Setting

The Remarkable Life of an American Hero

Jon Clinch — Mon, 09 Oct 2023 15:25:05 GMT

Current Revision posted to Setting by Jon Clinch on 10/9/2023 3:25:05 PM

Critically acclaimed author Jon Clinch is on site at a historic landmark to discuss his novel, The General and Julia. In the novel, Ulysses S. Grant reflects on the crucial moments of his life as a husband, a father, a general, and a president while writing his memoirs and reckoning with his complicated legacy in this epic and intimate novel from the author of the “masterly” (The New York Times Book Review) novel Marley. For more on this author visit: https://www.simonandschuster.com/authors/Jon-Clinch/161463750.

www.youtube.com/watch

Tags: fiction, Literary Fiction, video, Historical Fiction

How an Effective Setting or World Can Inform and Shape a Story

Mike Robinson — Fri, 06 Jan 2023 18:23:02 GMT

Current Revision posted to Setting by Mike Robinson on 1/6/2023 6:23:02 PM

To be most effective, award-winning author, screenwriter, and editor Mike Robinson believes your story's setting or world should develop organically and serve as the backdrop to the story. In his own writing, Robinson starts with a premise or a character and only has a vague idea of what his setting or world will be. As he writes, the world gets clearer as the story progresses. Some writers develop their entire worlds and details from the outset, but he warns that this can lead to data dumping, since the writer feels a need to share everything about the world. He recommends weaving the story and world together, allowing the world to be seen through the eyes of the characters. Robinson believes the world should inform the story and support the journey, allowing the story to be at the forefront.

www.authorlearningcenter.com/.../HowanEffectiveSettingorWorldCanInformandShapeaStory.mp4

Tags: fiction, Subscriber, video

How an Effective Setting or World Can Inform and Shape a Story

Mike Robinson — Thu, 05 Jan 2023 22:18:35 GMT

Revision 1 posted to Setting by Mike Robinson on 1/5/2023 10:18:35 PM

Award-winning author and editor Mike Robinson shares the importance of a story's setting or world, and provides advice on making it effective.

www.authorlearningcenter.com/.../HowanEffectiveSettingorWorldCanInformandShapeaStory.mp4

Tags: fiction, Subscriber, video

Common World-Building Mistakes Writers Make

Guy Morris — Fri, 18 Nov 2022 13:04:03 GMT

Current Revision posted to Setting by Guy Morris on 11/18/2022 1:04:03 PM

Author and researcher Guy Morris reads with a critical eye and says that the biggest mistake he sees authors making with their worlds is that the world is not important enough to the story or connected enough to the characters. He recommends weaving the details of the world into what your characters are experiencing. Another mistake he sees is writers including details that aren't necessary to the story and don't move the story forward. Last, Morris says he sees too many writers doing information dumps and ignoring inconsistencies that should be left out, as they don't serve the story and sometimes confuse the reader.

www.authorlearningcenter.com/.../CommonWorldBuildingMistakesWritersMake.mp4

Tags: Mystery – Thriller – Suspense, fiction, Science Fiction and Fantasy, Teen & Young Adult, Romance and Erotica, Women’s Fiction, video, Historical Fiction

How World-Building Applies to All Fiction Genres

Guy Morris — Fri, 18 Nov 2022 12:59:53 GMT

Current Revision posted to Setting by Guy Morris on 11/18/2022 12:59:53 PM

The craft of world-building doesn't apply to only science fiction and fantasy writers; it applies to all fiction writers and even memoir writers that are aiming to tell a great story that will engage readers. World-building includes not only your story's setting, but all of the elements that surround your characters such as language, culture, religion, government, technology, and more. Author and researcher Guy Morris says your world must support your story's plot and theme, otherwise it will feel disjointed to the reader.

www.authorlearningcenter.com/.../HowWorldBuildingAppliestoAllFictionGenres.mp4

Tags: Mystery – Thriller – Suspense, fiction, Science Fiction and Fantasy, Teen & Young Adult, Romance and Erotica, Subscriber, Women’s Fiction, video, Historical Fiction

