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A Writer's Guide to Active Setting
A Writer's Guide to Active Setting: How to Enhance Your Fiction with More Descriptive, Dynamic Settings | Mary Buckham
31 posts | 1 read | 14 to read
Enhance Your Fiction with the Power of an Active Setting! Setting is one of the most underutilized and misunderstood elements of the writing craft. And when writers do focus on setting, they often pull readers out of the narrative and jolt their attention from the action on the page. A Writer's Guide to Active Setting will show you how to create vivid, detailed settings that bring your story to life. You'll learn how to deepen character development, anchor readers to a specific time and place, reveal backstory without slowing things down, elevate action sequences, and more. Drawing upon examples from authors writing across a variety of genres, Mary Buckham will illustrate exactly how the proper use of setting can dramatically improve your story. You'll learn what's effective about each passage and how you can use those techniques to make your story shine. "Takes an all too often overlooked technique, and elevates it to a next-level game changer for powerful fiction." --Cathy Yardley, author of Rock Your Plot "A powerful combination of fresh insights, practical examples, and how-to advice on the often overlooked but critical element of setting...written in a quick-to-read and easy-to-understand style, and packed with useful application exercises." --Kelly L. Stone, author of Thinking Write: The Secret to Freeing Your Creative Mind "If you're a writer, then Mary Buckham's book is a must-have tool for your writer's toolkit. Creating settings that are rich and believable is not an easy task, but with this book, I found that each chapter gave me great tips that I could immediately implement in my manuscript." --Laurie G. Adams, author of Finding Atticus
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MrBook
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I haven't done one of these posts in a long while! I love the Litten magic that conjures up brilliant imaginings. So, which book do you see this setting in, and which characters can you envision here? #MrBookWantsToKnow

sparklemotion This makes me think of “A Walk to Remember” for some reason (movie). I could see the MC from “None of the Above” running through here. 7y
CindyMyLifeIsLit This makes me think of the woods of Maine, which makes me think of Derry, which means eventually, something terrible will emerge from the branches of those beautiful trees . . . and that‘s the way I like it!! 7y
84 likes2 comments
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MrBook
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I recently changed my phone's wallpaper to this image. Which book can you see this setting used in, and which character(s) can you imagine being here? #MrBookWantsToKnow

IamIamIam My immediate reaction is Jay Gatsby but I got an inkling of Snow Falling on Cedars right after that. 8y
Meeko93 Charlie St. Cloud 8y
rustoryhuf The book of my future retirement. 😎 8y
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Adventures_of_a_French_Reader Just thought of the talented Mr Ripley... Gosh I hated this book... 8y
JazzFeathers Really like that pic. I don't know why, l have a penchant for photos of peers jutting into the sea 😊 8y
LitsyGoesPostal 😊👍🏻 8y
74 likes8 comments
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MrBook
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So, in which book(s) can you see this setting? And which characters can you see here? #MrBookWantsToKnow

67 likes11 comments
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MrBook
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So, in which book(s) can you see this as a scene for? And which characters can you imagine in this setting? 😊 #MrBookWantsToKnow

Librarianaut I see Louie & Lestat stumbling down the street...drunk on their latest exploit #fangsrule 8y
jenniferw88 Sherlock and John running after a criminal! 8y
Bookish_Predator Jack the Ripper waiting to pounce upon an unsuspecting lady of the night 🔪 8y
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AliBG Sherlock Holmes! 8y
Lcsmcat Dickens, if you take away the electric lights. 8y
PatienceFortitude Midnight Riot by Ben Aaronovitch 8y
Gina Ahhhh truly in the dark back corners of my nightmares lies this vision 8y
SusanInTiburon This reminds me of 8y
LitsyGoesPostal 😊👍🏻 8y
79 likes11 comments
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MrBook
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Love your answers 😁! Which book do you see this place in and which character(s) do you imagine here? #MrBookWantsToKnow

LeahBergen Cromwell. 8y
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CrowCAH Something King Henry VIII. 8y
Lmstraubie This reminds me of Will's parent's house in 8y
Sarah1960 Matthew and Diana in (edited) 8y
rustoryhuf Me. That is where I should live. 8y
Adventures_of_a_French_Reader Asylum by Patrick McGrath 8y
Sarah83 Inspector Morse 💂🕵 8y
CherylC It could be the school from Libba Bray's A Great and Terrible Beauty. 8y
LitsyGoesPostal 😊👍🏻 8y
99 likes14 comments
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MrBook
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Always love your answers to this question: which book can you see this setting in, and are there any particular characters you can imagine here? #MrBookWantsToKnow

quirkyreader I see this as a valley just before the Swiss Alps. It is a ski resort where people go to escape from reality and get up to some mischief. But what kind of mischief? 8y
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Jerseygirldani Great question! This looks kind of how I pictured the village in 8y
ferskner Wrong time of year, but 8y
Bookwormjillk The Inspector Gamache series-- Three Pines 🌲 🌲 🌲 8y
drokka Do I see Cindy Loo Who down there? 8y
CrowCAH Balto, the dog. 8y
Bklover The Snowman, Jo Nesbo. (edited) 8y
Gina I see the book... 8y
MissKitka White Fang. 8y
LitsyGoesPostal 😊👍🏻 8y
76 likes13 comments
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MrBook
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I haven't done this post in awhile, and this may be my favorite one after the bookish discussion question post, your answers are always magnificent. So, in which book(s) can you see this setting in, and which characters can you picture here? #MrBookWantsToKnow

