I write a lot of first person. That means that I use “I” a lot. That’s not necessarily a bad thing but because I’m so concerned about my story’s action getting out that I tend to forget to put sufficient background into my story. You know that old writer’s maxim = Show don’t tell? Well I am forever telling.
Not good.
Background scenery is what literally grounds your scene. It allows your readers to visualize themselves right alongside you in your story. And it is absolutely necessary.
So how is this done?
For me, I go ahead and write my “I” story. I don’t worry about details in the first draft. I just get the storyline out of my head.
Then I go back and work my way through my five senses:
- Sight
- Smell
- Touch
- Feel
- Hear
I ask myself questions for each sense. What did I see? What unique…
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B. Shaun Smith 