How a Story’s Setting Can Become a Character in the Story

Chrome Oxide — Tue, 25 Oct 2022 13:46:15 GMT

Current Revision posted to Setting by Chrome Oxide on 10/25/2022 1:46:15 PM

The best settings become major characters in your stories, affecting your main characters' decisions and experiences. Science fiction and fantasy author Chrome Oxide says there are stories where planets come alive, making the setting an integral part of the story. He uses the book and movie Dune, for example, where the world threatens the lives of the characters, and every decision the characters make is based on how the setting around them is going to react.

www.authorlearningcenter.com/.../HowaStorysSettingCanBecomeaCharacterintheStory.mp4

Tags: fiction, Short Stories, Science Fiction and Fantasy, Subscriber, video

World-Building Tips and the Importance of Avoiding Excess Details

Chrome Oxide — Tue, 25 Oct 2022 13:43:42 GMT

Current Revision posted to Setting by Chrome Oxide on 10/25/2022 1:43:42 PM

The key to great world-building per science fiction and fantasy author Chrome Oxide, is to create a story and setting that are believable. For example, you can't have your main character taking public transit in the modern day city of Los Angeles, and then arriving somewhere in just five minutes. Heavy traffic wouldn't allow that.

There are world-building software and platforms that can help you, he says, but sometimes all of the details they offer are too much. Instead, Chrome follows the just-in-time world building method. He adds in the fine details only as they are needed, so that he's not including a bunch of unnecessary details that can overwhelm readers.

www.authorlearningcenter.com/.../WorldBuildingTipsandtheImportanceofAvoidingExcessDetails.mp4

Tags: fiction, Short Stories, Science Fiction and Fantasy, video

A Love Letter to Detroit From "Love Radio" Author Ebony LaDelle

Ebony LaDelle — Mon, 29 Aug 2022 13:37:33 GMT

Current Revision posted to Setting by Ebony LaDelle on 8/29/2022 1:37:33 PM

Hitch meets The Sun Is Also a Star in this witty and romantic teen novel about a self-professed teen love doctor with a popular radio segment who believes he can get a girl who hates all things romance to fall in love with him in only three dates.

For more on author Ebony LaDelle visit https://www.simonandschuster.com/authors/Ebony-LaDelle/2085920156.

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Tags: fiction, Teen & Young Adult, video

Author Jennifer Fawcett On Creating Tension in Her Terrifying Novel "Beneath the Stairs"

Jennifer Fawcett — Tue, 19 Jul 2022 14:39:29 GMT

Current Revision posted to Setting by Jennifer Fawcett on 7/19/2022 2:39:29 PM

In this edition of Simon & Schuster's “The Mark Up,” author Jennifer Fawcett invites viewers into the terrifying world where her new novel, Beneath the Stairs, takes place. Get lost in Jennifer's atmospheric prose as she reads a passage from the novel and discusses the intentions behind her haunted house tale.

For more on this author, visit https://www.simonandschuster.com/authors/Jennifer-Fawcett/181146233.

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Tags: Mystery – Thriller – Suspense, fiction, video

Creating a Vivid World that Readers Want to Live In

Russell Nohelty — Wed, 15 Jun 2022 16:53:58 GMT

Current Revision posted to Setting by Russell Nohelty on 6/15/2022 4:53:58 PM

The fundamental element that shapes your character's growth is the world they live in. Making the world feel alive and vibrant is integral to the reader getting lost in your book and falling in love with it. However, many writers get so lost in the minutiae and go too deep into building their world. So, how do you make a world feel lived in without overwhelming the reader with information?

Join USA Today Bestselling Author Russell Nohelty as he shows you the fundamental elements of setting and worldbuilding, and how to integrate them into your story while keeping the action moving forward.

Here is the handout referenced in the session:
www.authorlearningcenter.com/.../Nohelty_5F00_Creating-a-Vivid-World_5F00_ALC-Handout.pdf

www.authorlearningcenter.com/.../CreatingaVividWorldthatReadersWanttoLiveIn.mp4

About the Presenter:
Russell Nohelty is a USA Today bestselling author, and speaker. He runs Wannabe Press (www.wannabepress.com), and is the author of many novels, including 'The Godsverse Chronicles', 'The Obsidian Spindle Saga', 'Sorry for Existing', 'Invasion', 'The Vessel', and 'My Father Didn’t Kill Himself', along with the creator of the 'Ichabod Jones: Monster Hunter', 'Pixie Dust', and 'Katrina Hates the Dead' graphic novels. He also edited the 'Monsters and Other Scary Shit' and 'Cthulhu is Hard to Spell', and 'Cthulhu is Hard to Spell: The Terrible Twos' anthologies, and has exhibited at over 150 events during his career.

