Emotion, Conflict and Back Story

Writing Active Setting #2

by Mary Buckham

Readers usually remember the plot and characters of a story, but setting is every bit as important in creating a memorable world. Discover the difference between Ordinary Setting that bogs down your story, and Active Setting that empowers your story — creating a compelling story world, regardless of what you write.

* See how to spin boring descriptions into engaging prose.
* Learn to deepen the reader's experience of your story world through sensory details.
* Notice how changing characters’ POV can change your setting.
* Explore ways to maximize the setting possibilities in your story.

WRITING ACTIVE SETTING is a powerful combination of fresh insights, practical examples, and how-to advice on the often overlooked but critical element of Setting ... written in a quick-to-read and easy-to-understand style, and packed with useful application exercises. ~~ Kelly L. Stone, author of THINKING WRITE: The Secret to Freeing Your Creative Mind

Genres: Writing, Nonfiction, Ebooks

59 pages, Kindle Edition

Published March 8, 2013

About the author

USA Today bestselling author Mary Buckham credits her years of international travel and curiosity about different cultures that resulted in creating high-concept urban fantasy and romantic suspense stories. Her newest Invisible Recruit series has been touted for the unique voice, high action and rich emotion. A prolific writer, Mary also co-authors the young adult sci-fi/fantasy Red Moon series with NYT bestseller Dianna Love. Mary lives in Washington State with her husband and, when not crafting a new adventure, she travels the country researching settings and teaching other writers. Don’t miss her latest reference book Writing Active Setting.

Currently she is neck-deep into writing an Urban Fantasy series centered around five women drafted to combat preternatural beings agitating for world domination. The INVISIBLE RECRUIT series combines a fantasy/paranormal element with high stakes and the pace of action adventure stories. Mary loves creating thrills, spills and spells as she follows the ups and downs of fascinating characters starting with Alex Noziak, the heroine of INVISIBLE MAGIC, INVISIBLE FATE and INVISIBLE POWER.

Reviews

[Teodora Paslaru · Rating 3 out of 5]

What can I say about this book? It is more a set of examples of good setting descriptions from various works. I learned something from it, but not a lot. The best I can say about it is that it made me think more and more deeply about what I am writing. Considering how short it was, it's enough that it did that, but I can't say if I would recommend this book or not. I might read the third (because I've already bought all three) but I don't know when.

[Marion · Rating 5 out of 5]

Writing Active Settings: Book 2 by Mary Buckham.

Mary Buckham, author and teacher extraordinaire to an ever-increasing number of writers, doesn’t just tell us what is needed to transform a setting, but shows us, with her no-words-wasted approach, and power-packed well-demonstrated examples.

Many readers will devour this short “how to” book with mounting enthusiasm, growing motivation, and a “can-do” optimism.

She shows us that the first draft is not evidence of poor writing, but a cornerstone, leading us to build our own skills to create great settings. She shows how settings, experienced through the POV character, pull the reader into the story world. But reminds us that the setting must meet the intent of the author, needed to anchor the reader in a new place. She demonstrates with clear ‘before and after’ examples how settings might include time & place, lighting, characterization, emotions, subtext, backstory snippets, contrast, conflict, foreshadowing, power verbs, and senses— often done in one paragraph.

While completing her few easy assignments, I watched my creativity unfold. How exciting is that? Mary Buckham showed me, “See? You can do this.”

When we reach “the end” we can’t wait to try these craft gems on our manuscripts—her points laid out with simplicity and clarity. Or we might return to the beginning and read it again. Or, as I did, also re-read her first book of three, in the Writing Active Settings series. Revision no longer looms as a chore, but beckons, like an unfinished sketch, challenging writers to paint power packed simplicity into settings, one of our valuable tools to pull readers into our stories to stay. I sense every writer, expert or beginner, will cherish Mary Buckham's golden nuggets in the easy to read and easy to digest, pages of this book."

[Elizabeth Gibson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Let’s be honest here, as a reader have you skipped over descriptions of settings because the passages seemed like they belong to another story or they were simply boring. But, most of all they took you out of the story. Those reasons could spell disaster for a writer and their story.

Are you writing settings merely to place your characters for your readers? I admit I have. But, I found a remedy with Mary Buckham’s Active Settings Book 1 and 2. Mary is spot on with her techniques and guides you with examples from recent popular authors. She makes you see the difference of a mediocre description of setting to one that’s holy moley is that how it’s done.

