setting.
Before you even open the door to the adventuring guild, you already hear the sounds of loud chatting coming from inside. The first thing you notice is the guild’s chaotic decoration. The large space has tables of different shapes and sizes, and the walls have many posters on the walls. The tables are filled with people chatting, none paying attention to your entrance. There is a clear path between the tables leading towards the bar in the back.
