1. Catrin Lewis

    Catrin Lewis Contributor Contributor Contest Winner 2023 Community Volunteer

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    Flipping Your Setting

    Discussion in 'Setting Development' started by Catrin Lewis, Feb 14, 2016.

    Aaaagghhh! Has this ever happened to you?

    You're done with your novel except for the fine-detail editing, but something's always bothered you about the setting: there's a certain repeated action element that doesn't quite fit. You've tried to ignore the discrepancy, to explain it away, and for the most part you've been successful. But now it's about time to push your fledgling novel out into the world, and a nagging voice says, "Yes, none of your beta-readers have picked up on the problem, but what if someone does?"

    Changing the action element would mess up the plot, but you could deal with the issue by flipping your setting around. North becomes south, east becomes west, or, in the case of my WIP, right becomes left. The only trouble is, for the last months or even years you've visualized the setting the way it originally was, and your brain doesn't want to stop!

    I can explain exactly how this applies to my story if anyone wants, but right now I'm asking, have you ever been in this position? If so, did you make the change, and how long did it take before you could visualize your setting the new way? Or did you leave it as is and hope no one would notice?
     
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  2. Robert Musil

    Robert Musil Comparativist Contributor

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    Oh, yes. I've got it even worse I think. I can't decide if I want to use the real world or an idiosyncratic fantasy geography as the setting. It would take a lot more than just flipping to transition between the two (they don't resemble each other in the slightest), but I have to pick one and stick with it for now, even though I know it might mean tossing everything out and starting over when I finish.
     
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  3. A.M.P.

    A.M.P. People Buy My Books for the Bio Photo Contributor

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    when it comes to the interactable world I generally have that set in stone before I start writing just because what the world is how it is how it works what is in it all is used to form the characters and create the obstacles and issues raised within the novel

    when it comes to characters and specific events and plot line more or less. Is pretty fluid there I usually change as needed especially the second draft as I see what needs to be done and what I can do better or what is more interesting and it's a shame but sometimes that requires a complete rewrite

    if you have to change something major in the setting that will affect how characters as to where to go or what happens then unfortunately there isn't much to do except start changing from the beginning what what is needed and go along and see if it can be simply thick but future paragraphs removing certain things or whether you need to maybe we write a chapter or add a new one it's unfortunate but that's all you can really do just keep working and perfecting
     
  4. Catrin Lewis

    Catrin Lewis Contributor Contributor Contest Winner 2023 Community Volunteer

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    OK, here's the deal. I'll put it as a question.

    If you're a right-handed person who works at a drafting table, and a colleague comes over to collaborate with you on a sketch, are you more likely to make room for him or her on your right or on your left? Would it affect your preference if your table has some kind of return shelf to it at a right angle? In that case, are you more likely to have your colleague roll his or her chair in to the outside of you, or in between you and the return?

    Note that you, at this point in the story at least, have no romantic interest in said colleague. :bigwink:
     
  5. Feo Takahari

    Feo Takahari Senior Member

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    Well, a few of my attempts at porn have required me to flip the top and the bottom . . .

    This is actually a problem in my current WIP. I can figure out how to get A on top of B, and from there the mechanics would be a lot less awkward if B were on top of A, but they're both supposed to be really out of it (think drunk or stoned.) If one took charge of moving the other, I'm afraid they might seem too lucid, in which case there'd be a risk that readers would interpret it as one character taking advantage of another's dazed state.

    On-topic, I'd say it depends on what hand the colleague uses. If they're right-handed, I'd make space on my left so they'd have access to the drawing with their right hand. If they're left-handed, I'd make space on my right.
     
  6. Samurai Jack

    Samurai Jack Active Member

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    I don't like analogies.

    If a colleague and I needed to collaborate, I imagine we would have to keep things fluid in order to accommodate each of us needing total access to the sketch. If my colleague made room for me on his left, and I needed access to the right side of the sketch but he refused to move, I would slap him off his chair and not collaborate with him anymore.
     
  7. Martin515

    Martin515 Member

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    No no no! Make room for a right-handed colleague on the right!

    Due to where my desk is at work, my colleagues always come up on my left, and as they are all right-handed their hand is in the way of the sketch so I can't see what they're drawing.
    "Like this, see?" Still drawing.
    "No I can't bloody see! Move your hand!"

    Not sure how that helps you but it felt good to vent!
     
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  8. GoldenFeather

    GoldenFeather Active Member

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    I'm pretty sure we've all been there before lol

    This may be a cheat, but you could always just exclude the setting details. Sounds like the setting isn't that important to the events of your story, in fact the setting contradicts it, so why not just exclude the details and give minimal descriptions for the setting? Surely you're readers can fill in the blanks with their own imagination?
     
  9. Mckk

    Mckk Member Supporter Contributor

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    If no one's picked up on this "problem", is it really a problem?

    And if you can't live with this "problem", whatever the detail is, then go change it. Because it's just gonna nag at you. The question is really more whether you're able to let it go. Answer that question, and then do what you have to do :agreed: Good luck!
     
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  10. Catrin Lewis

    Catrin Lewis Contributor Contributor Contest Winner 2023 Community Volunteer

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    Thanks, everyone, for weighing in. Seems like preferences vary. Meaning that in all reason I'm perfectly free to leave the setup the way it is. :agreed:
     

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