Today’s Tiny Task in preparation for StoryADay May is to make another list, this time of places where you might set your story.
Answer these questions quickly, without thinking too hard:
- List 5 Big-Picture Settings (e.g. Contemporary USA, Mars settlement in the early days, cargo ship in the age of sail, cargo ship in the far future when space travel is relatively routine, fantasy kingdom with dragons…)
- List 5 Close-Up Settings (e.g. the engine room, an open-plan office, the back of an Uber, the throne room, walking the Yorkshire dales).
- For each, write down what thrills you about that setting, what possibilities do you see (could be: ‘I don’t have to do any research, or ‘I can mash up Star Trek and The Expanse’ or ‘I finally get to hang out with Heathcliff’)
- For each, write down one physical detail that springs to mind about your setting
- For each, write down one detail that might not be so obvious on a first glance.
Circle (or highlight) the three that you think will work best for the fast-drafting world of StoryADay May (hint: the ones that require lots of research might slow you down too much).
P. S. Check out this roster of wonderful writers who have already given us writing prompts for StoryADay May, with more to come!
Guest prompters include: P. Djèlí Clark, Mary Robinette Kowal, John Wiswell, Lori Ostlund, Kim Coleman Foote, Sasha Brown, R. S. A Garcia, Jennifer Hudak, Tim Waggoner, Rachel Bolton, Julia Elliot, Kai Lovelace, Anglea Sylvaine, Rich Larson, F. E. Choe,Emma Burnett , Patricia A. Jackson, Allegra Hyde, and more…
DISCUSSION
Did your choices have more to do with your current life, or your current reading tastes?
Mine kind of range from real life to complete make believe. For example, one mine is the inside of a genie’s bottle.
I would totally read that!
My answers leaned more towards real life, but not specific incidents, per se, but the result of brainstorming potential forthcoming adventures, on the grander scale, and familiar settings for the smaller ones.