Your Writer's Voice: Step 7

Step 7: At this point, you now have the option of choosing one or the other sentence. Or, there may be value in combining and/or condensing them.

Setting the Setting

Meant to have posted this earlier. If you need a list of questions, you can copy and paste from here. Also, feel free to add questions to the list (via additional posts, I suppose).

The word “beings” is used throughout this list of questions. This word was chosen so that your stories and thinking would not have to be limited to human characters. The word “creatures” is used. This would be defined as living entities dependent on the higher-order "beings" for their life and existence--"animals," if the story is earth-based and populated with human "beings."

PART 1: THE BASICS. Answer the following questions.
1. Is your story set in the past, present or future?
2. What is the time for your story? Is it set in B.C., A.D., or some other schema? List a year or a range of years.
3. Is your story set on earth, off-earth or in an imaginary place?
4. What is the location for your story? In 30 words or less.
5. What is the mood of the times, mood of the location, or atmosphere for your story?
PART 2: IMAGINE IT. Close your eyes and imagine everything you have written so far. Imagine it richly and colorfully.
6. What colors do you see?
7. What are characters wearing?
8. What do the buildings look like? What do other “being-made” objects look like?
9. What does the surrounding countryside look like?
10. What kind of “creatures” populate the space?
11. What kind of plants do you see?
12. What is the weather like, TYPICALLY? AT ITS WORSE? AT ITS BEST?
13. How do “beings” in this society move from one place to the other?
PART 3: SOCIAL ENVIRONMENT. A deeper look into the culture or society of your story.
14. What are the attitudes that prevail in this society? The values? The behaviors toward one another? Toward strangers?
15. What is the best thing one “beings” can do for another in this place? The worst?
16. How do those living in this society feel about authority? Each other? Money?
17. What are the expectations of this society regarding its citizenry?
18. What are the good things about this society? What are the bad things? What are the worst things? What are the best things?
19. Regarding the “beings” in this society, are they transient or static?
20. What are the three to five most significant laws that govern this society?
21. What are the three to five unspoken rules that most everyone follows?
22. What happens to a “beings” who does something bad? Violates a significant law? Breaks an unspoken rule?
23. How do you know if “beings” in this society are in love? Hate each other?
24. How does this society treat its “young”? Its “old”? Its “creatures”?
25. What is their primary source of food? What other foods do they eat? What does a typical meal look like?
26. What is the basic unit of this society? How is this unit recognized? To what extent is this unit valued? What constitutes “family”? Friends? Acquaintances? Enemies? etc.
27. What are their unique terminology, customs, practices, beliefs?
28. How do “beings” in this society greet each other? Shun each other?
29. What is the measure of success? Failure?
PART 4: DRAW IT.
30. Draw a map of the key locations in your story. Draw examples of clothing. Draw splotches of color that are commonly seen in this story. Draw tools and utensils. Anything you can draw to help you visualize your story will be helpful as it continues to develop. Your drawings don’t have to be “good,” they just need to help you visualize the elements of your story.

Your Writer's Voice: Step 6

Step 6: Has your second sentence (from step 5) weakened your first? It usually does. If so, make it stronger than the first.

Your Writer's Voice: Step 5

Step 5: Suppose the person you most love in all the world were to strongly disagree with your sentence. Can you answer his/her disagreement in a second sentence? Write it now. (Note: If your first sentence is original, the chances of another person—even your closest loved one—agreeing with it without the sligthest exception is unlikely.)

ONE THING I KNOW - poem by Lisa Anne Kelley Peter

One thing I know, and I know so well,
and this one thing I've got to tell
No one, no how, no way
can ever take God out of the public domain

I looked for Him in school today
and though I saw no reference to His name
He was there just the same
I saw His evidence everyplace

Where did the brick come from to build the walls,
and the flooring to line the halls?
Who created every human form
Who made everything out of the norm?

I saw pictures on the bullentin boards
of zebra's and rainbows and beautiful snow,
mountans and rivers and a big red rose

At recess I saw the pebbles and sand,
and the sky above and trees and more

In the cafeteria I saw trays of food, milk and juice.
No the students didn't bow their heads,
but in my heart I gave God thanks...

I looked for and longed for a time of prayer
I thought how much more powerful it would be
than the time out chair..

In the morning when I had my break,
you know what I was doing -
I was praising His Name

Everywhere I looked, I saw the things that God had created.
To Him be all the glory and praise!

Lisa Peter Feb 2010 (written after a day of subbing in the Chester County Public Schools)

Your Writer's Voice: Step 4

Step 4: After step 3, consider additional questions:

Would the crowd cheer your sentence?

Can you revise it to give them something to cheer about?


These questions help you strengthen and individualize your sentence.