Daft ~(adj.) ~ Silly; insane

 Are you giving enough attention to the setting in your story?  Are you putting the reader exactly where they need to be to invoke the emotions necessary to your plot and characters?

The fog. Trees bent at sinister angles. Imagine the shadows, the dampness on your neck. Is there something moving in the distance? Is your heroine really alone?

On your next pass through your edits, remember to check for some setting elements to bring your scene to life.

 How about this one?

A New England road, can you smell the crisp fall air? Your vision should be filled with bright reds and honey/brown leaves. Hear the crunch of leaves at your feet? This time of year brings to mind pumpkins, Thanksgiving and sweaters. Nights by the fire and sweetly scented sap pockets that snap to life as the fire roars in either a hearth or an outdoor firepit. There's just something magical about a fall fire, roasting marshmallows and flannel blankets - don't you agree?

Secluded tropical island oasis? Relaxation and margaritas. Skinny dipping, maybe?  What emotions and sense can this scene stir up?

Do you want to dive into the refreshing water or are wondering if you've been separated from your tour group and are lost without a cell-phone signal to save you?

Do you feel the spray of water against your cheek? Into cliff diving and have never seen or more perfect spot...you eagerly make your way to the top of those falls and prepare to leap. Standing at the top, the crash of water below beckons to you, taunting you to make the leap. You feel invincible, carefree and in total control of your next move as you balance on the rocky ledge. Heart beating wildly, your chest constricts. One deep breath, arms out wide - you push off the slippery moss covered rocks and for one moment in time, you're a bird, weightless and soaring toward the water below.

 Is your character daring or timid? Have they been dared by friends below to make that leap? Or have they sought out the danger all on their own, with no one to witness?

Doesn't matter. What does matter is that the reader is there. Feels the spray of the water, senses the sinister shadows in the fog and can imagine the foliage, crisp and colorful without leaving their favorite chair. Your job is to invoke the imagination of putting the reader where your story is.

Are you doing it?

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