Sense of Place

What is Sense of Place? It's the image of a scene's environment evoked by the writing. The author becomes an artist; the book page is the canvas, sentences and phrasing are the brushes; words give color.

This element of a story is something most readers look for. They want to feel as if they are in the scene. Sense of place is vital to fact and fiction.

Some writers overuse adjectives with the mistaken belief that this will offer sense of place. But saying "the elegant house" isn't enough. That abstraction has little substance. "The well-landscaped house set on a knoll overseeing the valley" might say more.

Another attempt is to list things.

"Brenda looked around. The room had a brass coffee table, and a bright sofa flanked by two Queen Anne chairs. Three prints were on one wall, with the sheer curtains hanging at the wide window. Two ornate candlesticks set on the fireplace mantle."

Brenda has become a camera, with no emotion attached to the description. How about this:

"Brenda thought the bright sofa flanked by two Queen Anne chairs seemed cozy. She admired three prints, and fingered one of the ornate candlesticks on the mantle as a breeze billowed the curtains. Scents of lilac wafted through the wide window. The books on the brass coffee table caught her eye."

This second paragraph only uses eight more words than the first, yet engages the character into the description of the room so that the reader learns about the room and the character.

Sense of place is important in nonfiction, too. A manual might read: "When managing a large office setting, it's important to develop good interaction between employees."

"Large office setting" is rather vague, and so is "good interaction." To give this sentence sense of place, it could be written:

"When faced with multiple workstations, harsh lighting and the continual background noises of telephones and copy machines, it's important to encourage dialogue with all employees."

Sense of place should continue throughout a paragraph or section. Here's a scene of a man stranded on a stretch of Kansas back road. "The hot July sun bore down on him" could give the initial detail. But it must be carried through the scene. Several sentences later a sentence could read, "Robert looked at his useless car." Add sense of place to this: "Robert wiped sweat from his forehead and squinted toward his useless car.

wiped sweat (it's hot) squinted (it's bright)

Later: "He looked around for the closest house."

This would work better as, "The surrounding fields of ripening wheat seemed unending, without a single roofline or driveway in sight."

By adding these touches, the sense of place enhances the story.

A good sense of place also engages most of the five senses. Include colors, smells and textures in descriptions.

"The hot July sun bore down as Robert backed from the vehicle. Why now? he wondered. He wiped sweat from his forehead and squinted at his useless car. He could smell hot metal from the engine. A puddle of radiator fluid stained the gray asphalt a sickly green..."

Robert walks along the road, thinking about what got him here, then

"His sigh was barely audible in the dry wind, and the surrounding fields of ripening wheat seemed unending, without a single roofline or driveway in sight."

Weather and nature can also establish a sense of place. In my historic novel KANSAS DREAMER: Fury in Sumner County, the weather becomes a prominent plot element--almost a character. (That will be the topic of a future newsletter: "Non-Human Characters".) But for sense of place, a story based in the tropics could be rife with descriptions of humidity, vivid sunsets, blown sand, myriad scents and colors from vegetation; on the negative, these areas also have hurricanes, riptides, mosquitoes, sink holes and sharks.

Weather can become a motivating factor for a character; it can parallel a character's emotions or trigger a memory; it can be an antithesis for the actions, too. The bright day did nothing to relieve Arthur's morbid thoughts.

With a few well-placed phrases, a writer can establishing a good sense of place. This will strengthen characterizations and greatly add to a reader's enjoyment of the final product.

About The Author

Karyn Follis Cheatham, a 23-year member of Western Writers of America, has authored eight books, including Dennis Banks, Native American Activist (Finalist for the 1998 Spur Award). She has edited for magazines and publishing houses, and her articles and poetry appear in national journals and newspapers. Her books can be purchased through Writers West http://writerswest.com/ web site: http://kaios.com/karyn/litserv.htm e-mail: karyn@kaios.com

aqk@kaios.com

---

Alternative View Points and the Lamp of Creativity

Pictures they say are worth a thousand words, but many... Read More

8 Reasons Why A Freelance Writer Should Use the Internet

What a wonderful resource the Internet is!Students find information to... Read More

Friendly Critiques

When a writer is working on their next literary masterpiece... Read More

Autobiography: Installment No.3

ESSAY 3Writing an autobiography involves a matching up of a... Read More

Interview with Suspense Author Peter Abrahams

Peter Abrahams is the author of thirteen novels, including "The... Read More

Are You a Freelance Writer? - Then You Need a Website

As a freelance writer, it is important to present yourself... Read More

Break in with Fillers: The Best Market for New Writers

Interested in breaking into writing or breaking into a new... Read More

Get Published: The Nuts and Bolts of Good English, and How to Impress a Publisher (3)

A well-punctuated approach letter may make the difference between acceptance... Read More

How To Self-Publish Your Own Books, Manuals, Reports Or Newsletters

You can make a lot of money by writing and... Read More

9 More Writing Tips for Successful Email Marketing

A few months ago, I wrote a guide entitled: 101... Read More

How to Catch the Writing Bug

----------------------------------------------------------Permission is granted for the below article to forward,reprint, distribute,... Read More

Home Business Writing Made Simple

Have you ever written a letter to a friend? Ever... Read More

6 Ways to Toot Your Own Writing Horn

You know you've got writing talent. Others enjoy your work... Read More

Writing For Free: When & When Not to Do It!

Right off the bat, I want to say that there... Read More

Creative Problem-Solving: Following Your Stream of Consciousness

Having trouble finding a solution to a nagging problem? Try... Read More

Plotting By Personality - Work With Your Natural Instincts

What's the best way to plot?Quick answer: the best way... Read More

That Cute Lil Ol Apostrophe

Have you ever had a student write to tell you... Read More

Top 7 Writers Sites for 2005

If you dream of turning your book into a best... Read More

Good Writing

Good writing is like sex. Two people are involved ?... Read More

Making Better Word Choices ? 4 Examples

Choosing the wrong words can have a poor effect on... Read More

Discover the Magic of the Most Beautiful Words in the English Language

'Summer afternoon - summer afternoon; to me those have always... Read More

Slow Pokes: Short Story On The Changing World Of Writing

"No one will ever know who I am, I'm a... Read More

Are You Feeling Dash-ing? Using Punctuation for Effect and Influence

The dash--that curious mark of punctuation people use in their... Read More

Pairs/Groups Of Words Often Confused - Part 5 of 6

PASSED, PASTPassed is the past tense of pass. Past means... Read More

Blank Mind, Blank Screen: Need Ideas!

Q. I'm staring at a blank screen with an equally... Read More

Letter Writing Journaling

When you read a letter from someone, we are immediately... Read More

Italics Part 2 - Using Italics to Show Thoughts

Way back in your early school years, you were probably... Read More

Business Writing Tip: Question & Answer Format

Traditionally, business writing uses the "one thing after another" format,... Read More

Basic Writing Tips ? Some Controversial, All Correct

As a previous article ("Making Better Word Choices ? 4... Read More

Creating Great Business Correspondence

Obtaining the skills for writing good business correpondence is important;... Read More

Ways to Make Extra Income Using the Internet

To capitalize on ways to make extra income you can... Read More

The Writers Identity: Exploring the Writer Within

Les Edgerton writes in his book, Finding Your Voice, that... Read More

Should You Do a Writing Course?

First, let's tackle the question that is uppermost in many... Read More