The biggest thing that stood out to me when reading this chapter was how setting can be so useful in setting the tone, especially when paired with characterization of a person in your work. For example, during The Great Gatsby’s first big party scene, we learn a lot about Gatsby despite the fact that we have never once had a conversation with him until this very moment. Through the lavish party, we know that Gatsby has a flair for the dramatic, seeking to impress, and he is actually a private person, as no one in that room actually knows who is. The other big thing in this chapter that I enjoyed was the section on flashbacks, as I love flashbacks in the books I read, though they are difficult to do write, especially when you’re dealing with a longer timeline.
I have always been one to like to really describe settings and things related to setting in a poetic like manner but did not have much knowledge on how to do so. I really found the idea of flashbacks in writing to be interesting and something worth trying to incorporate. The chapter said that if it is that dramatic of a past event then it could be helpful to use a flashback so that you can show how dramatic it was with the use of dialogue. However, using too many flashbacks could indicate that you may have started your story in the wrong spot or you should maybe focus on different aspects of your story (that is other than your original starting point). This chapter also restates the importance of sensory details and specific details about different aspects in your story which I thought was worth noting. Even with the chapters being written by different people, they both agree that these two elements are worth knowing and practicing to add raft to a work, which I found important to note. I also found the idea of the setting being its own character an important thing to note. Like said in the chapter, a place like Seattle Washington is known for the amount of rain they get which has a major impact on how your character may think or act or dress which allows for you to not only add depth to a character but to also make the setting more important, lively and included in the work rather than just having characters that are floating through a vacuum.
Chapter 7 was all about setting and pacing. I struggle the most with pacing. I feel like I focus on little things for too long and then I rush to get to the climax in my stories. The setting is where I thrive, particularly when it comes to fantasy or sci-fi. The setting is one of the most important parts of the story and, for me, a key part of the escapism that comes with reading. The final section of this chapter focused on pacing and I found all of it to be very helpful. It mentioned that you can utilize the passage of time to keep the story moving in a way that seems more genuine than just bouncing around to plot points. I think I will be able to use these tips when writing my story as it only takes place over a short period of time so I can better show the lengths of each interaction or plot point without having to say silly things like “15 minutes later this happened” or “after an hour of waiting he did this”.
At the very beginning of chapter 7, page 150, Gussoff tells the reader “living here in the constant sop affects every aspect of my life—where I go, what I wear, how I get there.” I feel as though this quote explains the chapter so succinctly, showing how the setting is supposed to inform the character, or visa versa. When reading about a character from a rainy city, the author wouldn’t have to tell the reader that it rains often when they could instead show that the character’s closet is overrun with long-sleeved shirts and they always bring an extra pair of socks to work. That was a little point I loved and wanted to geek about, but another interesting point is on page 160, where Gussoff expresses how the setting can become a character in its own right, pushing and pulling the characters as though it were there in the flesh, talking to them and influencing their actions. There’s drama that can be shown in how a setting changes, or how a character may fail or flourish in that same setting. An example of this could be the fictional town of Dairy, Maine from some of Stephen King, most evidently in his book It, the town itself is implied to be dangerous and working against the protagonists, leading attention to or from people and hiding the monster deep in its long, winding sewer.
Chapter 7 was about setting and pacing. This chapter really helped me understand how to make the setting of a story make place while still adding something to the plot line. Being able to create the right setting and pacing to help move the plot along is important. When it come to pacing, in short stories, it is really hard for me. Being able to have a pacing that flows properly and moves the right way really captivates the readers. In my writing, I normally do a longer novel style writing, and now switching the gear towards a short story being able to make the pacing fit the story I want to convey is the hardest aspect for me. After reading this section I can use these elements to make sure my pacing fits and really helps convey the story in the best way is something that I want to be able to take away from this section.
Here, in this chapter about pacing and setting, I felt a very unified theme understandably so. this whole chapter though felt it was restating everything it was trying to say over its two main points over and over. As with most other things, pacing ought to be done within a “goldilocks” frame, not too fast, not too slow. It all hinges on how the writer wants to portray their story. If they need to get context out, but still have the bulk ahead of them, they ought to quicken the pace in order to get necessary context. IF they deem the background more important than, perhaps, the end of the story the pacing of such thing can be slowed to accommodate. I like to think of it as a adjusting the treble, bass, and mid, on a speaker system. Setting each and every tone properly into the perfect ix for the song or general vibe of environment.
On the second page of this chapter there was one specific paragraph that sat with me for the entirety of the chapter. The author was describing that some of our favorite literary characters are who they are because of the PLACE they were in. That there is a undeniable string attached between character and setting. Without it, you don’t have a story that feels real. There would be no “other world” to escape to, which is something I believe most readers look for in fiction. It also reminded me a lot of Groff’s story in BASS. The intricate details she provided about her old home and her new one in California shaped the entire story. The solitude she found in the setting is what she needed for her desire and growth as a character. It helped answer the big dramatic question. Also, the setting and its description made the story feel live-able. I felt like the character in the small apartment, running the streets of California, and even working at her part-time job. Although setting can be a subtle addition, it revolutionizes the depth of a character.
