How to create feeling with setting
I have a passion for setting. I've heard you should write about what you're passionate about. Now when I say passion I mean I like to visualize the fantastic place the author is describing to form a movie. Now I know characters and feelings are supposed to be focused on since people relate to that, but how does one also add settings into the mix to evoke feelings in a reader? Can one use motivation reaction units? How much should the actual description of the eating be?
Ex: take the scene in the movie Avatar when nightfall comes and the forest comes to "life." A truly unique and beautiful setting to me that was just awe inspiring, this moment was when I fell in love with this world. How do you create that sort of attachment to setting?
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I look at several aspects when describing settings:
The senses
It's helpful to look at each of the senses in turn and make a few notes on relevant things in the setting to each of them, basically answering the following questions: What can the character see? What can they taste? (might be something on the air, rather than going around licking trees and walls and stuff) What can they feel? The texture of things around them, temperature, weather... What can they hear? Close by and far away sounds. What can they smell?
Metaphors
When describing a place, think about how each element can be interpreted. For example:
The house could gleam brightly with a fresh coat of whitewash; have aging, peeling, lead-heavy paint; or give the impression of a gaping skull with sightless windows as eyes and a door forever gagging its silent scream.
The sea could roll heavily, recline in reflective tranquility or froth with lively white horses.
The way you describe the scene shoudl reflect the mood and atmosphere you're trying to evoke in the reader.
Characters
When describing locations, I'm always considering what the POV character would notice about it. For example and ex-police officer is likely to notice completely different things to a five year old. What is important to the character? How do they feel about different places and the furniture and others items they might come across in those places?
You also asked about motivation reaction units, and whether you can use them. I think these relate more to character and driving the plot than setting description, so trying to apply them to your descriptions might get a bit confusing. Personally, I wouldn't try.
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IMHO, one good way to create feeling is to elicit sensory memories in the reader of place(s) they've been or vividly imagined that are like your setting. I say elicit, because there's always the show vs. tell way of conveying those. Don't limit yourself to the visual; consider hot/cold, humid/dry, quiet/noisy (what kinds of noises), smells, tastes, tactile if it works in your narration.
In SF and Fantasy, the author https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jack_Vance Jack Vance was a past master of this; suggest you take a look at some of his writing if you can. Wonderfully vivid!
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If we start with the premise that character and feeling are supposed to be at the heart of a story, it follows that the description of setting is not separate, but it related to character and feeling.
Man people have a profound love of place that deeply affects their character and motivations. Descriptions of place therefore have a key story role for any character with that love of place. And since when we read a book we are also entering into a relationship with the author, we can also enter into and appreciate the author's love of place.
Love of place shines through in the works of many authors. It is notable in Steinbeck, who almost always begins with descriptions of place. It is there in the works of mystery writers like Tony Hillerman and Craig Johnson. Description of place is as much key to the enjoyment of their books as the description of realy big weapon systems is to Tom Clancey.
Love of place can even come across in fantasy, where the Shire or Hogwarts castle are lovingly described. Love of place is a key elements of those books as well, and a key motivation for the characters.
The key to describing place, therefore, is to focus on those aspects of place that create affection (or revulsion, for that matter) in the character. Describe it, in other words, through loving eyes. (And if the character hates a place, this is in proportion to its failure to be the kind of place they love, so love is still the key.)
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