86 likes10 comments
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MrBook
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I love your answers to this question. I know I always say it, but you make me so effusive 😉👍🏻. So, which books do you picture this setting being used in? Any particular character(s) you see milling about? #MrBookWantsToKnow

DeeLew I picture Katniss hunting here. 😊 8y
saguarosally @DeeLew I was just going to say The Hunger Games. 😄 8y
heikemarie This is part of Area X in this one! 👇 8y
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TheWordJar Lord of the Flies comes to mind. 8y
Melkyl I can't think of a particular book, but this looks like a place one might encounter woodland fairies. 8y
LiteratiCafe The Iron Druid @KevinHearne a good spot to rest, a water elemental in residence. 8y
Reecaspieces The Lost City of Z 8y
GatheringBooks knife of never letting go! :) 8y
SaraFair The Bible! 8y
LiteraryMind The Jungle Book 8y
Dvmheather I was thinking Lord of the Flies too. 8y
LitsyGoesPostal 😊👍🏻 8y
83 likes12 comments
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MrBook
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You're going to love this setting 😁👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻!!! And I can't wait to see your answers (as always 😉👍🏻). So, which book(s) do you see this as a setting for? Any particular characters you envision milling about? #MrBookWantsToKnow

Melissa_J Cinderella 😊 8y
Laura317 Frozen! Do you wanna build a snowman ⛄️ ? 8y
TheBookHippie Repunzel or Sleeping Beauty 8y
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LauraKath I can see the Torrance family from The Shining 😈😈😈 8y
TheBookHippie @LauraKath 😂😂😂😂😂 8y
Erynecki Since it's Neuschwanstein, I only ever think about all the looted art the Nazis stored there. So my recommended read is 8y
BookBabe I was there! It's amazing! 😍 8y
KafkaKitten I wish I could think of a book, but all it reminds me of is The Grand Budapest Hotel! 8y
Zelma I could see this castle existing in Fillory during the winter. 8y
LitsyGoesPostal 😊👍🏻 8y
95 likes10 comments
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MrBook
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Love your replies to this question 😊👍🏻. So, which book(s) do you see this setting as a scene in? Any particular character you envision milling about? #MrBookWantsToKnow

DGRachel I picture super spies running across this bridge - 007 maybe, or Gabriel Allon. 8y
britt_brooke Paris!! 💚💚💚 Maybe an art dealer/museum type mystery with a little love story worked in. So .... Da Vinci Code. 😁 (edited) 8y
haileybean Lilliet Berne in Queen of the Night 😍😍 8y
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hollytucker I see an epic, multifamily story set in the 19th century. What a gorgeous photo btw 8y
CrowCAH I though of a young British Lady on her coming out grand tour of Europe, where she meets a mysterious male stranger on the bridge, he's a Parisian, who's a bit scampy. 😍 8y
bio_chem06 I always kind of saw the lead character from a Discovery of Witches rowing down a river like this. Although I didn't enjoy the series that much... 8y
74 likes7 comments
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MrBook
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It's that time again, literary transport thinking caps on, please. In which book(s) would this scene play a role in? And which characters can you picture here acting out their narratives? #MrBookWantsToKnow

Melkyl Where did you get this picture? It looks like a mall here in NE Ohio that is no longer open. 8y
DreesReads I see this and I immediately think of a YA book series my son loved in 6th/7th grades. I have only read the first one, the other 2 are sitting on my nightstand! 8y
Laney1733 It's too clean and new looking but it puts my mind in The Passage, the mall scene where Amy first saves Peter. I'm really not sure why though! 8y
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Reviewsbylola Omg, I immediately thought is was a mall that we had here in Columbus, Ohio that was demolished in 2009. I had to do a double take. @Melwilk 8y
Gezemice John Dies at the End. This scene just looks like it is ready to be blown to pieces by creatures of the underworld 😈😈😈 8y
Melkyl @Reviewsbylola I thought it looked like either Rolling Acres in Akron or Randall Park Mall. Either way, it looks familiar 8y
Tracydi I was thinking The Pelican Brief or one of those John Grisham books 8y
TheWordJar Reminds me of the defunct mall in Gone Girl! 8y
E-book @Melwilk I think it's Rolling Acres! Randall Park had those ramps in the middle! NEO represent! ❤ 8y
heikemarie The arcology developments in The Water Knife? 8y
Melkyl @e-book I was leaning towards Rolling Acres. I actually worked there for a while at Sears. I think the picture looks like Rolling Acres. 8y
Melkyl @e-book absolutely NEOrepresent!! 8y
Melkyl @MrBook Where did you get this picture? @E-book and I want to know... 8y
MrBook @Melwilk @E-book 😊 Rolling Acres Mall!!! It's now a deserted structure. 8y
GoldenGirl The part where they are in the mall in Las Vegas, I believe, and fighting the virals to get out of the town. 8y
Tcip Easy! This one rings a big bell when I saw it! 8y
Tcip Oh shit! I didn't see the last two comments Great minds guys! 😉 @Bookladylinda @GoldenGirl 8y
Laney1733 I'm so glad others saw The Passage in it too! I am also in NEO, Youngstown ish area. I thought Randall Park for half a second. Then I thought, "Nah, what're the odds?". 8y
OrangeMooseReads The Babysitters Club. They totally shopped here. 8y
Lidia I thought of Gone Girl too 8y
Dogearedcopy That looks like the carapace of White Flint Mall in Maryland. As a mall rat of the 1980s, this used to be a premier shopping place with Bloomingdales, Lord & Taylor's, Nordstrom's, etc. The elevator (on the right) took you to a fern/forested and skylighted cafe/restaurant where my mom once got drunk on afternoon margaritas after a hefty shopping binge 😄Sorry, no book ideas, just memories... 8y
E-book @Leo1733 me too! I went to high school in Warren! 8y
JulAnna The Passage is the first book that comes to my mind! 8y
Jbakesmcgee3 The Escalator by Nicholson Baker 8y
LitsyGoesPostal 😊👍🏻 8y
72 likes29 comments
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MrBook
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Here's another setting for your consideration! In which book can you picture this setting? And which character can you imagine being here? 😎#MrBookWantsToKnow