Tags: Mystery – Thriller – Suspense, fiction, Science Fiction and Fantasy, Literary Fiction, Teen & Young Adult, Subscriber, Recorded Webinar, Historical Fiction

Creating a Vivid World that Readers Want to Live In

Author Learning Center — Wed, 15 Jun 2022 16:50:53 GMT

Revision 2 posted to Setting by Author Learning Center on 6/15/2022 4:50:53 PM

Here is the handout referenced in the session:
www.authorlearningcenter.com/.../Nohelty_5F00_Creating-a-Vivid-World_5F00_ALC-Handout.pdf

www.authorlearningcenter.com/.../CreatingaVividWorldthatReadersWanttoLiveIn.mp4

Tags: Mystery – Thriller – Suspense, fiction, Science Fiction and Fantasy, Literary Fiction, Teen & Young Adult, Subscriber, Recorded Webinar, Historical Fiction

Creating a Vivid World that Readers Want to Live In

Author Learning Center — Wed, 15 Jun 2022 16:48:55 GMT

Revision 1 posted to Setting by Author Learning Center on 6/15/2022 4:48:55 PM

Here is the handout referenced in the session:
www.authorlearningcenter.com/.../Nohelty_5F00_Creating-a-Vivid-World_5F00_ALC-Handout.pdf

Tags: Mystery – Thriller – Suspense, fiction, Science Fiction and Fantasy, Literary Fiction, Teen & Young Adult, Subscriber, Recorded Webinar, Historical Fiction

The Fascinating Story Behind Sadeqa Johnson's 'Yellow Wife'

Sadeqa Johnson — Tue, 20 Apr 2021 12:23:07 GMT

Current Revision posted to Setting by Sadeqa Johnson on 4/20/2021 12:23:07 PM

Yellow Wife is based on the true story of Robert Lumpkin, a notorious jailer who owned a holding pen and “breaking” center for more than 300,000 enslaved people from 1844 – 1865. Lumpkin was so well known for his cruelty that the jail was known as the “Devil's Half Acre,” and he “the Bully Trader.” In his work, he came to meet and marry his own yellow wife, a mixed-race slave-woman named Mary who bore him five children.

Sadeqa Johnson writes, “After stumbling upon this story I could not stop thinking about Mary. What was life like for her and her children? How did she live on the Half Acre, both witnessing and assisting in the business that profited from fellow enslaved people? Did she love him?”

For more on this award-winning author, visit https://www.simonandschuster.com/authors/Sadeqa-Johnson/170250924
www.youtube.com/watch

Tags: fiction, video, Historical Fiction

The Fascinating Story Behind Sadeqa Johnson's 'Yellow Wife'

Sadeqa Johnson — Tue, 20 Apr 2021 12:22:27 GMT

Revision 1 posted to Setting by Sadeqa Johnson on 4/20/2021 12:22:27 PM

Yellow Wife is based on the true story of Robert Lumpkin a notorious jailer who owned a holding pen and “breaking” center for more than 300,000 enslaved people from 1844 – 1865. Lumpkin was so well known for his cruelty that the jail was known as the “Devil's Half Acre,” and he “the Bully Trader.” In his work, he came to meet and marry his own yellow wife, a mixed-race slave-woman named Mary who bore him five children.

Sadeqa Johnson writes, “After stumbling upon this story I could not stop thinking about Mary. What was life like for her and her children? How did she live on the Half Acre, both witnessing and assisting in the business that profited from fellow enslaved people? Did she love him?”

