Scrivener is still helping me write.

In Scrivener and Scene Summaries, I wrote about using a template for asking a series of questions about a scene to ensure I making the most of the opportunity to engage readers in the story.

I’ve added a second template where I ask myself the following questions about the setting of the scene.

• Role In Story
• Related Characters
• Unique Features
• Description
• Sights
• Sounds
• Smells
• Objects
• Notes

This helps in several ways.

1. I keep track of how many times a use the same setting. Sometimes it’s easy to write about the same setting, but maybe that’s a lazy way to write. i follow this up by asking myself, could be the scene be set somewhere else that would further the plot and make the story more interesting?
2. If I use a setting more than once, this is a memory aid for keeping the descriptions consistent and for not repeating details.
3. If I don’t fill out enough of the points, I haven’t put enough effort into describing the setting.
4. I use the notes section to remind myself of how I want to use the setting later in the novel, Perhaps I’ve used setting for foreshadowing and I want to remember to follow through later in the story.