TheBookAddict I can see this being the view in Beautiful Ruins from Pasquale's hotel. Not the resort look per-say, but the beautiful sea. I can see Dee Moray looking out into it, thinking about her life and her soon to be death (so she thinks). Such a beautiful book that takes place in a beautiful country with a beautiful language. There's more beautiful ruins in this book than just the lonely island. 8y
MyNamesParadise I'm not sure but I know I want to be there!! 8y
OrangeMooseReads The modern day setting for J.D. Salinger' story 'A Good Day for Bananafish' 8y
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Libby1 Hot Milk. 8y
TK421 It could be just outside of Boomtown from Where Is Joe Merchant? 8y
elephantparty A tropical version of Cannery Row. I can see Henri salivating at the boats. 8y
BookThingo Perfect for a Harlequin Presents. It's just missing a billionaire tycoon suffering from ennui. 😏 8y
mom2bugnbee Bond. James Bond. 8y
azulaco How Stella Got Her Groove Back. This is where Stella goes on vacation. No wonder she got her groove back. 8y
LitsyGoesPostal 😊👍🏻 8y
72 likes10 comments
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MrBook
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I always love all of your responses when I ask this fun question 😁👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻! Which book can you see this as a scene in, and/or which characters can you see here? #MrBookWantsToKnow

mcipher It's pretty Tolkien, don't you think? 8y
beagle.mama I agree it's Tolkien like. I could also see it in Sorcerer to the Crown, near where the hole got plugged. That's how I saw it anyway. 8y
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Soubhiville Anything Charles de Lint would fit there, and some Gaiman and Seanan McGuire. 8y
saresmoore I agree with the Tolkien assessment, although I could also see many classic fairy tales: Hansel & Gretel, Snow White, Goldilocks, Red Riding Hood, etc. 8y
OrangeMooseReads Hobits walked these stairs 8y
haileybean Merlin! I've been reading about Avalon and King Arthur a lot lately I can just imagine Merlin on these stairs or one of the Knights of Camelot 😜 8y
drokka I'm with @haileyhugsbooks my first thought was Merlin. My second thought was Shakespeare's Hags from The Scottish Play. 8y
TheBookDream Hobbits and elves 8y
booksandsympathy Heart's Blood by Juliet Marillier 8y
hgrimes Lord of the Rings 8y
I-read-and-eat It makes me think of (World of) Warcraft. Man... So many hours went into that game. There are book too, though I have not read any, so this is not completely off topic. 8y
KerriNTurner The Last Unicorn by Peter S. Beagle. 8y
StellarDoc Definitely looks like something out of Tolkien or Gaiman's Stardust, but it also makes me think of Fillory from Grossman's The Magicians. 8y
Macnjen Agree with the Tolkien imagery 8y
Jlee745 I agree with Tolkien also 8y
Librarylady3 Harry Potter or Mrs. Perigine 8y
Nebklvr Fablehaven 8y
LitsyGoesPostal 😊😊 8y
113 likes1 stack add21 comments
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MrBook
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I always eagerly await your responses to this question posting 😁👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻! All of your answers are magnifique! So, which book do you see this scene in? Are there any particular characters you milling about? #MrBookWantsToKnow

