Individual or Personal Setting

Posted on June 12, 2026 by Charles Yallowitz

The final layer of setting is smaller and personal.  It is about the individual as well as the aspects of the world that are neither physical nor temporal.  I really found two explanations for this layer, which makes it a bit confusing.

Personal Setting

This version of the layer involves the direct vicinity of the character.  It’s the room, house, and anything short of the a large city.  It is where they would have intimate knowledge and interactions with objects.  It is where action happens instead of the when and general world.  One could say this is the more specific aspects of setting instead of the overall environment.  For example, a city would be environmental while the inside of a bar where the characters meet would be personal.

It is important to pay attention to this layer because it is where most of your descriptions would be found after starting.  As the action happens, the personal setting will change and shift.  This is either due to objects and people being moved around or a new location being introduced.  It can be as minor as a chair being broken or major like a wrecking ball taking out a wall.  Maybe it can help to consider each personal setting a tree and the environment is the forest.

Cultural Setting

While this isn’t the term, I couldn’t think of another way to explain the variation.  You can probably tell what this means too.  An aspect of setting is the morals, rules, and laws of the overall society the story takes place in.  So, a character’s culture would be a factor into their personal setting.  This could determine decor of their dwelling and how they interact with others.  It really does sound like more character than setting, which is true.  Yet, it does have an influence over the latter.

I feel the cultural aspect also makes this layer bleed into environmental.  While it isn’t a physical aspect of the world, it does determine such things.  The types of food, religious centers, clothing, and social group interactions are bound to cultures as well as the environment.  Think about how our own world works.  Many cultural groups will gather amongst themselves with minimal interactions with outsiders.  This is how countries and certain neighborhoods are born.

The odd thing is that this can be global, which puts it on the level of environmental setting.  Yet, it’s not entirely physical and can be in a limited area.  That makes me feel like it’s closer to individual, especially with cultures typically only being introduced through characters.  In other words, this layer might be a half one that sits between the two bigger ones.  That or the allergy medication I’m taking as I write this is making me more confused than usual.  You know, my point still stands because cultural setting can be both localized and global.

So, how do you add individual setting to your stories?  As a reader, what would you put under these categories?

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Poetry Day: The Names I Choose

Posted on June 11, 2026 by Charles Yallowitz

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(A poem about choosing names for characters.  It’s either easy or hard.  Naming these people is never in-between.)

They are my mental children
These characters that play
Among the worlds within my mind
I watch their birth with care
Knowing I must make them grow
So I take my first choice seriously
And grant them the perfect name

I look at who they are
And who they will become
For clues to their true name
Examining all angles
From skills to loves to fates
I pour over sites and books
Or grab letters from the air

For some I choose in minutes
While others take me days
Because the name is power
It is what gives them life
Without a solid name they fall
Swallowed by the shadow
Who searches my mind for food

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Environmental or Physical Setting

Posted on June 10, 2026 by Charles Yallowitz

The second layer we are going to look at is probably the most obvious.  It isn’t also the second most important or the second one you work on.  That’s just the order I’m going in at this time.  So, let’s look at:

Environmental or Physical Setting

This level of setting is what the characters can interact with.  It can include the terrain, weather, and the overall world.  In other words, this layer is what most people consciously think of when they hear the word ‘setting’.  It is the tangible world the characters live in as they go through their adventures.  You’re bound to create some of this as you go along because you can’t have them travel through a void.

One of the pieces of advice I would give to someone in terms of setting is to touch on all five senses.  Don’t only talk about what people see.  There should sounds, smells, and tastes to the world as well.  When I write a descriptive paragraph to set the stage, I try to hit as many senses as I can.  Touch is a difficult one, but you can do that by talking about the wind and climate.  If you can hit all 5 senses, you can pull an invested reader into the world and lock them into what is about to happen.  Of course, you have to remember to keep moving away from sight and maintaining this, which is the bigger challenge.

