The Importance of the Setting

Are you looking for The Importance of the Setting? If you’re a writer, chances are you fall into one of two camps: either you’re a hardcore worldbuilder, or you write stories grounded in our world that don’t need much worldbuilding. It would be easy to assume that crafting an enrapturing setting wouldn’t be that important for the latter but, in truth, your setting is important regardless of which camp you fall into.

Although it is easy to overlook, there is a direct relationship between characters and the world they inhabit. This isn’t necessarily something we think about often as either audience or writer - and writers often intrinsically work with this relationship even if not actively considering it - but it is always present. Where you come from, where you are now and the people you surround yourself with all have an impact on how you think and behave. The same is true of every character.

The Expanse, again, is a story that does an excellent job of making use of this relationship. Every character in the story is directly influenced not only by the current political landscape and their place within it, but also by their personal upbringing and history. Marco Inaros, the antagonist of seasons four and five of the TV version, is a prime example of this. He is a terrorist and revolutionary. His methods are unquestionably evil, but his rise to power is explicitly described by the show as effectively being inevitable. The oppression and exploitation of the Belt by the inner planets invites violence in the form of revolution, giving rise to a reactionary madman who is willing to kill millions of Earthers in retaliation. 

Revisiting Gone Girl, not only does the setting play a prominent role in developing the eventual conflict between its characters, but the backgrounds of Nick and Amy contribute a lot to who they are as people and why they eventually find themselves in opposition. Nick comes from a working class, rural and traditional background. His expectations and beliefs for what his life should be like and how Amy should behave are borne from this background. They are also in very stark contrast to Amy’s background; growing up wealthy, with a lot of pressure placed on her to succeed and be perfect (like her counterpart in her parents’ books) and with very liberal politics. As their masks are gradually stripped away, it becomes very clear that they have very different expectations for the world and each other and that is because the different settings they originate from have influenced who they are.

Nobody is an island. Everyone is affected by where they are and where they come from. A well-rounded and narratively deep character should, therefore, be the same. Generally speaking, a character should not feel like their place in the world is distinct from their place in the narrative. Instead, their beliefs and values should be shaped by the setting they exist in.

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