JanuarieTimewalker13 All I keep thinking about is a post apocalyptic Choo Choo Charlie looking for his Good n Plenty....lol 8y
Moray_Reads It's got to be Railsea by China Mieville. It's just too perfect 8y
Emily92Bibliophile I know it's not a book, but it reminds me of Spirited Away. 🐉🍱 (edited) 8y
See All 15 Comments
AThousandLives87 It reminds me of The Road by Cormac McCarthy. 8y
Bookgirl Not a book but I'm getting a Time Bandits vibe 8y
JessicaThunstromNelson This is sooooooooooooo The Dark Tower series. 8y
melissanorr This says Ruler of the Night by David Morrell to me. 8y
Sue To me this feels like an alternate history from 8y
Melkyl My students and I just read "The Dragon" by Ray Bradbury. This reminds me of that one. 8y
AliBG A post-apocalyptic retelling of THE POLAR EXPRESS. 8y
sarielizbeth It reminds me of the (movie) scene in Harry Potter where the ship comes up from the lake. So it reminds me of magic, and maybe a little steampunk too. 8y
ultrabookgeek I could see the steampunk of his dark materials for some reason... 8y
Bette "Snowpiercer" after climate change; they're in trouble... 8y
Tonton Iron Council, China Mieville! 8y
67 likes15 comments
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MrBook
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This one's a little different than what I usually post for this question 😊. Which book(s) does this setting work in? And which characters do you see mulling about here? #MrBookWantsToKnow

CocoReads Ooh, a ghost town! Ok, move it back in time and I can see any number of westerns set here. Or maybe a contemporary horror story. 8y
Aseleener Mattie Ross looking for Rooster Cogburn in 8y
Amandajoy I can see Gus & Call moseying through here. 8y
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readinginthedark Am I the only one thinking runaway kid from a dysfunctional family? 8y
rubyslippersreads A backlot where a Western movie is being shot??? 8y
CocoReads @Amandajoy Gus and Call for sure! 8y
SeeJanRead Definitely reminds me of a few Hatfield & McCoy histories that I've read. 8y
Tamarity Sisters Brothers 8y
Debiw781 The Gunslinger by Stephen King 8y
IndyHannaJones Wake of Vultures 8y
mom2bugnbee Pretty much any Zane Grey novel. 8y
Susanita Some kind of cat and mouse thriller fugitive story set in the Old West. Lots of nooks and crannies for hiding. 8y
josie281 Netty Lonesome from Wake of Vultures! Western and paranormal and diversity! 8y
OrangeMooseReads This is what I picture the town Laura Ingalls lived in 8y
RobinW Defiantly the Silver Rush series by Ann Parker. I have read the first of the five books in this series and look forward to reading the rest. 8y
Shemac77 The dark tower series! 8y
drokka Just about every Western out there. But I'll throw out the mystery western series of my choice that begins with 8y
Mdargusch News of the World 8y
82 likes19 comments
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MrBook
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This is an apropos setting for much of the country considering all the snow many of us have been getting lately ⛄️. Which book(s) do you see taking place here, and which characters can you see in and about it? #MrBookWantsToKnow

Mimi28 Stephen King's Misery 8y
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Kmmsellers But without the decorations 😀 8y
minkyb Misery by Stephen King 8y
peaKnit @minkyb stole mine:) I totally thought Misery! 8y
minkyb @peaknit great minds ... 8y
AliBG I'm on team MISERY for this one too! 8y
Prairiegirl_reading Faina and Garrett's cabin in Alaska! 8y
BookBabe 😍 8y
MyNamesParadise Some characters in Descent by Tim Johnston. One of my favorites!! 8y
109 likes13 comments
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MrBook
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Beautiful, isn't it? Whoever devised this spot definitely had taste and brains. So, which book(s) do you visualize this set-piece in? Any particular characters come to mind? #MrBookWantsToKnow 😎

Imagineannie Looks like someone's law office from Dickens. Maybe Jaggers from Great Expectations or...pretty much anybody in Bleak House. 8y
Born.A.Reader Emma's Belle in the library from the Beauty and the Beast. ❤😍 8y
Debiw781 Mr. Penumbra's 24-Hour Bookstore ❤ 8y
See All 11 Comments
JoRead How about @JoRead's One Day In Heaven 😎😉 8y
Macnjen The cemetery of forgotten books in The Shadow of the Wind 8y
lynneamch Ooh, yes. All good choices. How about Thursday Next, maybe 8y
LeslieO In with @Macnjen I immediately thought of Shadoe of the Wind. 8y
MrBook @Imagineannie @Born.A.Reader @Debiw781 @JoRead @Macnjen @ErickaS_Flyleafunfurled @lynneamch @LeslieO You are all brilliant! 😁👏🏻😎🙌🏻👌🏻!! 8y
Shvonne The library at the Angelfield house in 8y
MrBook @Shvonne 😁👏🏻👏🏻! 8y
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MrBook
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Here's an interesting setting! Which book(s) and character(s) can you see utilizing this amazing spot? (It's in Turkey, but it looks like it could be in one of a hundred other countries instead.) Gorgeous! (I love your answers to this question in my previous like-minded posts! ☺🙌🏻) #MrBookWantsToKnow

MMenefee I could see some magic going down here with the characters from 8y
Libby1 I have seen tombs like this in Turkey! They're cut right into the side of a mountain. 8y
OrangeMooseReads Anne Rice's vampires would make good use of this spot. 8y
See All 13 Comments
Yournewfriendsams Not a book, but reminds me of Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade. 8y
Jaimelire @OrangeMooseReads I had the exact same idea 8y
Shvonne Something with a secret society 8y
Branwen It looks like something the fellowship of the ring would gave to pass through! :-) 8y
drokka Looks a lot like the buildings found in Petra; slightly more verdant though. I see Miss Havisham living here. 8y
LilMamaMastro Library at Mount Char, Deborah Harkness's Trilogy... I've been to Library of Celsus in Ephesus, Turkey but it does not have this aura. 8y
Reecaspieces A lost Amazon city! Complete with treasure map and a trap! 8y
Sarah83 maybe a place to be for the dwarfs? 8y
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MrBook
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So, which literary characters can you picture playing with this dollhouse from the 1800s? Would it play a role in any books you've read? #MrBookWantsToKnow

