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The setting of a story is more than simply a backdrop. Whether it’s a far-off fantasy kingdom, a bustling city, a patch of forest, or a small town in middle America, a place can influence your characters tremendously. It can serve as a trap they need to escape, a home they yearn for, a catalyst for memories, or an ally that needs protection. In speculative fiction, a place may even be its own character with motivations and desires—think of the sentient Overlook Hotel in The Shining or the Cave of Wonders in Aladdin. 

Emotions are tied to place, and by viewing your setting as an element of the story that deserves all the love and attention of a supporting character, and its own arc, you can build a world that not only influences your protagonist but also your readers. Just like your characters, places are not static. In this 3-hour class, through a variety of generative, prompt-based exercises, we will explore our settings, allowing them to change and grow, and leave with a firm grasp of their power over our stories

JACQUI CASTLE is an educator and novelist living and writing in the Blue Ridge Mountains near Asheville, North Carolina. Her novel The Seclusion, which School Library Journal called "A must-have for all libraries and fans of scifi," garnered Castle the title of 2020 Indie Author of the Year through the Indie Author Project (a collaboration between Library Journal and Biblioboard). Castle also currently teaches creative writing through the Great Smokies Writing Program and Redbud Writing Project. When not writing, Jacqui can be found hanging out with her family and consuming far too much caffeine.