Comfortable settings and sighing halls.

Have you ever read a book, or watched a movie, where the setting is instantly familiar? The movie "Ever After" is like that with me, with the music and castle joining into a comfortable setting I would gladly step right into. Of course, the idea of what's comfortable and what isn't is totally subjective--so you can't count on it--but there's still times when the sensation is so overwhelming, it's impossible to ignore. How do you create it? Well, I think that's like asking a sculptor how they make their depictions so life-like. Sure, there are certain techniques to master, but there's also a knack to it that some people are particularly good at.

Cozy, isn't it?
image credit

However you accomplish the trick, making settings feel right is a big aspect of your story. If your creation is fiction, then it's even more so, because suspension of disbelief has a hard time with bad settings. Make sure to maintain the internal logic of the settings, and you shouldn't have much trouble. In the end, if you believe the setting yourself, then it's likely others will as well. The concept of writing what you know is well applied here, for instance if you really enjoy old leather chairs then by all means include one in your story.

For me, sliding into a place that is strange, yet comfortable, is one of the most rewarding parts of storytelling. I love disappearing into another world, hiding inside for a few hours, and only returning to real life later on and with a huge sigh. That's the power of stories in a nutshell. Where else can you fly with dragons, enter deep space, or travel into the distance past?

- M