Bookish2 Pollyanna 8y
hyacinth Sara Crewe! 8y
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RebeccaLHoward Maggie in Behind the Attic Wall. 8y
MyNamesParadise It looks really similar to Norman Bates house lol 8y
RealLifeReading Merricat 8y
Jaimelire Count Olaf...Series of Unfortunate Events. He would live in a house like this. (edited) 8y
Cupofjo Reminds me of The Miniaturist by Jessie Burton 8y
Dolly My immediate thought was Mark Twain. His Connecticut house is slightly similar. 8y
Dolly Soooo I guess M Ts daughters might play with this dollhouse. ☺️ 8y
bio_chem06 This immediately makes me think of 5th grade reading assignment, The Dollhouse Murders. Who remembers things like this from 20+years ago? ! 8y
freyaheart That's easy! The Owens family. 8y
SiriGuruDevSingh It reminded me of Miss Peregrine's (also, I want this doll house!!!💖) 8y
kylienoele Amma's dollhouse in 8y
OrangeMooseReads Blackwoods from We Have Always Lived in the Castle or Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children 8y
Heatherine It was set in the 1600's, but I picture something like this in The Miniaturist. 8y
BookBabe 😮 😍😍😍❤❤❤ 8y
Born.A.Reader It brings to mind the dollhouse Neely plays with in The Trespassers. Anyone remember that book? I loved it as a kid. 8y
108 likes19 comments
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MrBook
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So, which book(s) do you see this as the setting for? any particular characters you can picture in and about? #MrBookWantsToKnow

MyNamesParadise A wintry Polish wonderland! I once went to Poland in Winter and I fell in love with that country!! 😃😊 Zygmunt Miloszewski writes a series of books featuring a former special prosecutor and takes place in modern Poland! 8y
bookdrunkard78 This reminds me of a book I read last year with my book club. Time and Again by Jack Finney. When I saw this picture, I just assumed you were reading it until I saw the post! 8y
cathysaid The Shining in 2017 8y
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OrangeMooseReads I can see Holden Caulfield walking with his head down and hands shoved deep in his pockets 8y
JessieReadsInBK The Alienist was actually set there! It's Delmonico's - a delicious steakhouse in NYC's Financial District. I went after I read the book! (edited) 8y
AmyG My first thought was Time and Again - Jack Finney 8y
Zelma Something with mobsters. 8y
Sraexx @JessieReadsInBK I instantly thought The Alienist! I loved that book so much! 8y
LitsyGoesPostal 😊👍🏻 8y
111 likes9 comments
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MrBook
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Here's another image to get your biblio-imaginations running at full steam. Which book(s) can you see taking place at this real-life location? And which characters can you imagine being here? #MrBookWantsToKnow 😁👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻

Kmmsellers Anne Rice's The Witching Hour is the first to come to mind. I could see the Mayfairs there. 8y
Reggie Interview with the Vampire, Lestat and Louis hanging out. 8y
Reggie @Kmmsellers haha jinx 8y
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Godmotherx5 Gone With the Wind during/after the war. 8y
MaleficentBookDragon @Kmmsellers I agree. I can picture Lasher wondering the house. 8y
Shvonne A few Anne Rice novels. Jane Eyre if it was set in the South. 8y
mom2bugnbee Agree with Anne Rice! 8y
KateTheBookworm I see Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil. 🏚🏛🍸 8y
Kmmsellers @lostlogophile Yes! I didn't even think about that one. @Reggie @MaleficentTheBookDragon great minds think alike 😊 8y
AThousandLives87 Great Expectations...don't ask me why! 8y
Lola I see that picture and I think Ann Rice, vampires, witches and NOLA. It makes me want to settle in with a cup of chicory coffee, a beignet and my book. 8y
Lola Lol! Didn't even see all the AR comments above. Great bookish minds think alike 😎 I can also see pre and post Civil War Atlanta in that shot. 8y
sparklemotion Reminds of the house Lena Duchannes lives in. 8y
Bookartbookmarks This reminds me of the Matilda house. First thing I thought of. 8y
cleoh @sparklemotion I thought that too! 8y
drokka @AThousandLives87 It's funny you mention Great Expectations as that's the book the protagonist is reading at the beginning of Anne Rice's The Witching Hour. This book reminds me of those and of 8y
Macnjen The Shadow of theWind! 8y
Crewgurl The Secret Garden 8y
Sarah83 I would also agree.. 8y
callunakeep The Library at Mount Char!! 🤓 @DiruVamp 8y
Hooked_on_books I agree with Great Expectations. Also 8y
OrangeMooseReads Lestat or Louis (edited) 8y
freyaheart My first thought was pride and prejudice 8y
Elisa My first thought: the NOLA house in which most of The Witching Hour take place. I can almost see Deirdre sitting under those trees there. 8y
Librarylady3 The Old Willis Place would be perfect there. It is a great 4-6th grade mystery/ghost story that I read with my classes. 8y
104 likes28 comments
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MrBook
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So, which books do your biblio-instincts tell you this spot works for as a location? Any particular character(s) you envision here? #MrBookWantsToKnow