For more on this award-winning author, visit https://www.simonandschuster.com/authors/Sadeqa-Johnson/170250924
www.youtube.com/watch

Tags: fiction, video, Historical Fiction

3 Reasons to be Riveted by 'A Cuban Girl's Guide to Tea and Tomorrow' from Laura Taylor Namey

Laura Taylor Namey — Tue, 02 Mar 2021 13:59:00 GMT

Current Revision posted to Setting by Laura Taylor Namey on 3/2/2021 1:59:00 PM

Love & Gelato meets Don’t Date Rosa Santos in this charming, heartfelt story following a Miami girl who unexpectedly finds love—and herself—in a small English town. A Cuban Girl's Guide to Tea and Tomorrow was the #ReesesBookClub YA pick for November 2020. For more on this New York Times bestselling author visit https://www.simonandschuster.com/authors/Laura-Taylor-Namey/169431505.
www.youtube.com/watch

Tags: fiction, Teen & Young Adult, Women’s Fiction, video

How to Balance Character Description and World Building

William F. Wu — Mon, 04 May 2020 12:57:05 GMT

Current Revision posted to Setting by William F. Wu on 5/4/2020 12:57:05 PM

When you’re creating a fictional world, it can be tough to decide how much time you should spend describing the world versus how much time you should spend describing your characters. Science fiction and fantasy author William F. Wu believes the personal details of characters best help the story come alive. Knowing what someone looks like and acts like can make the character more real. Being in that character’s viewpoint and seeing how he or she views the world is an effective way of building your world while avoiding an overload of information and description. To achieve this balance, Wu suggests not only reading the work of successful authors, but studying the work and breaking it down to see why it was so successful.

www.authorlearningcenter.com/.../8407.HowtoBalanceCharacterDescriptionandWorldBuilding.mp4

Tags: fiction, video

How to Balance Character Description and World Building

William F. Wu — Fri, 01 May 2020 18:28:28 GMT

Revision 2 posted to Setting by William F. Wu on 5/1/2020 6:28:28 PM

www.authorlearningcenter.com/.../8407.HowtoBalanceCharacterDescriptionandWorldBuilding.mp4

Tags: fiction, video

How to Balance Character Description and World Building

William F. Wu — Fri, 01 May 2020 18:24:38 GMT

Revision 1 posted to Setting by William F. Wu on 5/1/2020 6:24:38 PM

www.authorlearningcenter.com/.../HowtoBalanceCharacterDescriptionandWorldBuilding.mp4

Tags: fiction, video

Utilizing the Five Senses in Storytelling

Neil V. Young — Thu, 19 Dec 2019 19:49:56 GMT

Current Revision posted to Setting by Neil V. Young on 12/19/2019 7:49:56 PM

One of the biggest traps writers fall into is using strictly visual descriptions, says author and technical writer Neil V. Young. Instead of describing a scene using all five senses – sight, smell, sound, taste, and touch – many writers end up only sharing what can be seen, and sometimes heard, by a character. To totally immerse a reader, Young says a writer must try to tap into all five senses. He finds taste to be the most difficult sense to write about, because many times, characters aren’t eating unless it is for a specific purpose or scene. Trying to add more taste descriptions is something Young has started to challenge himself to do in his writing.

www.authorlearningcenter.com/.../UtilizingtheFiveSensesinStorytelling.mp4

Tags: fiction, Subscriber, video

Author Joel Eisenberg on His Process for World Building

Joel Eisenberg — Thu, 21 Nov 2019 20:39:23 GMT

Current Revision posted to Setting by Joel Eisenberg on 11/21/2019 8:39:23 PM

Writing a novel is an ongoing process of discovery for author, writer, and producer Joel Eisenberg. He doesn’t always have a precise idea of what his story or fictional world will be, but can focus on the specifics once he’s sat down in front of his iPad, ready to write. If Eisenberg writes something he doesn’t like, he won’t use it. If he thinks it’s just okay, he’ll tweak it. And if he loves it, he leaves the writing as it is. The writing process is like dreaming with your eyes open, Eisenberg says. What is in your unconscious mind begins to come out onto the keys and the page. When world building, he does generally have an idea of what he wants to create in his mind, but his overall process is more organic.

www.authorlearningcenter.com/.../AuthorJoelEisenbergonHisProcessforWorldBuilding.mp4

Tags: fiction, Subscriber, video