Setting (Elements of Fiction Writing) (ISBN 0898799481)

Amazon.com Review:
There's nothing more tiresome, either at the outset of a novel or thrust into the middle of one, than a lengthy description. So the sky was blue and the clouds a billowy white and a sheepdog lolled in the middle of the dusty lane. Get on with it, already. This is not to say that setting is not of utmost consideration to a fiction writer (or to any other writer). Jack Bickham applies the tip-of-the-iceberg theory to setting: "You should have a rich lode of factual information on hand before you begin to write," he advises here, "and should know how to sprinkle in those facts a few at a time." In Setting, from the Writer's Digest Elements of Fiction Writing series, Bickham explores the ways in which the setting one chooses affects the other elements of the story. "In real life as well as in fiction," Bickham warns, setting "tends to form character." The setting you opt for will determine what else you may and may not include in your story. Bickham has advice on how to communicate your setting to your readers, how to research a given setting, and how setting varies according to genre. He includes a "setting research form" that would be a nifty thing to take along when you're on the road. And remember, he says: "you must never deviate from verifiable facts." Even if the southern town you've chosen is completely imagined, you must never let the crape myrtles bloom before late summer. --Jane Steinberg

Rating the Elements of Fiction Writing series:
I've read all the books in the Elements of Fiction Writing series and this is how I'd rank them. "Scene & Structure" "Characters & Viewpoint" "Beginnings, Middles & Ends" The above three books are invaluable -- must reads. They are the best of the series, in my opinion, and are packed with good information on every page. Well-done. "Conflict, Action & Suspense" "Description" "Plot" "Manuscript Submission" "Setting" The above five books are good, solid reads. Again, they contain good information and cover the subject decently. "Voice & Style" "Dialogue" To me, the last two books need to be rewritten. They are by far the weakest of the series. Both suffer from an annoying style, particularly Dialogue, and both are very skimpy on real information. Neither one is very helpful. This is the order in which I'd recommend reading them.

Exhaustive Information - A Good Reference:
Who knew there was so much to setting? This is a difficult read from cover to cover (as I trudged through it), but it is a good book to keep around as a reference. Not excellent, but good. This isn't so much a "how-to" on writing setting but more of a "why setting is important". At the beginning of the book the author (Jack M. Bickham) explains that not enough detail is given to setting in writing classes and offers this book as a means to fill that gap. However, Bickham touches on most aspects of writing from the perspective of setting. So, is your plot weak? Look at it from your setting. I would recommend that you read the first chapter or two and then keep the other chapters in mind if you feel you are stuck in a story and believe that an adjustment to setting could bring your story back to life.

Solid advice:
Another excellent effort by Jack Bickham. Unfortunately his last book as he died afterwards. Many nuggets of information that are indespensible for the writer. Here are a few: When writing multi viewpoints you may want to introduce each viewpoint with a bit of setting to re-acquant the reader. For example. When Brenda, who just finished that horrible exam in History, left the classroom. . . . Setting can set the mood. ie The dark clocktower with its crumbling facade rang yet again signifying Joe's soon demise. . . . Setting should be brief and never stop the movement of a story. Setting can provide a metaphor to underlie your story's theme. How important it is for the setting to be factual. When setting can be made up. I could go on, but you should see the point. This is an excellent reference that will push your writing from hack to salable.

Must have, along with most of the Elements of Fiction Writing series:
Bickham's Setting is an easy read with a lot of valuable information to help your writing come alive. While I do not recommend every book in the Writers Digest/Elements of Fiction Writing series, this is one of the better books.

One of the best:
This is probably one of the best books out there on Setting. Some of the chapters get a bit long winded, but all in all this is the worth getting.