TheBookbabeblog84 For some reason my mind goes to the writer from Stephen King's Secret Window Novella lol 8y
Sarah83 Somehow it remembers me to this Book. 8y
BooksForYears This could easily be the family home from Housekeeping 8y
See All 13 Comments
OrangeMooseReads My first thought was Stephen King himself. 8y
Ian It's where Kelsea grew up in The Queen of the Tearling! 8y
MeganAnn This is what I pictured for Grainer's cabin in 8y
MaleficentBookDragon Not a book, but I see Ash from Evil Dead here. 8y
cathysaid Thoreau 8y
Alfoster Yup, Thoreau! 8y
Hooked_on_books I see this as the place Amy escapes to in Gone Girl. 8y
71 likes13 comments
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MrBook
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Here's another great location I came across. Talk about creepy! But cool 😎👍🏻. In which 📚s can you 👀 this playing a part? Any particular 👨‍👩‍👧‍👦s you can see here? #MrBookWantsToKnow ☺🤓

Shemac77 Psycho! 8y
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cathysaid Um...Flannery O'Connor meets Norman Bates?!? 🔪 8y
Joybishoptx It's not a book, but this screams "A Rose for Emily" by Faulkner to me. 8y
Godmotherx5 Katniss Everdeen's home in District 12. 8y
mom2bugnbee Boo Radley's house. 8y
tjwill @Graciouswarriorprincess I was thinking the same thing! 8y
jpmcwisemorgan Hmmm...it looks like a cross between the Goonies and the Ghostbusters. Oh, Scooby Doo! 8y
vivastory Faulkner's "As I Lay Dying" 8y
Graciouswarriorprincess @tjwill Great minds!👍🏻😀 8y
TheBookHippie Flowers in the attic 😂😂 8y
Amy_H Okay. I'm not a stalker, but is that house in Bartonsville, PA? It reminds me of this place owned by a little, old lady that my college boyfriend rented a top floor apartment from in the early 90s. It was very 1940s up there then. And when I seen it on much more recent trips to the area it was still standing but unkept. 8y
MyNamesParadise A Head Full of Ghosts by Paul Tremblay 8y
BookBabe @Amy_H that's awesome 👍🏻 8y
Ilirwen Actually not getting any creepy vibes from this. But abandoned buildings are usually interesting. 8y
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MrBook
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I love your answers when I put these particular types of posts up. Here's another one I came across! Which book(s) do you see this place in, and which characters do you see here? 😁👏🏻 #MrBookWantsToKnow

cathysaid A Norwegian crime/thriller novel with an element of the supernatural. 👻🙀 8y
Shemac77 I see Ents. Maybe with and elf or two wandering about. 8y
Shemac77 Damn auto correct! *an* not *and*; sheesh! 8y
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Louise It makes me think of the journey toward the labyrinth protecting the citadel where the Angel Islington is imprisoned. The Great Beast of London roams those woods. I don't know if it's right to imagine such a lush forest in London Below, but the book Neverwhere is what this brings to mind. 8y
The_Literary_Jedi Post-Apocalyptic world where Nature has reclaimed dominion and we have a survivalist adventure to save a group of people or the World...dun, dun, duuuuuuuunnnn! 8y
Imagineannie I think it's in Fillory, in one of Lev Grossman's Magician books, and Eliot and Janet are about to appear on horseback. 8y
Sarah83 but I also thought of an elf. 😉 8y
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MrBook
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Lichenstein Castle in Germany. Gorgeous, isn't it?! Okay, so which literary book do you see this in? Any particular characters within its walls? #MrBookWantsToKnow

Kristio I know it's the wrong country, but I'm reminded of Thornfield Hall! 8y
LeahBergen This is how I always pictured Dracula'a castle. 8y
Godmotherx5 Victor Frankenstein's home in Geneva, Switzerland. 8y
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MaleficentBookDragon I can see the villagers storming this place for Frankenstein's Monster. (edited) 8y
Sarah83 It's sleeping beauty's castle. 😍 8y
JoRead @Sarah83 That's what I was going to say! Love this castle ❤❤ 8y
bio_chem06 I get such a Jane Eyre vibe and I don't know why. 8y
DreesReads Hangman's Daughter! 8y
LitLogophile Can I live there? 😻 8y
Otherworld_Library I think of the Lady of Shalott just because of the tower. 8y
ApoptyGina69 Any of the Grimms Fairy Tales with a castle such as 12 Dancing Princesses. Beautiful, but a bit scary too! 8y
Ilirwen I love it :) 8y
mom2bugnbee This castle could work for so many fairy tale characters, but I immediately thought of The Beast! 8y
alleyfam51699 The tower would work for Rapunzel. 8y
K.Wielechowski I love this one! I have a whole collection of beautiful pictures of castles, forests, and fields to inspire my books. 8y
SaraRosett I've been there! Very fairy tale in person too. 🏰 No snow when I toured it. 8y
BookBabe 😍 8y
Hooked_on_books I'm with @LeahBergen. Totally Dracula's castle. 8y
Spicedmama I see Dracula's abode. 8y
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MrBook
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Oooh! I thought of several books when I came across this picture! Which titles and characters come to mind to you when you see this?! 😁👏🏻 #MrBookWantsToKnow