Even dialog can be used to enhance environmental setting by having characters point things out.  They can discuss regions that are far away to increase the size of the world and maybe foreshadowing a future adventure.  It isn’t the cleanest way to do it, but it can create an attachment between the world and the character.  They are no longer a fictional figure passing through a fictional world, but an inhabitant of a vast, thriving dimension. This is why an author might have to consciously avoid adding to this setting, which would be weird.  Why would someone want to write a story with nothing for the characters to interact with?

Another aspect of the environmental setting is that it changes as the characters move to other locations.  Similar to time passing, the physical setting has to change.  There is an evolution occurring within the setting to make it a bigger, deeper world.  For years, I’ve called the setting another character because it changes and influences the story and vice versa.  So, you need to consider such changes as you progress through the timeline or you’ll end up with a hodgepodge world.

While this aspect of setting tends to be a ‘given’, we still make mistakes.  What suggestions would you give a new author when it comes to physical setting? As a reader, what have you run into with physical setting that jerks you out of the story?

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Teaser Tuesday: Inner Conference

Posted on June 9, 2026 by Charles Yallowitz

(I have to be honest.  It took me a few minutes to remember where this showed up in the series.  Back when I first posted this teaser, I put up a different cover than what should have been there.  I’m fairly certain it came from Ritual of the Lost Lamb.  To be sure, people should read the whole series and correct me later.)

Continue reading →

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Temporal Setting

Posted on June 8, 2026 by Charles Yallowitz

I went looking for author subjects and found this on the three layers of setting.  I always enjoy world-building, so I wanted to look into this.  Now, I think most authors do this without meaning to, but it’s good to see the pieces.  So, let’s start with:

Temporal Setting

This is exactly what it sounds like.  Not the physical setting, but everything dealing with the time.  This can cover:

  • Historical era
  • Time that it takes the story to come to conclusion
  • Season
  • Time of day for each scene
  • Anything that happens at a specific time

I want to touch on that last one to clarify because it can be the hardest one for us to remember.  Anything that happens at a specific time is basically a routine such as eating a meal, showering, or exercising.  This aspect of setting determines a character’s life pattern and will help lock in the time of day.  We all have these routines, so it is relatable, especially if it’s a fairly common activity.  For example, instead of saying that it is morning, you can have the protagonist eat breakfast or wake up from bed.

Temporal setting also seems to be the most fluid once you move out of the historical era category.  While the world might not change much over the course of a certain story, time will continue moving on.  Whether it be minutes, hours, or years, the characters are going to pass through time.  So, you need to keep track of the season, time of day, and other ‘invisible’ aspects of a setting.  If you cram too much into a small timeframe then you can lose the audience because they’ll be overwhelmed.  That means pacing of the story depends on your temporal setting.

This works for a series too, especially the seasons.  One of the things I do before I start writing the next book in a series is determine how much time has passed.  That way, I can figure out the season and that determines the weather pattern.  Can’t have Darwin traveling through bright, warm days for all 9-10 books.  He has to hit winter at some point during his adventures.  That doesn’t mean this is ‘essential’ to the plot, but it helps me create the correct atmosphere.

Time passing during an action and between scenes is also important.  Temporal setting can determine how long candles last in stories without electricity.  They show if a character who sets out at breakfast will arrive for dinner or the following morning.  It’s very important that you consider this to help give this essential layer of depth to your overall setting.  As I said at the beginning, I think many experienced authors do a lot of this without focusing on it.  Maybe they take a few seconds to decide on if there is a sun or moon, but it is one of the quickest decisions one can make.

So, why do you think temporal setting is so important?  Both as an author and as a reader.

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The Frigatebirds: The Ones With the Red Balloons

Posted on June 7, 2026 by Charles Yallowitz

What is a frigatebird?  You may have seen pictures of these tropical birds.  They are black with forked tails and long, hooked beaks.  The females have white underbellies while the males have red ‘gular pouch’.  This pouch is what they inflate during breeding season to attract mates.  So, what are some facts?

