In fiction, the most effective settings play a significant role in shaping the characters and story, but don’t overwhelm it. How to achieve this striking balance, where readers can feel as though they are transported into the world of the story and don’t skim over passages, i.e. the parts that Elmore Leonard called “the parts readers skip”? In this class, we’ll examine a wide range of settings and uses of setting, each tailored to the particular work and enhancing the characters’ trajectories, the plot, the themes, and the tone of the work. We’ll look at interiors and landscapes, as well as considering other planets, fantasy realms, and the role that time and history play in establishing compelling settings. Authors will include among the following: Jorge Luis Borges, Claire Vaye Watkins, Italo Calvino, Pitchaya Sudbanthad, Toni Morrison, Tommy Orange, Karen Tei Yamashita, Edward P. Jones, Garth Greenwell, Arundhati Roy, Fernanda Melchor, Matt Bell, Rebecca Makkai, Valeria Luiselli.

https://grubstreet.org/findaclass/class/now-where-were-we-spotlight-on-setting-remote/