5 Fun Tips for Creating a Compelling Setting
When you think about fantasy or science fiction, what are some of the first things that come to mind? Say, for example, I bring up The Lord of the Rings, either the novels by J. R. R. Tolkien, or the excellent trilogy of films directed by Peter Jackson. What images does that title invoke in your head? Does it bring to mind the rich, earthy hobbit holes of the Shire, full of gardens, second breakfasts, and tiny barefoot halflings? Or do you think of the dark and abandoned dwarven halls of Moria? The strangely ethereal forests of Lothlorien, where the immortal and nearly celestial elves wander? Similarly, if I mention Star Wars, this, even for those with just a passing awareness, will conjure images of glowing lightsabers, the twin suns of Tattooine, bizarre aliens, and iconic smuggler ships capable of making the kessel run in less than twelve parsecs.