  • Their wings can span up to 7.5 feet long, which gives it the largest wing area to body mass of all birds.
  • They can remain in constant flight for up to two months.
  • Frigatebirds primarily eat fish and squid by skimming the surface.  They work with larger water predators such as tuna.
  • They can be known as kleptoparasites because they steal food from other birds.  This also earns them the nickname ‘pirates of the air’.  They are also called ‘man o war birds’.
  • They will also take seabird chicks from the nest.
  • Frigatebirds can only breed every other year.
  • They lay one egg, which makes it difficult to maintain populations in the face of disaster.
  • Parents will feed their children for 14-18 months.  The male takes turns with the female for the first 3 months then becomes less involved.
  • They nest in large colonies and remain monogamous for a season.
  • Frigatebirds cannot swim because their feathers aren’t waterproof.
  • They can do unihemispheric sleep, which means they shut down half their brain at a time.  This allows them to sleep while flying.
  • Their flight pattern is described as a roller coaster since they rise to 3,000-4,000 meters and then glide down.  This conserves energy.
  • Two of the five species are at risk:
    • The Christmas Frigatebird is critically endangered due to loss of breeding habitat during WWII and dust pollution from phosphate mining.
    • The Ascension Frigatebird no longer breeds on the main island due to the introduction of feral cats.  The removal of the cats in the early 2000’s has led to some of the birds returning
  • Male breeding displays involve pointing their beaks to the sky, inflating their pouch, and vibrating their stretched wings.  They will make a drumming sound and occasional whistles.
  • Frigatebirds can take years to reach sexual maturity.  Females took 8-9 years while males took 10-11 years.
  • The magnificent frigatebird is the largest of the species.  The males have a purple sheen to their feathers, which helps distinguish them from the slightly smaller and similar great frigatebird

Pics and videos time:

Ascension Frigatebird

Christmas Frigatebird

Great Frigatebird

Lesser Frigatebird

Magnificent Frigatebird

Posted in Animal Posts | Tagged , , , , , , | 10 Comments

Goal Post: Progress Through Endurance

Posted on June 6, 2026 by Charles Yallowitz

So, I kind of made progress with Coven of the Gray.  Did I fully design any of the 13 members?  No.  I did choose their biome, role, and a few powers.  I managed to create an idea of the first 2 chapters as well.  Thought about going for 13 short stories, but I saw some of the coven members will be together.  So, I just put down 15 and will see what I can fill in.  Might end up being less or more.  In my mind, I’m seeing this being done similar to ‘Bedlam’ where I title each chapter and do 3-5 sections to tell part of the journey.  This allows me to create some events that don’t have a coven member involved.  So, I got somewhere with the project.

To be honest, it wasn’t as far as I thought I would get, but I also worked on aspects that I didn’t plan on.  The issue was that I was in so much pain last weekend that it was difficult to picture anything solid.  My ear infection got worse Saturday and I found out that the swelling had gone behind the eardrum.  So, the drops weren’t able to get out or something like that.  Couldn’t hear the doctor very well, but he gave me meds.  I was able to get some fresh air, which helped and pain meds got me through that.  Still, most of the weekend and early week was spent doing daily functions while in pain.  The ear is still a bit clogged and off now too.

There was a bunch of life stuff as well, which was mostly paperwork needing to be done for my son’s future.  I had waited for a week for certain entities to work with me, but games were being played.  So, I had to figure out how to do a bunch of this on my own and get it handed in.  Without going into details, this is something that will help him in the future and it takes about 1.5-2 years to set up.  The current stage takes 4-6 months once all of the paperwork is in, which is where things are becoming a problem.  I’ve done all I can, so now I have to wait.

Another aspect of the week is that my son takes the SAT this week, which is a big test that can help him with the college he’s looking at.  He’s been practicing and studying for it, so today is the today.  It actually started now, so I’m currently talking a walk in the park while I wait for the time to pick him up.  We’re going to see ‘He-Man and the Masters of the Universe’ this afternoon too.  He’s never seen any of it, but this is one of the first non-educational shows I ever saw.  Was obsessed as a kid.  So, my day is booked with parenting stuff, which means writing will be tomorrow.  I’m fine with that because all of today’s events are important.  I’ll tinker with Coven of the Gray tomorrow.

