What do you think makes a setting exciting? What makes it haunting, beautiful, both? And what do you think is the best way of portraying that?
It's how you write the setting, how you show it to reads that will make it exciting or not, or haunting, beautiful etc. You could have this really amazing image in your mind, but when your write it down, it may seem total dull. However it doesn't matter how you make the setting sound unless it adds to the characters, how their feeling... then again, a character could feel totally opposite to what the setting should make them feel, but you'd have to explain why, or give some indication. In addition, an exciting setting would differ depending on perpective (as would other settings). For example, a boy grows-up on a farm, wanting to experiance what a city is like and then he gets his chance. The city he visits would be large and exciting to him, but intimidating and a little scary at the same time. Where as the girl he might meet there would think nothing off it; she'd be use to the place and she'd probaby think it rather dull. I'm no exper or anything, but this is my view on it.
Like the above poster says, it's more in the way it's written, than anything else. You should make sure you know a lot about your setting, though. Flesh it out, just as you would a character. I always notice that the most memorable settings are in the books where the author spent a lot of time worldbuilding. The world eventually takes on a life of its own, just like a character, if you spend enough time expanding it. It's also important to figure out how your characters relate to the setting. It's a lot more interesting if the setting isn't just the background. People live in worlds, worlds aren't just a convenient backdrop.
This is exactly what I would say. If I may be so bold as to add my own commentary. Aworld ecomes exciting when it becomes real. It becomes real when the reader can live in the world. The reader can live in the world only if the character can live in the world. In all honesty, worrying about hoow the seting makes characters 'feel' is a waste of time unless the character has a basis for being in that setting. Build the world and let it develop, and build your characters based on the world; now they have a basis for being somewhere, being afraid of some place, or anticipating a journey to a place. The characters and world should be intertwined, thats how to make it come alive with excitement. It can't be just a back drop, but it CANNOT be entirely a product of the character's perception unless its a first person piece. The character and world are connected inthat the world influences the character, just like real life. I have very little influence on the world that exists, but it has nearly shaped who I am.
Think of your setting as another character in your story. Give it a history, and let its personality grow from its past. Is it a barren wasteland full of pain and danger? If so, was it always that way, or did something traumatic in its past change it to what it is today? Is it a sylvan paradise? If so, what dark secrets lie beneath the reassuring facade? People are seldom exactly as they present themselves to be--they have layers hidden beneath layers. The same can be true with places, and places themselves can possess complexities that are uncovered as the story progresses.
I don't know if it helps but if you have trouble describe a scenery, try being at a memorable place. For example, at the top of a hill, watching the scenery from above, you can observe things that you usually don't see and you can describe more easily the sensations, not only what you see but also what you feel, hear or maybe even a remarkable smell.
Make your story adventurous. The setting is the container for the storyhm so it is not inherently exciting or dull.
