Craft focus: scenes and setting in fiction

What is the course about?

Alongside character, setting is one of the most integral elements of story-telling. When successful it can help readers immerse themselves in the story world, anchor character actions and perspectives, and even, sometimes, assume the features of a character in its own right. Scenes are structural units in fiction that connect events, deepen readers' understanding, and push a story closer to its resolution. Crafted well, they can make words on a page come alive. In this course, you'll learn how to establish compelling setting and how to write scenes with structural integrity that will animate your stories. Suitable for those with some experience of creative writing.

What will we cover?

- How does genre affect setting?
- Which techniques are useful when creating a sense of setting?
- What is a scene? Key elements
- Types of scene and their purpose
- When to create a scene and when to write summary
- How to structure a scene
- Transitioning between scene and summary.

What will I achieve?
By the end of this course you should be able to...

- Identify the elements of setting that can be manipulated by the author.
- Apply some of the structural and language techniques useful to establishing setting in your own work.
- Write your own scene that conveys a layered sense of setting.
- Identify the components of a scene.
- Craft a scene that deepens character and moves a narrative forward.
- Give and receive constructive feedback with sensitivity and confidence.

What level is the course and do I need any particular skills?

This course is open to those new to writing fiction and those with some experience. You should be an avid reader of fiction. Fluency in English is essential.

How will I be taught, and will there be any work outside the class?

A mixture of writing exercises, group work, pair work and formal teacher instruction.

All writing courses at City Lit will involve an element of workshop. This means that students will produce work which will be discussed in an open and constructive environment with the tutor and other students. The college operates a policy of constructive criticism, and all feedback on another student’s work by the tutor and other students should be delivered in that spirit.

For classes longer than one day, regular reading and writing exercises will be set for completion at home to set deadlines.

City Lit Writing endeavours to create a safe and welcoming space for all and we strongly support the use of content notes in our classes. This means that learners are encouraged to make their tutor and classmates aware in advance if any writing they wish to share contains material that may be deemed sensitive. If you are unsure about what might constitute sensitive content, please ask your tutor for further clarification and read our expectations for participating in writing courses at City Lit.

Are there any other costs? Is there anything I need to bring?

No additional costs. Please bring writing materials.

When I've finished, what course can I do next?

Collect the other Craft Focus courses on offer to give key elements of your writing the special attention they deserve. Or, why not try one of our term-long fiction courses? You may also enjoy a Reading for writers course, or the Craft of fiction reading and writing group. There are lots of options to develop your fiction available via the online prospectus. If you need help finding the right one, just give us a call!

All students are invited to join us at Late Lines, our regular performance night for City Lit writers. Students are also encouraged to submit their work to Between the Lines, our annual anthology of creative writing. For the latest news, courses and events, stay in touch with the Department on Facebook and Twitter.