Home
>
Writing
>
Sense of Place

Sense of Place

What is Sense of Place? It's the image of a scene's environment evoked by the writing. The author becomes an artist; the book page is the canvas, sentences and phrasing are the brushes; words give color.

This element of a story is something most readers look for. They want to feel as if they are in the scene. Sense of place is vital to fact and fiction.

Some writers overuse adjectives with the mistaken belief that this will offer sense of place. But saying "the elegant house" isn't enough. That abstraction has little substance. "The well-landscaped house set on a knoll overseeing the valley" might say more.

Another attempt is to list things.

"Brenda looked around. The room had a brass coffee table, and a bright sofa flanked by two Queen Anne chairs. Three prints were on one wall, with the sheer curtains hanging at the wide window. Two ornate candlesticks set on the fireplace mantle."

Brenda has become a camera, with no emotion attached to the description. How about this:

"Brenda thought the bright sofa flanked by two Queen Anne chairs seemed cozy. She admired three prints, and fingered one of the ornate candlesticks on the mantle as a breeze billowed the curtains. Scents of lilac wafted through the wide window. The books on the brass coffee table caught her eye."

This second paragraph only uses eight more words than the first, yet engages the character into the description of the room so that the reader learns about the room and the character.

Sense of place is important in nonfiction, too. A manual might read: "When managing a large office setting, it's important to develop good interaction between employees."

"Large office setting" is rather vague, and so is "good interaction." To give this sentence sense of place, it could be written:

"When faced with multiple workstations, harsh lighting and the continual background noises of telephones and copy machines, it's important to encourage dialogue with all employees."

Sense of place should continue throughout a paragraph or section. Here's a scene of a man stranded on a stretch of Kansas back road. "The hot July sun bore down on him" could give the initial detail. But it must be carried through the scene. Several sentences later a sentence could read, "Robert looked at his useless car." Add sense of place to this: "Robert wiped sweat from his forehead and squinted toward his useless car.

wiped sweat (it's hot) squinted (it's bright)

Later: "He looked around for the closest house."

This would work better as, "The surrounding fields of ripening wheat seemed unending, without a single roofline or driveway in sight."

By adding these touches, the sense of place enhances the story.

A good sense of place also engages most of the five senses. Include colors, smells and textures in descriptions.

"The hot July sun bore down as Robert backed from the vehicle. Why now? he wondered. He wiped sweat from his forehead and squinted at his useless car. He could smell hot metal from the engine. A puddle of radiator fluid stained the gray asphalt a sickly green..."

Robert walks along the road, thinking about what got him here, then

"His sigh was barely audible in the dry wind, and the surrounding fields of ripening wheat seemed unending, without a single roofline or driveway in sight."

Weather and nature can also establish a sense of place. In my historic novel KANSAS DREAMER: Fury in Sumner County, the weather becomes a prominent plot element--almost a character. (That will be the topic of a future newsletter: "Non-Human Characters".) But for sense of place, a story based in the tropics could be rife with descriptions of humidity, vivid sunsets, blown sand, myriad scents and colors from vegetation; on the negative, these areas also have hurricanes, riptides, mosquitoes, sink holes and sharks.

Weather can become a motivating factor for a character; it can parallel a character's emotions or trigger a memory; it can be an antithesis for the actions, too. The bright day did nothing to relieve Arthur's morbid thoughts.

With a few well-placed phrases, a writer can establishing a good sense of place. This will strengthen characterizations and greatly add to a reader's enjoyment of the final product.

About The Author

Karyn Follis Cheatham, a 23-year member of Western Writers of America, has authored eight books, including Dennis Banks, Native American Activist (Finalist for the 1998 Spur Award). She has edited for magazines and publishing houses, and her articles and poetry appear in national journals and newspapers. Her books can be purchased through Writers West http://writerswest.com/ web site: http://writerswest.com/ e-mail: http://writerswest.com/

http://writerswest.com/

shuttle to Midway Beardstown .. Lockport Chicago limo O’Hare

In The News:

The FBI has issued a warning that scammers are impersonating doctors, police and banks using spoofed numbers as "smishing" texts surge nationwide.

Communities with unreliable internet service stand to gain after Amazon's Project Kuiper launched its first full batch of satellites into orbit April 28.

Tech expert Kurt “CyberGuy" Knutsson says unsubscribing from spam might actually backfire. Learn when to avoid it and stop junk effectively.

Tech expert Kurt “CyberGuy" Knutsson talks about how the first nonstop beating heart transplant, called zero ischemic time, at Taiwan hospital changes surgery.

Kurt “CyberGuy" Knutsson: FBI warns of "time-traveling" hackers.

Kurt “CyberGuy" Knutsson talks about a soft, vine-like robot called SPROUT that aids safe survivor rescues in collapsed buildings.

Health insurance giant Blue Shield of California confirmed it had been sharing private health data of 4.7 million users with Google for three years without even realizing it.

Delta and JetZero’s blended wing body aircraft marks a meaningful step toward a cleaner, quieter and more efficient future for air travel.

Recent reports show many common passwords can be cracked in literally seconds. Kurt the CyberGuy explains how to strengthen your passwords.

Stay up to date on the latest AI technology advancements and learn about the challenges and opportunities AI presents now and for the future.

Iron, a robot that stands 5 feet, 8 inches tall and weighs 154 pounds, combines advanced artificial intelligence with human-like movement and exceptional vision.

Hertz, the rental car giant, recently confirmed that customer information was exposed through a cyberattack on one of its software vendors.

There are a number of features with AirPods you may or may not know about to take your listening experience to the next level. Kurt the CyberGuy explains.

These 35 Chrome extensions have privacy and security concerns. Tech expert Kurt “CyberGuy" Knutsson says to delete them now.

Tech expert Kurt “CyberGuy" Knutsson says 329,000 mph fusion rocket promises to be fast, disruptive and enable deep-space missions.

Stay up to date on the latest AI technology advancements and learn about the challenges and opportunities AI presents now and for the future.

Tech expert Kurt “CyberGuy" Knutsson says a new autonomous AI is a game changer that also raises privacy risks. Is your data safe?

Tech expert Kurt “CyberGuy" Knutsson says robots and drones are revolutionizing fruit farming with faster picking and smarter handling.

Landmark Admin revises May 2024 cyberattack scope to show twice as many people were affected. Kurt “CyberGuy" Knutsson gives tips to help stay safe from an insurance data breach.

Tech expert Kurt “CyberGuy" Knutsson talks about how Yamaha’s hydrogen outboard motor could revolutionize boating with zero emissions.

Tech expert Kurt “CyberGuy" Knutsson reveals how to memorialize or remove a deceased loved one’s Facebook account and protect their digital legacy from misuse or scams.

Tech expert Kurt “CyberGuy" Knutsson says an Apple Watch saved psychiatrist Amanda Faulkner by detecting deadly leukemia early.

Scammers and fraudsters are increasingly targeting the most vulnerable, especially nursing homes and the personal data of their residents. Kurt the CyberGuy has safety tips.

Infected USB flash drives can spread malware among multiple organizations in ways that can easily bypass traditional security systems.

With a fully automated warehouse system and AI-powered robots, Ocado's Hive picks, packs and delivers grocery store orders in just a few minutes.

Sense of Place

Writing