Eridau Misery by Stephen King. 😁 8y
Reading_E @MrBook this is an obscure reference but one very particular scene from Dark Matter...❄️💀❄️🏠 8y
Sarah83 I thought of this book because I read it last week. 😍 8y
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Mariposa_Bookworm I was just going to say Misery! 8y
bookdrunkard78 In a Dark, Dark Wood 😮 8y
saguarosally None, but I expect the occupants to be dead by the end of the book. 8y
Shemac77 Ha hahahahaha!! Yes!! @saguarosally 8y
lilredhen An unforgettable high school reading list selection-I can't say that I enjoyed it, but I will never forget it lol 8y
ErickaS_Flyleafunfurled Is it wrong to say The Shining? 😳 8y
readinginthedark Little Women! But not the family's house, rather the house Jo stays in when she meets the professor. It's a beautiful house! 8y
TrishB @ErickaS_Flyleafunfurled.com I thought that too 😀 8y
Dragon Oops 🙊 8y
scripturient @Reading_E Yes!!! 👍🏻🙌🏻 8y
anneofgreentables My first thought was of my childhood favorite, Little House in the Big Woods by Laura Ingalls Wilder. A good holiday read, too. ☺️ 8y
Leslie Misery! 8y
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MrBook
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You know I couldn't bypass this picture of Germany's Eltz Castle without asking for your incredible opining as to which book(s) this would most appropriately fit, and which characters would be the most likely ones found here 😎👌🏻🙌🏻! #MrBookWantsToKnow

julesG Sleeping Beauty. 8y
jpmcwisemorgan Beauty and the Beast 8y
saresmoore I love @jpmcwisemorgan 's idea, but my first thought was more along the lines of Dracula, tbh. It also has a Hogwarts-ish feel. 8y
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Dolly This setting would fit the book I wish I could write. 😏 8y
julesG @saresmoore True. Something Gothic would fit, too. Frankenstein. 8y
mrsthilkey Hogwarts- no- Durmstrang! Lovely picture. 8y
vivastory Dracula, no doubt about it 8y
Sarah83 My first thought was 'the sword in the stone'. When Merlin arrives at the castle. 😎 But the roof seems not out of order enough for that. 😂 8y
mom2bugnbee @mrsthilkey Yes! Durmstrang is exactly what popped into my head. Because we already know what Hogwarts looks like. 8y
ElizabethAndino I'm imagining the red wedding taking place here 8y
I-read-and-eat The Dragon's castle in 8y
Lidia Could've been the set for the Eyrie in Game of Thrones, home of lady Lisa Arryn 8y
Vexingcircumstance Looks like a LOTR castle to me. 8y
Leelee.reads I'm with @I-read-and-eat! 8y
jpmcwisemorgan @saresmoore I did have a fleeting, oh, something from HP but Beauty and the Beast is actually a rather dark fairy tale (as are a lot of fairy tales) so it popped into my head next. Plus, it's my favorite fairy tale. 8y
saresmoore @jpmcwisemorgan True! This conversation is making me think it's time for a reread. 8y
Sassy_Steph I know Dracula was set in a different country but why not? 8y
AliBG It's totally Hogwarts. The movie version might even be BASED on this--except it's so small. 8y
Shvonne Snow White. 8y
BookBabe 😍😍😍 8y
mcipher First thought is The Historian - it's in Prague someplace and Dracula is around. 8y
Ilirwen Narnia 8y
GetFictional Game of Thrones :) 8y
PatriciaU Frankenstein 8y
TrulyBookish Inkheart 8y
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MrBook
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Here's an abandoned tunnel for our eager imaginations to run rampant across the thousands of pages we've read and absorbed 😁! So, which book can you see this as a setting for? any particular characters using this? Any particular scenes? #MrBookWantsToKnow 😊

BookishBlonde12 First book that came to mind, Uprooted. 🌱 8y
TrishB Part of the lake scene in IT 8y
CocoReads My gosh, this looks like tunnel to another world! 8y
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cathysaid I want to go to there... 8y
MatildaBaggins I think Nobody Owens from The Graveyard Book would have fun exploring there. 8y
Leelee.reads This is how I would imagine Narnia! 8y
TheBookAddict The Hobbit or Narnia...where is this? 8y
Sarah83 Another Tunnel for Thursday Next visiting the world of literature 🤗 8y
Vexingcircumstance Looks like somewhere Door from Neverwhere would live. 8y
MariaC Hmmm...Narnia or maybe Cabeswater from The Raven Cycle 8y
LeahBergen An entrance to one of the worlds in 8y
Macnjen Game of Thrones 8y
Ilirwen I think Sabriel... 8y
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MrBook
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I have a pretty good idea of what might pop into your head first. Here's another setting for you to associate with a book and characters. Any title this setting would work for? Any particular character(s) you can picture here? No right or wrong answers. You all make this so fun 😎👏🏻! I can't find bibliophiles anywhere else to make life as enjoyable as you all do for me and @BookBabe ☺️👍🏻! #MrBookWantsToKnow

