by MaryAnn Diorio, PhD, MFA @DrMaryAnnDiorio
Just as a brilliant diamond needs the perfect setting, so does a story need its perfect setting.
So, what is setting? The setting of a story—also known as backdrop, or, in theatrical terms, the set—is simply where and when the plot of the story takes place. Authors often create settings from their own imaginations, but just as often, they use real settings and embellish them with original characteristics. For example, an author may choose a real New England town in which to place her story, yet she will add a restaurant that does not actually exist there.
