my top 5 tips for creating immersive settings in your story 💌
because we want to avoid that white room saga 👀
Okay so I’ve found myself in a bit of a predicament. I’m in that point of my Substack journey where I’m overthinking perfecting every post when in reality I just need to post the posts as they are. If I have something more to add, then I can do this radical thing called writing another post as required.
ANYWHO.
A common problem many writers face is the ‘white room’. This is where you’re reading a story and there’s little to no description on where the characters actually are. In fact, when you’re reading your own work, this might be the missing piece of the puzzle to make your words feel more immersive.
The reason you (or your audience) might feel disconnected from the scene is because they’re not fully in the scene. The story might read more like an Ikea manual or news report than an actual literary experience.
Here’s how to fix this 👇🏻
ONE|| Let the character engage with the world around them
→ Have the character physically interact with their setting & include that interaction within your storytelling. Instead of describing the colour and material of the couch, you can say how the character crashed down on the couch in exhaustion and then complained how it was a terrible idea because it was so comfortable/uncomfortable.
TWO || Utilise verbs as descriptors
→ Use verbs as descriptors rather than adjectives. I actually found a great resource from First Draft School on Instagram who sums it up perfectly. You can find the post here.
THREE || Engage in the sensory details
→ Don’t forget to utilise the 5 senses. Engaging the senses of the character will then engage the senses of the reader, immersing them into the scene like they were there themselves.
FOUR || Prioritise planning the setting
→ Use real estate websites, travel accommodation websites, Youtube vlogs, and & other research tools to gain an accurate visual of the settings. Notice the small details. A favourite example I always use is how in Melbourne, most of the streets have a curb between the footpath and road whereas in many European cities, the road and footpath are on the same level.
FIVE || Character observations
→ This one hits two birds with one stone. Not only are you immersing your reader into the scene, but you’re also creating a unique voice for your story. Let your character not only see what’s around them, but more specifically observe what’s around them. What do they notice? What do they think about what they notice? What’s something unique that they’d notice that others wouldn’t? How does it make them feel? What does it remind them of? Incorporate your character’s personality to their observations and you’re set to have an immersive and entertaining story.
Do you want to see more content like this? Let me know in the comments!