Lynnsoprano Oh, it has to be a witch. Or the weird old lady all the kids in town think is a witch. 8y
vivastory Shirley Jackson's "Haunting of Hill House" 8y
howlinglibraries I'm picturing something very Amityville-esque: unsuspecting young family moves in with their small children and trouble ensues! 8y
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Moray_Reads @vivastory My mind went straight to Shirley Jackson too 👻 8y
BookBabe 😍 8y
MrsV My first thought was The Fall of the House of Usher. 8y
Reecaspieces I am thinking more Barney Fife on the Andy Taylor show. When they discover a still in the haunted house! #makeithumourous 8y
DeborahSmall I'm thinking psycho 8y
Sarah83 I was thinking of the old lady where 'little dorrit' has to do some household chore. 8y
JacqMac VC Andrews and 8y
TrishB Marsten House, Salem's Lot 😀 8y
TheBookAddict I'm thinking of the town of Four Houses in 8y
Nonaroo The Addams Family. Granted they aren't in literature but the cartoons of Charles Addams make me laugh! They're morbid and hilarious! (edited) 8y
Librarianaut Lizzie Borden's house!!!! 8y
Hooked_on_books This is actually about how I picture the house in 8y
Cobscook The spooky house in the Scooby Doo cartoons! 😂 8y
julesG The home of the gentleman with all the curiosities. (Read that story ages ago, can't remember all the details.) 8y
beagle.mama I was thinking the same as @JacqMac 8y
GlitteryOtters This reminds me of the house in Lane Langton's The Diamond in the Window 8y
ApoptyGina69 My mind went to Psycho first, then in quick succession: Amityville, Hill House, Burnt Offerings. Second look (non-book though) scary house from season 1 American Horror Story. 8y
Nat_Reads Fall of the House of Usher, The Malfoy's house... 8y
OrangeMooseReads The Blackwoods from We Have Always Lived in the Castle 8y
minkyb Reminds me of the Munsters lol! 8y
Clare-Dragonfly Ha! I see I'm far from the only one who thought of Shirley Jackson 😄 8y
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MrBook
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Ohhhh. Myyyyy. Goodness!!! Okay, Litsyans, I need your fertile biblio-imaginations again! I immediately had to post this image on here as soon as I came across it 😁👏🏻👏🏻. I don't know which one specifically, but the caption said this is an abandoned village in Scotland. Literary setting, where? Who do you see here? Your responses should be *great* 😆👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻🙌🏻! #MrBookWantsToKnow

Gayan Beauty pre Beast. 8y
Dogearedcopy All I can be fairly certain of is that it *isn't* Dunsinane! 8y
Clare-Dragonfly This is clearly Hogsmeade as seen by Muggles. 8y
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wanderlustywriter Well I just finished reading Outlander so my guess is that ass-backwards village with the witch trials 8y
jpmcwisemorgan The town that shows up in The Labyrinth. 8y
jessberk13 Game of Thrones - the wall 8y
LEGolasa It looks very much like the Hansel and Gretel village, when they are witch hunters, that is. Or it could just be Mole's Town South of the Wall in Game of Thrones 😀 8y
drokka What's that TV serial of a Ken Follett book about building Westminster Cathedral? Pillars of the Earth I think. Also, I believe this was used to film The Three Musketeers series. 8y
AliBG (edited) 8y
JessicaThunstromNelson I also guess Hansel and Gretel 8y
Serotonin Army of Darkness 😆 8y
Elisa I see the Slums from The Black Magician trilogy. 8y
Leslie The Brothers Grimm 8y
Haweller A Florence Nightengale type during the Black Death outbreak. 8y
scripturient Arya Stark while she's cunningly planning how to kill the Hound. 😊 8y
MrBook @Gayan @Dogearedcopy @Clare-Dragonfly @wanderlustywriter @jpmcwisemorgan @jessica @LEGolasa @drokka @AliBG @JessicaThunstromNelson @Serotonin @Elisa @Leslie @Haweller @scripturient WOW! I'm so impressed, I'm going to say that backwards: WOW! I love your biblio-imaginings ?????????!!! There is no other place I can go in the "real" world and the "cyber" world to find so many responses, & so many magnificent ones ???!!! 8y
jpmcwisemorgan I love how some of us are "it reminds of" types and others are "it was used in" types so you both fantasy and the real. We are all definitely #hereforthebooks, and then some. 8y
tlmorgan How I imagined the setting of Connie Willis "Doomsday Book" :) 8y
MrBook @jpmcwisemorgan Indubitably so 😁👏🏻🙌🏻!!! @tlmorgan Good choice 😎👌🏻! 8y
BookBabe 😍😍😍 8y
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review
John_Fredrick
Pickpick

I just finished reading the book and I am glad I picked it off the shelf. This book provides such valuable insight on how to enhance your story through active setting, and teaches you how to make the most of every word on paper. The book provided countless literary examples of do's and don't which really helped me to narrow down my own mistakes. This is a must have book if you intend on being a serious writer.