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.