In this episode, Julia F. Green and Ralph Walker delve into the nuances of setting and world building, exploring different approaches across literary and genre fiction. Julia comes from the literary side, emphasizing character-driven narratives and sophisticated language, while Ralph champions the creative possibilities within genre fiction.

They discuss how setting can serve as a character or container, influence plot dynamics, and reflect or establish the tone of a story. The conversation also covers the challenges writers face in balancing detail with narrative flow, and the potential of setting to either enrich storytelling or distract readers. Both hosts share personal practices and preferences, underscoring the value of setting in crafting engaging, immersive stories.

Books and authors discussed:

* The Great Gatsby (F. Scott Fitzgerald)

* Dragonlances series (Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman)

* Razorblade Tears (S.A. Cosby)

* Station Eleven (Emily St. John Mandel)

* Crook Manifesto & Harlem Shuffle (Colson Whitehead)

* Michael Chabon

* The Martian (Andy Weir)

* Olive Kitteridge (Elizabeth Strout)

* I Have Some Questions For You (Rebecca Makkai)

* The Hunger Games (Suzanne Collins)

* N.K. Jemisin

A reminder that you can find Writing in the Dark on Apple Podcasts and Spotify and subscribing is a great way to support this work. Thanks, as always, for listening.

Listen to previous episodes.

Writing in the Dark is co-hosted by Julia F. Green (Substack, website) and Ralph Walker (Twitter, website) and edited by Aaron Fyler, with cover art by Jarmusch. 

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