 DEFINITION
 'Setting'
is the creation of a place or an atmosphere in
which the events of a story happen.
This
is true for fiction and for non-fiction writing.
The
location might be a real place, or it might be
an invented or a fantasy place.
A
writer needs to describe a
setting to readers, but
setting on TV and in the movies is created by
pictures.
EXAMPLES
- Charles Dickens' novel Bleak House is
set in London
- TV soap Coronation Street is set in Manchester
- Woody Allen's film Annie Hall is set
in New York
USE
Settings
are used to make writing more realistic and believable
- or to make it more vivid and exciting.
Settings
are sometimes symbolic. That is they echo, reflect,
or reinforce the events which are taking place
in them.
For
instance, fantasy stories are often set in mysterious
lands, deep forests, or remote castles.
On
the other hand, a gangster story would need to
be set in a modern city with crowded streets,
big buildings, and fast cars. After all, that's
where gangsters usually operate.
Places
are usually described
by using adjectives:
"In the foreground
were tall, dark buildings"
Skillful
writers can create a more dramatic
effect by choosing more unusual
or imaginative terms:
 "Towering
skyscrapers
reared up ahead"
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