Advice on a Setting

Horseflye · Jan 12, 2008

I am currently in the planning stages of my middle grade novel; however, I am having some trouble nailing down a time period during which it takes place. So far, these are my "setting elements":
- an orphanage
- a victorian mansion
- an insane asylum
On one hand, I would like it to be in the "present"; on the other, I want a victorian feel to it.
Thanks!

Polenth · Jan 13, 2008

It's not that clear what you want advice on. You have two time periods you want to use. Are you looking for advice on which one to choose?

Horseflye · Jan 14, 2008

See, that's my problem, I suppose...I don't know what I want--I can't envision my story in any particular time period :O(....

HourglassMemory · Jan 14, 2008

Could it be that the image you have in your head makes you see it as in the present?
Have you thought about looking at pictures of orphanages and insane asylums from the 18/19th century?
It could give you ideas and show your brain what you want.

If you want it to have a victorian feel to it, you can't really have the characters seeing cars pass by and what not.
Just mention things that readers would expect of victorian times. Oil lamps and horse trams and carriages and dresses and frock coats.
People will get the hint. People aren't stupid. That's something I keep stubburnly reminding myself.

I guess your "present feel" could come from the characters themselves. Make them think exactly like us, which they did.

josephwise · Jan 14, 2008

The setting is as important to a story as any of the characters. In fact, I think of "character" as a subset under the "setting" umbrella.

If you have your story in mind already, it should be an easy decision. Which of those settings best contributes to the conflict behind that story? If much of the story depends on the POV character being unreliable, maybe the asylum is best. If the characters major actions are based in their dis-trust and fear of adults, the orphanage would work well.

Or, you could do all three by setting it in a Victorian orphanage run by a paranoid individual who believes all of the orphans are insane.

The Grump · Jan 14, 2008

The fact that you have an insane asylum and an orphanage pretty much eliminates the "present" from consideration in my opinion. Group homes and rehab aren't the same type of institutions.

Horseflye · Jan 14, 2008

Ah! You all offer such good advice. It's funny though; because one single event (i.e. a dirigible accident) has given me a time period: the late 1920's. And, The Grump, I couldn't agree with you more--haven't seen too many orphanages around lately...

Stijn Hommes · Jan 14, 2008

Are you sure the novel is middle grade? I somehow have difficulties imagining a middle grade novel using an insane asylum as a setting.

HourglassMemory · Jan 14, 2008

Stijn Hommes said:
Are you sure the novel is middle grade? I somehow have difficulties imagining a middle grade novel using an insane asylum as a setting.

Imaging the weird characters that could spurt out of it makes me smirk, actually. Because one would be 'having fun' with a serious subject and treating seriously mentally ill mental patients as if they were some character in a world of fantasy.

who knows....an orphan who, thanks to the abnormally eccentric and random chats with the crazy patients, gets into a world in his or her imagination that is absolutely insane, in a fun way for kids to read.

Horseflye · Jan 14, 2008

Oh, the insane asylum isn't quite what you think....in fact most of the patients who entered it were quite sane to begin with. I am merely using it as a vehicle by which another, more central concept will be explained.

Eldritch · Feb 24, 2008

HourglassMemory said:
If you want it to have a victorian feel to it, you can't really have the characters seeing cars pass by and what not.
Just mention things that readers would expect of victorian times. Oil lamps and horse trams and carriages and dresses and frock coats.

I disagree.
Have you watched the Series of Unfortunate Events movie? Lots of crossing of eras there, and it works beautifully. The Matrix movies are another good example with their use of rotary telephones.

I say, think outside the box. Take that dark, whimisical, dream-like world that's skittering around inside your brain and let it out.

P.S.
I vote for the insane asylum.

Horseflye · Feb 25, 2008

Insane Asylum's in :O)

cynthea · Feb 25, 2008

I agree with Eldritch. A SERIES OF UNFORTUNATE EVENTS is a perfect example of creating a unique time period of its own! Go with whatever makes the world work for you. And study the works of those who have "stepped outside of the box" if that's what it takes.

Good luck!

delora · Feb 25, 2008

sounds like you have good ideas. i thought about an insane asylum once for a setting - did some background work on the net. the images that came up gave me even more ideas. images are powerful...plus most of the old ones (asylums) have been adandoned which made it even more creepy!

Eldritch · Feb 25, 2008

delora said:
i thought about an insane asylum once for a setting - did some background work on the net. the images that came up gave me even more ideas. images are powerful...plus most of the old ones (asylums) have been adandoned which made it even more creepy!

Yes! Same here. Images of those old abandoned asylums are very powerful. Don't know what it is, but they really get to me.

timewaster · Feb 25, 2008

cynthea said:
I agree with Eldritch. A SERIES OF UNFORTUNATE EVENTS is a perfect example of creating a unique time period of its own! Go with whatever makes the world work for you. And study the works of those who have "stepped outside of the box" if that's what it takes. Good luck!

You do have to do that well and confidently though or it will just read at though the writer hadn't thought things through. You can write it like fantasy with an invented setting but it has to make internal sense.IMHO

kellytijer · Feb 25, 2008

The Grump said:
The fact that you have an insane asylum and an orphanage pretty much eliminates the "present" from consideration in my opinion. Group homes and rehab aren't the same type of institutions.

I concur. Asylums are old, haunted things to me.

Advice on a Setting

Horseflye

Polenth

Mushroom

Horseflye

HourglassMemory

josephwise

The Grump

Hates Marketing. Loves Writing.

Horseflye

Stijn Hommes

Know what you write...

HourglassMemory

Horseflye

Eldritch

Horseflye

cynthea

delora

Eldritch

timewaster

present

kellytijer

What the hell is going on?!