This chapter was all about setting the scene, whether that involved the environment, time, and mood. The part I found most useful when considering applications to my own writing difficulties. I struggle to keep the story moving sometimes, so then I rush and skip over details. It was interesting to think of pacing in a story from the context of how the character is experiencing the scene I’m trying to write. Maybe a good event is intentionally fast paced to make it seem more threatening when it ends or a bad event drags on to show how the character is being affected. Maybe the lead up to a big speech drags on really long because that’s how the character is experiencing the time before that speech. Thinking about where to use my time and how I want sections of my story to come off is really helpful to consider.
I found this chapter on setting and pacing to be very helpful. In my own writing, I find myself really enjoying writing “place” or setting, because while it can be a moment that slows down the story by being a pause in the action, it also can be really helpful in drawing the reader in. I usually take this as an opportunity to focus on the 5 senses in writing, so it can be a fun time of creativity. Painting the picture, if you will. It’s an opportunity for the author to display what is in their mind to the reader, and this chapter highlights the fact that if it is done right, it can be very artful. The setting and character section was one of my favorites in this chapter, because it really focused on the importance of how characters and setting rely on each other, further emphasizing the need for knowing your characters. Character development is one of the aspects of storytelling that you can’t really have a story without, so it is important to know how they fit into every aspect of telling a story, like setting for example. This chapter talked about how the setting can influence how the character dresses, socializes, eats, works, and talks, etc… which are all important to think about.
I really liked this chapter because it focused on the importance that the setting has not just to the worldbuilding that you do for whatever you’re working on, but also on your characters. Setting informs, and thus it is an integral part to the process of writing, and in my opinion should act as a foundation for whatever writing endeavor you are undergoing. Setting is a pivotal part that informs how characters think in act, and i think this chapter did a very good job of illustrating why it is important to include setting and keep in mind in stories, with the author talking about how their stories in writing were purely character focused, but because their characters we lacking a setting, the character felt stale, and like they just meandered through the story, setting is needed even in scenarios where it isn’t the focus of the story, setting is a grounding aspect that affects everything else around it.
in chapter 7 I found the section on setting the details most interesting because I always find it difficult on where things should be detailed and where its probably not as important. With setting details it can help the reader get a detailed visual picture of what’s going on which keeps the reader engaged with the story. The chapter gives off examples of where and when to add important detail and how to make it feel realistic like your there in the story with the characters. This will be beneficial in writing my short story and keeper the reader attention.
11 thoughts on “JOURNAL # 9”
The biggest thing that stood out to me when reading this chapter was how setting can be so useful in setting the tone, especially when paired with characterization of a person in your work. For example, during The Great Gatsby’s first big party scene, we learn a lot about Gatsby despite the fact that we have never once had a conversation with him until this very moment. Through the lavish party, we know that Gatsby has a flair for the dramatic, seeking to impress, and he is actually a private person, as no one in that room actually knows who is. The other big thing in this chapter that I enjoyed was the section on flashbacks, as I love flashbacks in the books I read, though they are difficult to do write, especially when you’re dealing with a longer timeline.
I have always been one to like to really describe settings and things related to setting in a poetic like manner but did not have much knowledge on how to do so. I really found the idea of flashbacks in writing to be interesting and something worth trying to incorporate. The chapter said that if it is that dramatic of a past event then it could be helpful to use a flashback so that you can show how dramatic it was with the use of dialogue. However, using too many flashbacks could indicate that you may have started your story in the wrong spot or you should maybe focus on different aspects of your story (that is other than your original starting point). This chapter also restates the importance of sensory details and specific details about different aspects in your story which I thought was worth noting. Even with the chapters being written by different people, they both agree that these two elements are worth knowing and practicing to add raft to a work, which I found important to note. I also found the idea of the setting being its own character an important thing to note. Like said in the chapter, a place like Seattle Washington is known for the amount of rain they get which has a major impact on how your character may think or act or dress which allows for you to not only add depth to a character but to also make the setting more important, lively and included in the work rather than just having characters that are floating through a vacuum.
Chapter 7 was all about setting and pacing. I struggle the most with pacing. I feel like I focus on little things for too long and then I rush to get to the climax in my stories. The setting is where I thrive, particularly when it comes to fantasy or sci-fi. The setting is one of the most important parts of the story and, for me, a key part of the escapism that comes with reading. The final section of this chapter focused on pacing and I found all of it to be very helpful. It mentioned that you can utilize the passage of time to keep the story moving in a way that seems more genuine than just bouncing around to plot points. I think I will be able to use these tips when writing my story as it only takes place over a short period of time so I can better show the lengths of each interaction or plot point without having to say silly things like “15 minutes later this happened” or “after an hour of waiting he did this”.
