Tuesday's Writer's Tip Where Is The Character #MFRWAuthor #BWLPublishing #Where #When

The third must in the opening of the book is the where and the when. Thses items have a great effect on the story.

Just where in this or another universe are the characters of the story found. There is much to learn about the physical place where your characters exist. Think of writing a historical but all the dialogue sounds like people of today speaking. The reader won't buy this. Or consider a gritty mystery story set in the slums where everyone talks as though they were college educated. The where has much to add to the story.

What year does the story take place? Writing about prehistoric times would be much different than writing about some year in the future. The story must show the time period when the story takes place. Being true to the time period is essential. A story set in the 1920s has a different flavor than one set in the sixteenth century. So pay attention to the time element of your story.

Another thing is what season, what month is featured in the story? Having a snow storm in July in the northern hemisphere means something drastic has happened to make this possible. The weather can add elements to the story. Think about the difference a rainy day can make characters act other than when the day is bright and sunny.

So make sure you have these elements present in your story.