Fiction Settings For Different Characters

Anne Bernays and Pamela Painter — What if? Writing Exercises for Fiction Writers prompts —

The Exercise —

Choose a setting for one or more of the following, and furnish a place with his character — you create the character through observation of the setting. The place can be any kind of locale — a house, a specific room in a house, outdoor grounds, an office, a cell, or even a bed. The description must incorporate enough characteristic things so that the reader can visualize the absentee dweller accurately. Try to avoid stereotypes.

The Objective —

To be able to select details that will create a character and furnish the world of that character. A note that details indicate the circumstances of the subject — such things as success or unsuccess, social status, and habits. Which details indicate emotions, personality, intelligence, character, and outlook on life?

An unsuccessful painter —

When walking up to the house, you note the ladder lying next to the house on the ground. When entering, there are paint cans in the porch, and on top of the freezer, you see used paint brushes wrapped in plastic. His coveralls, splattered in paint, are hanging on a hook.

Upon entering the living room, you note some chips in the paint on the walls. You wonder how long it has been since his house was painted.

A former movie star who still thinks she’s famous —

In her living room, the walls are covered with photographs of her with other famous movie stars. Above the fireplace is a painting of her from at least thirty years ago.

She comes into the room wearing an expensive gown with a mink coat draped across her arm, phone in her hand with speaker on, and you hear her saying, “I will have to get back to you after speaking with my manager”.

A high-school senior about to flunk out —

When walking into his room, the floors are cluttered with what looks like worksheets with F’s in red ink, his desk is empty, and he is sitting on the edge of the bed looking like he has lost his best friend.

He says, “I am not going to graduate with the rest of our class. I just couldn’t get it done. I’ve tried and just can’t catch up, and my grades are almost all F’s.”

A cocktail waitress down on her luck —

In her living room, it is apparent that her sofa is missing. She has a loveseat and a recliner, and a space where a sofa would have been. Her television is not visible either. You wonder what is going on. When you ask, she says that her sofa is being delivered and she just got rid of her television, as she doesn’t really watch TV anyway.

A blind person —

The first thing you notice when entering your friend's house is how dark it is. Then you see that all the walkways are wider and there are very few decorations in the house. He notices you are extra quiet and quickly turns the lighting up. You can now see family photos on the walls.

On his refrigerator, there are some notes in braille, along with an Alexa that will periodically give a reminder of the time and what is on the calendar.

A paraplegic —

The first thing you notice at the neighbor's house is a van complete with a ramp for loading a motorized wheelchair. The ramp going into the house and the wide spaces for a wheelchair once you enter the space. You speak with your neighbor, their brother, and a nurse who works with your neighbor. There is a different live-in caregiver in the evenings, and when no one else is with them.

Here are the rest of the characters to choose from that complete this exercise —

* A member of a lunatic-fringe political group

* A foster child

* A fugitive from the law

* A social climber

* A paranoid person

* A supermarket checkout woman who just won the state lottery

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Published first by Mercury Press on medium.com