: Re: How important is scenery when you are writing? When you are writing a book (or reading one for that matter), how important is it to closely detail the scenery or the setting? Does it just

I agree with the spirit of Kate's answer, but it glosses over an important point. Ultimately, it doesn't matter what you are describing as long as it's interesting and adds to the story. If you are writing a romance and the characters' mundane setting is what they are trying to break away from with their affair, then it is important the reader understands that. If we are shown why they hate their cubicles, we will be even more likely to be able to connect with them when they start their passionate affair.

But just because something is actually mundane, doesn't mean it can't be described in a interesting or engaging way. This is really the goal of every aspect of writing. There have been plenty of seemingly interesting plots or characters that are ruined because of boring language and uninteresting details.

The best definition I've heard of exposition is "It's only exposition when you realize it's there." As long as your details and suggestions don't stand out (a much more difficult task than I'm making it sound, for sure), then it's probably doing it's job.

I am actually a big fan of thinking of setting or location as another character (though often a minor character). All the same rules apply, including understanding it's motivation, history, goals, etc. Even if all these details don't make it into your final story (and most probably shouldn't), it's important for you to know what they are.

One last point: make sure that your setting is being described from a consistent point of view. This is easier if you writing in the first person (at least in theory, any way). But if you are writing in third person, be careful not to make observations or add details that are outside the scope of your narrator's knowledge (this is really part of a larger issue of finding your narrator's voice and vision).

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: Personally, I wouldn't use punctuation to indicate the tone change at all. Punctuation marks are like modifiers - use them too often and they loose their effect. This is commonly acknowledged

: Re: How important is scenery when you are writing? When you are writing a book (or reading one for that matter), how important is it to closely detail the scenery or the setting? Does it just

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: How should I break up chapters in a novel? Is it acceptable to pace my chapters in terms of an event? Can I get away with a 4 page chapter here, and a 30 page chapter there? Are there

: Publishing Fantasy versus Realistic Fiction (multiple questions) So, I have a few questions that I'll address in a short little list. I figure it's best to include them all in one rather than

: Is it possible to figure out the ROI of an MFA? Given that there are a few jobs where an MFA (Masters of Fine Arts) in creative writing is preferred as a writer or editor, is it possible

: Personally, I wouldn't use punctuation to indicate the tone change at all. Punctuation marks are like modifiers - use them too often and they loose their effect. This is commonly acknowledged

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