How to Make Your Story Suck Less

1. Setting: the surroundings or environment in which something exists or takes place or the period in time or the place in which the events of a story are said to occur (Encarta ® World English Dictionary © & (P) 1998-2005 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.)

Most people regard the setting as something that's just a filler, or they are just too lazy to type up a detailed setting. DO NOT BE ONE OF THESE PEOPLE. Few things irk readers more than a poorly thought out setting.

For example: JKR vs. SM (Potter v. Twilight for those unfamiliar).

* JKR literally takes up chapters just describing the settings. Now, the major difference between us and JKR is the fact that she has books. If you're looking at this, you probably write her fan fiction. So don't take up entire chapters. Instead, do several paragraphs worth. A good rule of thumb is 3 min, 7 max, or you should take up 3 paragraphs minimum per chapter, but no more than 7 max, depending on the size of your chapter. 7 is for a roughly 15 pg. chapter.

* SM has settings that are a few sentences- paragraphs tops. This makes it hard to visualize. But then again, she writes in the normal world so we should be able to. Write as much as you can about the setting, so you avoid scenarios, like thinking a hotel room is an airplane. Happened to me during Twilight. Not fun.

Important things to note:

Don't use 1st grade vocab! Seriously, readers aren't going to take you seriously if you say things like, 'There was a blue car in the rain. I saw it. Carina was driving.'

Don't be annoyingly eloquent either! When I pick up a book covered with flowery diction, I want to barf. Really, when you use eloquent language in your settings, it hides your potential. If you don't get what I'm saying, open up a Twilight book. A reader can tell if you open up a Thesaurus and copy words right out of there… *cough SM cough* Weave words in and out of your writing. That way, the reader gets what your saying. For example, did anyone ever notice how JKR used the word 'supercilious' in HP 7? No? That's because she weaves it in!

Shortcuts:

Okay. All the writers out there will hate me forever for saying this, so make sure you get it the first time. There are some shortcuts to writing a setting.

A) Go with a setting everyone knows. SM took the easy way out and wrote about your average American city crawling with fairies and fail-wolves. Or if your work is pure fan fiction, give a vague description in an easily recognizable place. For example, 'I saw the dark towers and turrets of Hogwarts Castle from the Great Lake.' You get an image inside your head of Hogwarts, but you don't see me going off about all the hidden passageways and stuff.

B) Go in a different POV. I've read HP crossovers where the writers struggle to describe Hogwarts. When the little gang gets to Hogwarts, make sure that the chapter is in the POV of an actual student that goes there (I.e. Harry, Hermione, Malfoy, Oliver, etc.) Then, you can pass off one of these sentences 'Harry grinned at the look of astonishment that crossed Thalia's face as she caught sight of Hogwarts.'

Final Thoughts:

Now remember, young ones. Never start any story without a setting. If it's a drabble, then feel free to do so. Else, just don't. Even if your setting is just a 'in the Ravenclaw common room,' it's better than nothing.

A/N: Tell me what you think! I don't care if you agree or disagree, just tell me! Any tips, it's cool. In the words of my 9th grade English teacher, "Writing is a process!"

Next chapter is about CHARACTERS!