Thread by @EdMcDonaldTFK

Fantasy Writing Tip 16: Location, location, location. And activities.
This tip isn't about world building exactly, it's more about writing individual scenes, and how to get the best out of them so that they're memorable and really pop.
#amwriting
1/16

Sometimes when I'm writing a scene I find that I'm not that interested in it. I know that the protagonist (and the reader) needs the information that the scene will give. But when I'm not interested in it, I know the reader won't be either.
The solution: Set it on fire.
2/16

I work by the maxim that if the characters wouldn't still be having the conversation while the room was on fire around them, or if they were hanging from a cliff, then I need to check whether the scene needs to be there at all. How important can it be?
3/16

That doesn't mean every scene should take place within an inferno, obviously. But what if it did? Would the characters still need to convey those things to one another?
And if they have to, then what's the most interesting space you can create for them to do it?
4/16

I take a beat when I find my characters are:
* In an office (my personal worst offender)
* In a tavern/bar
* In a council type meeting, where they are not the main speaker
* Thinking in bed
Doesn't mean they're bad, but activities in these places are kinda limited.
5/16

Sometimes these places are required for particular story points, e.g. the protag doesn't want to get out of bed, which adds depth to their mental state, or they go drinking because they're miserable, same deal.
6/16

But where could they be instead? Is there somewhere they could be doing something more interesting? Can they have that business meeting during a game of sport? That lets you show more about who they are, puts in some visuals for the reader, and enriches your fantasy world.
7/16

Sometimes we want to show a location like a tavern or an office to show monotony, authority, or 'downtime,' but there is usually going to be something your protags could be doing. Have you read about another character doing it in a book? Can you change it?
8/16

I avoid council type meetings because conversations with multiple speakers are often boring, and hard to get right. Often they're used to deliver information to a protagonist who shouldn't really be there. Can you give them a summary from a friend instead?
9/16

Sometimes you need a location to break pace, or give a moment of uplift to a struggling protagonist. In RAVENCRY, Galharrow got sent on a spa day because my editor stated that the book was really, really grim and it needed a bit of sunshine.
10/16

Why did I choose a spa? Because (a) it's an environmental opposite to most of that world, (b) it let me describe something new, (c) it is the opposite of where you'd expect Galharrow to go, (d) it provided time for quiet self reflection, and (e) it deepened relationships
11/16

And when you're considering your finale, this is fantasy: so is your finale in an appropriately cinematic location? I want the place to match how epic the climax is supposed to feel. I like to visit the location prior to the climax so descriptions don't break pace.
12/16

"The setting is a character in itself."
It isn't, unless it's sentient - it's a setting, but I guess this is shorthand for saying that the locations you create are part of what gives the book a particular feel, and it ought to be memorable.
13/16

Memorable doesn't have to mean weird or bizarre. Creating a sense of place can be done through small, unique details. Invent new fashions, customs, local foods, think about what's imported, what's made in town. Make it different, or historical if that's your bag.
14/16

You don't need to flood the reader with those details, but different cities have different feels to them, different sayings and customs. Try to know why your fantasy city isn't just Medieval London. Differentiate it from the 1000 other Med. Londons out there.
15/16

That's it for today. Wherever you're writing, whatever you're doing, be safe, and be good to each other.
And please do not actually set anything on fire.
16/16