No matter how you choose to write one thing you will want to master is setting the stage.

Stage Setup by Many Other Names

The previous post contained a Story Board and this post is meant to pull the Setup out of the group of things to consider.

You, as a writer, need to know where you are as you set fingers to keyboard, most of the time, your reader wants this information as well.

You can present the setting in many ways, directly or through a character’s observation, or you may just blurt it out, tell. Telling has a place. Telling is especially useful when you are simply making a scene sketch.

for your notes

Stage Setup

Time:

Props: (photos, heirlooms, machinery, equipment, books, diaries, signs, containers)

Temperature:

Place:

Season;

Lighting:

Five Senses: (sight, sound, smell, taste, touch)

Robert J Ray

Keep in mind, these are just notes, a quick sketch, something to pre-load a writer’s mind before she frets and worries over the opening line. 

Next Sunday Marks the Ending of North America’s Daylight Savings Time. On 3 November we will use Eastern Time, ET or EST when times are listed for chats.

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