Here is the table of contents for Book 2:
1. Using setting to show emotion
2. Using setting to create complication
3. Using setting to show backstory.

With the techniques in this book and the first, I know how to make settings do double and triple duty.

I admit taking a class with Mary you are never the same as when you started. We’re talking about breakthroughs, here. She pushes you to be your best. But, if you can’t take her class get the book. I can’t get enough of her teaching so I got both.

[M.H. Leader · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book, and its companion WRITING ACTIVE SETTING: BOOK 1, are both excellent. They're concise, yet packed with useful, practical advice on how to use setting to make your story sing.

I recommend them highly and I've added them to my Favorite Writing Books page.

I also wrote a longer blog entry specifically about these books, Setting the Stage on my website.

Kudos to Mary Buckham!!

[Nadine Slavinski · Rating 5 out of 5]

I can't say enough about how great this book is. Short, inexpensive, and packed with information. I could have almost highlighted every line. After reading a single chapter, I went back to my novel in progress with ten ideas -small things that I believe make a great impact. The using setting to convey emotion and using setting to convey back story were absolutely fantastic. I love the concept of these books and am waiting impatiently for book 3 to come out. Any budding fiction writer should have them.

[Anna Serra i Vidal · Rating 5 out of 5]

As other Mary's books, this one is very helpful and keeps the writer in me eager to try her exercises and tricks. It inspires me to write on and on and enhance my setting as something active rather than a longish list of beautifully stringed words.

[Iris Marsh · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another great book on writing setting. Everytime I think there can't possible be more to it, Buckham surprises me with more insights. The examples are clear and helps the reader performs similar analyses to other books, and the exercises are a great way to practice writing better settings.

[Madeleine McLaughlin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Every writer needs this book

Beginner or pro every writer will benefit from reading and implementing the lessons in this book. Get it and the other two today.

[Jhaydun Dinan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Mary's second book in the Writing Active Settings series brings conflict, emotion, and backstory to the reader's thoughts. With emotion, she shows how using concrete descriptions, foreshadowing and reinforcement can aid in showing emotion through setting. With conflict and backstory, she also shows you multiple ways of implementing it within the setting.

Just like book one of the series, you are given more assignments to have a go at and I quite enjoyed them. You go from Learning to Doing in each part of the book and I am sure it will help many people.

Personally, I couldn't get much from the lessons within but I am sure other writers will be able to.

[Debra · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent resource for any writer. It will change the way you think about using setting to improve the emotion and conflict in your story. You will also learn to avoid the dreaded info dump by weaving back story seamlessly into your work.

Easy and quick to read. Excellent examples and prompts.

I highly recommend this series.

[Frank Wilem · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great addition to your writing tool set

This book takes up where her first book in the series leaves off. If you’re a writer or aspire to be one, this is a must have book. Ms. Buckham delivers some great advice in an easy to understand manner. I can honestly recommend this book to anyone as a worthwhile investment in learning how it’s done right. Worth many times the price.

[Denny Antrim · Rating 5 out of 5]

As good as the first, maybe better!

In a concise , helpful way this author has once again taught me things I didn't know about setting. Using examples from other writers, she shows exactly what needs to be done, and how to do it to make setting work harder, and thus my book better. Get it!

[★ gwiz ★ · Rating 5 out of 5]

Clear, simple ideas to take basic setting descriptions to make a fuller more involve story. By adding emotion, conflict and backstory bringing stories depth and tension making settings comes alive. Second book as good as the first.

[Lindah · Rating 3 out of 5]

Love the way examples are broken down to show first draft, re-write, and then finished product. It makes the process of attaining your best work highly approachable. The exercises on how to revise your own work are very useful, too.

[Robin Sampson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very helpful. Especially like the section USING SETTING TO SHOW BACK STORY.

[Gyula · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent book, good advices. I can just recommend it if you are an aspiring writer and you want to improve your writing.

[Meryl · Rating 4 out of 5]

Buckham makes some excellent points here about using setting to better effect in writing. There are examples from prominent works to illustrate each point.

[Judythe · Rating 5 out of 5]

Outstanding craft series. Clearly guides writers (new or experience) in techniques to use to enhance setting in their writing. If you're a writer, you need the entire series.

[Steven Atwood · Rating 4 out of 5]

A writing tutorial on a whole new level

this was another great instructional book on writing. Whenever I see a book on this subject by Mary Buckham, I will definitely get it.