NaNo Prep: Using Setting to Reinforce Your Characters
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It’s time to really nail down some of your novel’s settings. The setting is where and when your novel takes place. Of course, many novels have more than one setting, ranging from the general (a city, country, or world 100 years ago) to the specific (a character’s house or room during the Super Bowl). What’s great about setting is that you can use it to mirror or reinforce your characters.
For example, if you are writing about a mysterious person, you might place him or her in a dark, creepy mansion on a hill outside of town. Or, if one of your characters is feeling trapped in his or her life, he or she might live in a small town in the middle of nowhere.