I’m still trying to figure out the summer too.  I’ll be working a few hours a day at the summer program, but my son might not be a camp counselor.  He’s too old to be a camper and none of the programs around here are affordable.  I found an online ‘do at your own pace’ art program that I could buy and set up on his Chromebook, but he only spends half the week with me.  I don’t think he’d be able to do it when he’s with his mom and the Chromebook can’t travel with him.  There’s also the issue of the schedule, which could be a disaster depending on what goes on.  This means that I don’t know how much work I can do on Darwin & the Deadlands Queen.  I might only be able to do weekends or maybe evenings, but it certainly isn’t what I thought it would be.  The art program would give my son something to do while I work on my own project though, so I’m hoping that I can set it up.

Next week is going to be a wild one.  Tuesday and Wednesday are regents, which my son has to take.  It means my students will only have half-days, but I don’t go home early.  It’s going to be really hot too.  I’m not going to expect much progress because I’m going to be tiring out fairly quickly.  I’ll be happy if I can tinker my way to all of the chapter ideas tomorrow though.  That could open the door for character creation, which then will lead to a quick ‘chapter-by-chapter’ outline.  If I’ll really lucky, I can start writing Darwin & the Deadlands Queen by the end of the month and NOT have Coven of the Gray left in the wings.  Not sure what I’ll tackle after that though as the side project.

Goals of the week?

  1. Support son through SAT today and Regents this week.
  2. Watch ‘He-Man’ with son.
  3. Work on Coven of the Gray.
  4. Stay cool and hydrated.
  5. Pokemon Go and biking to stay active.
  6. Eat smaller portions.
  7. Try to figure out a backup summer plan for my son.
  8. Get a haircut.
  9. Mentally prepare for the next round of the life event.  It’s a court thing.
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Can We Not Use Violence?

Posted on June 5, 2026 by Charles Yallowitz

Vigilante 1– “Time for violence.”

Vigilante 2– “I don’t know about that.”

“We always commit violence at this hour.”

“Yes, but I think I’m bored of it.”

“It’s how we stop crime and save the city.”

“But we’re not getting paid for it.”

“Money isn’t our goal.”

“My bank account would agree.”

“We hurt people for justice!”

“That’s another thing I want to bring up. Our motto is kind of . . . messed up.”

“How so?”

“Well, we’re openly admitting to hurting people.  Adding justice makes it sound like we’re justifying illegal actions.”

“That would explain why the cops hate us.”

“Judges aren’t thrilled with us either because they can’t really put our enemies away.”

“At least we make the lawyers happy.”

“That’s not a good thing in this situation.”

“Fine.  How are we supposed to stop criminals without violence?”

“Ask them nicely to surrender.”

“Should I buy them a box of chocolate-covered strawberries too?”

“That’s not in the budget.”

“I was being sarcastic. Words don’t stop these people.”

“What if we scare them away without hitting them?”

“Okay, I’m listening.”

“We dress up as monsters or serial killers then run at them before they can commit their crimes.  Just scream, roar, and be frightening.”

“What if they don’t run away?”

“I guess that would be problem.”

“A lot of criminals we face have guns too.”

“Well, I don’t want to be shot.”

“Then, we have to fight violence with violence.”

“There has to be another way.”

“Nope.”

“Why not?”

“Because nobody would read our story if we didn’t have action scenes.”

“Damn . . . Forgot about audience bloodlust.”

“It’s what keeps our genre going.

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Poetry Day: The Marchers of Vindervurld

Posted on June 4, 2026 by Charles Yallowitz

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(Another fantastical creation.  Kind of sad too.)

Upon the marshy hollows
Their feet make a sucking plop
As purest mud
Grabs at their boots
That are moldy to the laces

Beings of all sizes
March in a sturdy mob
Fat and thin with tall and short
All decrepit to our eyes
If we even wish to look

These beings of shadow
Cloaked in their mottled rags
Will march across the land
Until a dying breath
Escapes their cracking lips

Where do they march?
Nobody knows
We never think to ask
All we do is watch them march
Until they fade from life

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Is Not Killing Weak or Strong?

