Five More Unique Settings You NEED To Write About

A few months ago, I made a post detailing biomes that sparked creativity for me. I will put the link to the article at the end. Now, here are some more places that you need to write about.

I gave a quick disclaimer last time, and I'm going to do it again. Nature can be highly tied to cultural beliefs. For instance, rain can be seen as an ill omen before a character decides something. These ties can go deeper than seen on a surface level of understanding. I highly encourage you to take a moment to study the natives on the land. That way, you do not appropriate or diminish cultural practices in your work by mistake.

• Forests

Forests are a frequently used setting in literature and for a good reason. The vastness of this environment offers endless potential for your characters to interact with the world. Healing herbs grow in forests, just like poisonous plants. Experimenting with lighting can drastically change the outlook on the tone. A quick walk through a sunny meadow can believably turn into a nightmare once the sun has set. All kinds of critters inhabit forests, which can serve as a food source for your characters. Across the board, forests look pretty consistent to the average reader, so you can make your environment stand out with exciting mythical creatures. Lastly, I wanted to talk about the density of the forests themselves. I've hiked on some trials where the trees were so close together that you had to duck and maneuver around them. Those kinds of paths are near mountains and can serve as some show-stopping suspense. Adding elements like snow and rain can up the ante in terms of pacing.

• Deep oceans

I mention dark and mysterious oceans in one of my posts. I'll leave it linked here.

While the ocean does serve as a great symbol, I also think there are tons of advantages when making deep oceans a setting. For me, there are two ways to go about this.

You could always keep your characters on some sort of base, far from any shoreline. Some examples that come to mind are oil rigs and deep-sea boats. These are common in survival stories, but I'm sure you could adapt these settings into any genre you want. An oil rig or a fishing boat surrounded by mythological creatures is exciting. If you're looking for something in that vein, you should check out The Rime Of The Ancient Mariner.

If you want the freedom to move your characters anywhere, rather than have them stuck in one place, you could make them ocean-dwelling. The ocean is pretty much unknown territory as of now, so you could put virtually anything in the water. One of the advantages of utilizing this idea is that there are so many unique species to use. It wouldn't be out of the left field for angler fish or giant squid to make a cameo appearance.

• Mountains

Mountains have all the advantages as forests, but with an added bonus. They're on an elevated plane, which adds more potential for world-building and character development.

Maybe there is a special kind of creature in your story. Adapting these monsters to survive in a mountainous region helps you fine-tune the details of their design. Not to mention, adding a conflict in a rocky and unlevel environment adds suspense.

Your characters also get a chance to shine. Like most exercises, hiking requires a lot of focus and drive. Your character overcoming a mountain can symbolize any other hardship they may be facing. It also helps blend the characters with the world a little easier.

• Deserts

In my last post, I mention the potential of prairies. I think deserts have the same advantages, but with a harsher climate. Deserts are known for being hot, dry, and sandy. You can add in all the mesmerizing rock formations that you see in deserts. The wildlife in these biomes are also unique and specialized for the conditions of the environment. Knowing that any organisms need to withstand hot temperatures and lack of water can help you cater their design to that setting.

• Jungles

Like forests and mountains, jungles are a very dense and vast space to work with. Plants and animals that inhabit these environments have a reputation for being very colorful and exciting. If you're creating a vivid-colored creature from scratch, having an environment like a jungle might help it blend into the setting. Hundreds of species live in jungles, giving you a variety to choose from. Their unique appearance aids in adding symbolism.

Those were the five environments that you should write about. Thank you so much for taking the time to read my post. If you want to support my content, please like this post, share it with a friend, or subscribe.

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