Tomorrow's assignment is "Cultural Setting" - and it's a topic that speculative fiction writers (aka, World Builders) love, and realistic fiction writers often question:

If I'm writing realistic fiction, why do I need to define the cultural setting? It is what it is, right?

While that's true, it's still important that you understand what "it" is, because it can have a big impact on the direction your story takes.

Imagine Harper Lee's "To Kill a Mockingbird" set in the northern United States instead of the south. In the racially charged environment of 1930's Alabama, the novel delves into themes of racial injustice and moral growth. Had Lee chosen a different setting, such as a northern city during the same period, the story's impact would be significantly altered. The cultural norms surrounding race relations and class dynamics would create a different set of challenges for Scout and Atticus. In a more progressive environment, for example, the focus might be on class or gender rather than racial injustice.

Just for fun, take your story and move the setting to a different culture. What impact might the new setting have on your themes, on the challenges facing your characters, and on the decisions those characters might make? Feel free to share!

Also, can you think of other well-known tales whose stories might have changed in a different time or place?



Cheers,
Michelle