When Settings Become Characters

When Settings become Characters in Storytelling.Hosted by Yvonne Banham
Not all settings are characters, no matter how brilliantly portrayed, and they don’t have to
be, but what gives some settings that sense of ‘personhood’ where it becomes an actor in
the story?
We can all think of books where the setting has had a long-lasting impact on how we feel
about the story and the characters in it, from Dark Matter to The Handmaid’s Tale, from
Howl’s Moving Castle to Haarville. So, how can we achieve this in our own writing? Is it
down to excellent scene setting/world building or is there more to it than that? Is there a
difference between a well-developed setting and setting as character? This workshop will
look at examples where settings are so interwoven with every aspect of the story, that they
become a character themselves, establishing the tone for their fellow characters and for the
plot. Aimed at writers of all levels and including an opportunity to apply/discuss tips and
techniques.

Yvonne Banham grew up on an island off the coast of Cumbria and spent lots of
time huddled on blustery beaches with a book or three. She believes in ghosts
though she’s never met one and after five gloriously spooky years in Edinburgh,
she now lives in Stirlingshire with her husband and their ancient beagle, Toby. Her
debut novel The Dark and Dangerous Gifts of Delores Mackenzie was published
by Firefly Press in April 2023. News on next book coming soon!