how to instantly improve a scene

I won’t make you read the whole post to get to the crux of what I promised in the title. 

How to instantly improve a scene: ground it in setting. 

Setting is something I see a lot of new writers skipping over. They’re so eager to tell you what the character is doing, saying, feeling, thinking, that they don’t always spend a lot of time showing you WHERE the character is doing, saying, feeling and thinking those things. 

Setting is an absolutely crucial element of writing, whether you’re writing fiction or creative nonfiction. 

It’s what grounds us, as the reader, in space. It’s the portal that allows us to enter the world that you, as the writer, are creating.

Here’s your task for today: pull out a scene you’re working on, or one you recently wrote. 

Without imagining where you already know your character is, read the words on the page. Can you picture the setting just from the words you’ve written? 

If not, open a new document (or turn to a new page in your notebook). Spend 15 minutes JUST describing the setting where the scene takes place. 

Now look for ways to weave those setting details into the scene. 

Bonus points if you add sensory details: what the character can smell, touch, hear, taste.