Set the scene
Showing your story's setting is just as important as creating convincing characters. Character itself is a product of place and culture, so the interplay of both contributes to the meaning and significance of your writing.
What’s your scene? Try this:
Make a list of objects you remember from your childhood home. Don't use any particular order or many adjectives (an adjective is a describing word e.g., cold, strong, smelly). Don't censor yourself – something that does not seem important may give you strong impressions. Read through your list and circle the objects that evoke the strongest feelings and memories of events.
Think about this:
What are the events that have sparked these feelings and memories about objects? Do you see a story lurking there?
Try this:
Now, write a paragraph (150 to 200 words) describing one of these events. Where exactly did it happen? What objects were involved? Don't use any overtly sentimental language – let the details speak for themselves.
Here’s an example:
In the space beneath the staircase I find my old dog's house, with his shaggy hairs caught in the rough edges of the wood planks, although the dog is long gone. If you don't spell out the emotional significance of the dog, you create poignancy without sentimentality. Now read your own paragraph. Have you managed to convey a sense of the setting of your event? Keep practicing setting the scene by using your list of objects and writing a paragraph about each of them. Now have a look at the different genres of creative writing and see which ones spark your imagination.