1. WorldsStrongestPolyglot

    WorldsStrongestPolyglot Member

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    I have hit a brick wall trying to pick a setting

    Discussion in 'Setting Development' started by WorldsStrongestPolyglot, May 13, 2022.

    I *just about* have my plot down, which will vary setting to setting (depending on which I choose). Some will say, why not pick one and write it then move on to the next story/setting + plot in the future. Well I plan on this being a long process, my time is limited so it will take a long time to write even one story.

    My issue is I just cannot pick a setting. I would appreciate any input on picking one.


    #1. Log cabin in Finland (when it’s winter)
    #2. A fantasy Chinese city with a marvelous, walled-off palace
    #3. Neptune - My favorite planet, I absolutely love this place and want to know everything about it.
    #4. Jupiter - my second favorite planet (note: it’s a distant second from Neptune, I love Neptune way more but I still like Jupiter enough to be my second fave).
    #5. Skyrim (medieval fantasy game for those who are unfamiliar)
    #6. Ranch in South Texas

    I would appreciate any input and discussion about this as it would help me make up my mind. Thank you!
     
  2. Bruce Johnson

    Bruce Johnson Contributor Contributor Contest Winner 2023

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    Is this the story about some monster or Yeti or Chupacabra stalking a couple on a weekend getaway?
     
  3. WorldsStrongestPolyglot

    WorldsStrongestPolyglot Member

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    yes lol, but that plot changes to something else in some the other settings (#2-5). The main two characters will remain the same.
     
  4. Naomasa298

    Naomasa298 HP: 10/190 Status: Confused Contributor

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    How about a log cabin on a ranch on Jupiter?
     
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  5. J.T. Woody

    J.T. Woody Book Witch Contributor

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    What do you want out of your plot?
    the plot and setting should tie into each other

    My personal reaction after reading your post was "what even is this story?"
    Is it high fantasy? Adventure fantasy? urban fantasy? Historical fantasy?
    Is it science fiction? sciences fantasy? speculative?

    Or is it a parody?
     
  6. Naomasa298

    Naomasa298 HP: 10/190 Status: Confused Contributor

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    In all seriousness though, no one can really help you pick one. It's all about what you want to write, as @J.T. Woody says. It's YOUR story.

    If you like all the settings equally, roll a dice. Otherwise, decide what aspects of each setting you like more, and what's most important to you.
     
  7. SapereAude

    SapereAude Contributor Contributor

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    Respectfully, then, you DON'T have a plot, and you don't have a setting. You have two characters in search of both a plot and a setting. It appears to me that the only thing that has changed since your previous thread on this topic is that you now have five potential settings rather than two, which means that the plot is no longer even a firm concept.

    IMHO, nobody can answer this for you. You need to make a decision, commit to it, and then execute it. Write the five settings on identical slips of paper, fold them into identical squares, drop them in a jar and shake them up ... and pick one.
     
  8. peachalulu

    peachalulu Member Reviewer Contributor

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    I usually pick settings that can a. help reflect the plot b. give me the most metaphor bang for the buck so to speak. For instance there's a book by Norma Fox Mazer - called Mrs. Fish, Ape and me, the Dump Queen and it's about a friendless girl named Joyce who befriends the school custodian Mrs. Fish. Now the author could have had Joyce live anywhere but she lives near the town dump where her guardian works. The fact that Joyce feels like trash - is reflected in the location. The fact that they constantly find good stuff to recycle in the dump is also a hint that Joyce is worthy of friends - she's one of those treasures.
    Maybe look over the locations and see what you can utilize.
     
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  9. JSBernstein

    JSBernstein New Member

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    If you have such a wide range of possible settings obviously it does not matter to your plot. If it does not matter to your plot, I think your plot isn't strong enough yet. A setting is just like a character, it changes the story.

    And you should never use a specific fantasy world someone else developed like Skyrim.
     
  10. WorldsStrongestPolyglot

    WorldsStrongestPolyglot Member

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    Thanks everyone for the input, will reply to each shortly
     
  11. WorldsStrongestPolyglot

    WorldsStrongestPolyglot Member

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    People write Skyrim fan fictions that take place there all the time, what is the issue? Is there something I don’t understand?
     
  12. Bruce Johnson

    Bruce Johnson Contributor Contributor Contest Winner 2023

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    Depends on if you want to traditionally publish or self publish and make money. If it's just something you want to post on AO3, then it doesn't matter.

    Some IP owners dislike fanfics, some are OK with it, but it's virtually impossible to make money with it unless you totally change it like what happened with '50 Shades of Grey'.
     
  13. WorldsStrongestPolyglot

    WorldsStrongestPolyglot Member

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    I have a plot in mind for each of the settings, not one that fits all. Poor wording on my part.
     
  14. WorldsStrongestPolyglot

    WorldsStrongestPolyglot Member

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    Definitely not looking to make money. That I want to do with textbooks if I get my PhD in the future. And you’re right, some are ok with it and some are certainly not. All I know is that there are numerous Skyrim fan fics, and if I’m writing my story on a word doc on my computer only to be read by me (and editors) then I suppose it shouldn’t matter.
     
  15. JSBernstein

    JSBernstein New Member

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    Well, then I would consider which of the settings you know the most about.
     
  16. WorldsStrongestPolyglot

    WorldsStrongestPolyglot Member

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    Update: I picked Neptune. I will write the Jupiter story in the summer.
     
  17. Keongxi

    Keongxi Member

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    Luckily you didn't choose Mars. It's already the setting for the first Doom game.
     
  18. little miss impatient

    little miss impatient Banned

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    I've been playing Skyrim since it came out, and it's predecessors. I've never read any fanfic at all. Anyone care to point some out?

    That said, I think your choice of monsters might be a bit limited, going from your other thread. Most Skyrim fans will guess what it is almost immediately.
     

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