At the very beginning of chapter 7, page 150, Gussoff tells the reader “living here in the constant sop affects every aspect of my life—where I go, what I wear, how I get there.” I feel as though this quote explains the chapter so succinctly, showing how the setting is supposed to inform the character, or visa versa. When reading about a character from a rainy city, the author wouldn’t have to tell the reader that it rains often when they could instead show that the character’s closet is overrun with long-sleeved shirts and they always bring an extra pair of socks to work. That was a little point I loved and wanted to geek about, but another interesting point is on page 160, where Gussoff expresses how the setting can become a character in its own right, pushing and pulling the characters as though it were there in the flesh, talking to them and influencing their actions. There’s drama that can be shown in how a setting changes, or how a character may fail or flourish in that same setting. An example of this could be the fictional town of Dairy, Maine from some of Stephen King, most evidently in his book It, the town itself is implied to be dangerous and working against the protagonists, leading attention to or from people and hiding the monster deep in its long, winding sewer.
Chapter 7 was about setting and pacing. This chapter really helped me understand how to make the setting of a story make place while still adding something to the plot line. Being able to create the right setting and pacing to help move the plot along is important. When it come to pacing, in short stories, it is really hard for me. Being able to have a pacing that flows properly and moves the right way really captivates the readers. In my writing, I normally do a longer novel style writing, and now switching the gear towards a short story being able to make the pacing fit the story I want to convey is the hardest aspect for me. After reading this section I can use these elements to make sure my pacing fits and really helps convey the story in the best way is something that I want to be able to take away from this section.
Here, in this chapter about pacing and setting, I felt a very unified theme understandably so. this whole chapter though felt it was restating everything it was trying to say over its two main points over and over. As with most other things, pacing ought to be done within a “goldilocks” frame, not too fast, not too slow. It all hinges on how the writer wants to portray their story. If they need to get context out, but still have the bulk ahead of them, they ought to quicken the pace in order to get necessary context. IF they deem the background more important than, perhaps, the end of the story the pacing of such thing can be slowed to accommodate. I like to think of it as a adjusting the treble, bass, and mid, on a speaker system. Setting each and every tone properly into the perfect ix for the song or general vibe of environment.
On the second page of this chapter there was one specific paragraph that sat with me for the entirety of the chapter. The author was describing that some of our favorite literary characters are who they are because of the PLACE they were in. That there is a undeniable string attached between character and setting. Without it, you don’t have a story that feels real. There would be no “other world” to escape to, which is something I believe most readers look for in fiction. It also reminded me a lot of Groff’s story in BASS. The intricate details she provided about her old home and her new one in California shaped the entire story. The solitude she found in the setting is what she needed for her desire and growth as a character. It helped answer the big dramatic question. Also, the setting and its description made the story feel live-able. I felt like the character in the small apartment, running the streets of California, and even working at her part-time job. Although setting can be a subtle addition, it revolutionizes the depth of a character.
This chapter was all about setting the scene, whether that involved the environment, time, and mood. The part I found most useful when considering applications to my own writing difficulties. I struggle to keep the story moving sometimes, so then I rush and skip over details. It was interesting to think of pacing in a story from the context of how the character is experiencing the scene I’m trying to write. Maybe a good event is intentionally fast paced to make it seem more threatening when it ends or a bad event drags on to show how the character is being affected. Maybe the lead up to a big speech drags on really long because that’s how the character is experiencing the time before that speech. Thinking about where to use my time and how I want sections of my story to come off is really helpful to consider.
I found this chapter on setting and pacing to be very helpful. In my own writing, I find myself really enjoying writing “place” or setting, because while it can be a moment that slows down the story by being a pause in the action, it also can be really helpful in drawing the reader in. I usually take this as an opportunity to focus on the 5 senses in writing, so it can be a fun time of creativity. Painting the picture, if you will. It’s an opportunity for the author to display what is in their mind to the reader, and this chapter highlights the fact that if it is done right, it can be very artful. The setting and character section was one of my favorites in this chapter, because it really focused on the importance of how characters and setting rely on each other, further emphasizing the need for knowing your characters. Character development is one of the aspects of storytelling that you can’t really have a story without, so it is important to know how they fit into every aspect of telling a story, like setting for example. This chapter talked about how the setting can influence how the character dresses, socializes, eats, works, and talks, etc… which are all important to think about.
I really liked this chapter because it focused on the importance that the setting has not just to the worldbuilding that you do for whatever you’re working on, but also on your characters. Setting informs, and thus it is an integral part to the process of writing, and in my opinion should act as a foundation for whatever writing endeavor you are undergoing. Setting is a pivotal part that informs how characters think in act, and i think this chapter did a very good job of illustrating why it is important to include setting and keep in mind in stories, with the author talking about how their stories in writing were purely character focused, but because their characters we lacking a setting, the character felt stale, and like they just meandered through the story, setting is needed even in scenarios where it isn’t the focus of the story, setting is a grounding aspect that affects everything else around it.
in chapter 7 I found the section on setting the details most interesting because I always find it difficult on where things should be detailed and where its probably not as important. With setting details it can help the reader get a detailed visual picture of what’s going on which keeps the reader engaged with the story. The chapter gives off examples of where and when to add important detail and how to make it feel realistic like your there in the story with the characters. This will be beneficial in writing my short story and keeper the reader attention.