Posted on June 3, 2026 by Charles Yallowitz
vash

Vash the Stampede from Trigun

Rurouni Kenshin

Rurouni Kenshin

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(I made this post on September 16, 2014.  I’m reposting it because it works for the question I’m going to put at the very end.)

For anyone who doesn’t know the above characters, Vash and Kenshin are from anime.  Vash is a skilled gunsman and Kenshin is a deadly samurai from the Meji Era.  Two entirely different heroes from entirely different settings.  Yet, they are the best examples of a Pacifist Hero.  Both follow codes to never kill with Vash doing it to honor a deceased loved one and Kenshin doing it to atone for his role a Manslayer during the war.  It is a key part of their stories and personality.  Their different reasons also take a new angle that I’ll get into during the list.  By the way, I know Pacifist tends to mean no conflict, but it’s the best word that I could find for this.

Now, some people might say that they’re like Batman because Batman doesn’t kill.  At least not on purpose . . . most times . . . depends on the movie.  They might actually be closer to Spider-Man and Superman here, but I’m still throwing in one major difference for these Pacifist Heroes.  Unlike American superheroes, Vash and Kenshin don’t usually go looking for trouble.  They will step in when they find trouble, handle ghosts from their past, and try to stop the problem through talking first.  Violence is shown to be a rather regrettable decision for these characters while you get the feeling that Spider-Man gets some joy out of throwing down with his enemies.  So, I would say a Pacifist Hero is one that does not kill and wants to stay out of the fight entirely.

How can you use a hero like this?

  1. DO NOT make this character a pretense jerk who thinks he/she is better than everyone because they don’t kill.  You can do this if they’re a minor character and supposed to be obnoxious, but a main hero with this path should be very casual about it.  They can try to talk others out of killing and be upset if it’s done (looking at you, Vash.), but having them preach too much hurts them as characters.
  2. Create a deep and realistic back story to the decision not to kill.  A promise to a friend can be a good start, but there should be more to that relationship.  Don’t just say ‘I refuse to kill because it is wrong’ and leave it at that.  People want main heroes to have some depth of morality.  Take a little time with this and you might even pull an enemy and/or subplot from it.
  3. You can have a Pacifist Hero be terrible in a fight.  Unlike the examples given, it is entirely reasonable to have a main hero who refuses to fight be unskilled.  This means they’re a liability in action scenes, but not everyone is a badass.  To counter this type of uselessness, give them a strong area like healing, knowledge, or anything that helps them retain their main character status.  Otherwise, readers will wonder why the capable warriors don’t ditch the main guy and finish the story on their own.
  4. Contrary to #3, you CAN make your Pacifist Hero a dangerous opponent and skilled in combat.  Just because they refuse to kill doesn’t mean they’re going to avoid learning how to defend themselves.  This brings an interesting dynamic to them because it means they have the ability to easily take a life, but still refuse to do so to their enemies.
  5. If you have a character who has lived the pacifist life since childhood and never killed then you may want to put in something that tries to break their path.  Vash is such a character and one of the goals of his enemies is to prove that his pacifist ways are worthless.  This does cause problems for him and makes him question his faith at times, which is great for character development.  You can also toy with the idea of the character either intentionally or unintentionally taking a life to throw them into a whirlwind of emotion.
  6. It can help to have a foil for this character.  Either a rival or an ally who sees no problem killing in certain situations or for kicks.  This creates a clash of beliefs and it will put the most pressure on the Pacifist Hero.  After all, how do you stop a Psycho Hero without falling into their level or making him/her an enemy?
  7. Enemies and allies from a character’s past works great for an atoning character if you go the Kenshin route.  You get to unearth more of their pre-pacifism persona and this can bring out the ‘threat’ of the old version reappearing.  You get a lot out of teasing that a hero like this will fall off the wagon and take a life.

Do you think a character who doesn’t kill their enemies is weak or strong?  I ask this because I’ve met many who think a non-killing enemy is lame and weaker than one who does kill.

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