The place in which a scene in a novel is set has a tremendous effect on how the story’s characters will feel and react. The place can also affect how your reader will understand and respond to the scene.

In order to understand how place affects a scene, let’s look at a simple dialogue between two characters. In each of the three variations, the dialogue occurs in a different place.

Place 1 – A busy city street

A couple is walking along a busy street in a major city. A baby’s bottle falls out of the stroller a young woman is pushing ahead of them. The couple stops as the young woman stoops down to pick up the bottle and put it back in the stroller. The man says “We need to talk.” The woman asks “About what?” A police car whizzes past with its siren blaring loudly. The man says, “It’s been a rough year for us, huh?” A cyclist on the sidewalk rings his bell and the couple steps aside to let him pass. “Yeah. I suppose so,” the woman says. The couple stops at the corner and waits for the light to turn green. “Where do you see us in five years?” the man asks. People crowd around them before the light turns. The woman pulls her purse a little closer to her, nervous about pickpockets. “I don’t know. I haven’t really been able to think that far ahead.”

Place 2 – A beach

A couple is lounging in chairs on a beach. Gulls fly overhead. Two children are collecting shells close to the water. The man says, “We need to talk.” The woman asks, “About what?” A wave crashes on the shore and the children squeal. The man says, “It’s been a rough year for us, huh?” A bird lands on the sand nearby and hops around looking for food. “Yeah. I suppose so,” the woman says. The two stare out at the ocean. “Where do you see us in five years?” the man asks. The bird hops closer and then flies away. The woman leans back in her chair and sighs, “I don’t know. I haven’t really been able to think that far ahead.”

Place 3 – A coffee shop

A couple is sitting in a coffee shop with their laptops in front of them. The waiter sets their cappuccinos in front of them and then walks away. The man says, “We need to talk.” The woman asks, “About what?” The barista starts grinding coffee beans and the sound drowns out all other sound for a short while. The man says, “It’s been a rough year for us, huh?” An older man sits at the table next to them and bumps the back of the woman’s chair. She winces and says, “Yeah. I suppose so.” The two stare at their laptop screens. “Where do you see us in five years?” the man asks. The woman picks up her cup, takes a sip, and sighs, “I don’t know. I haven’t really been able to think that far ahead.”

Did the location and surroundings affect your interpretation, as a reader, of the impetus of the conversation? Consider in your own writings how you might use a specific place to enhance your reader’s interpretation of a scene – either to clarify, or purposely confuse them, depending on the needs of your story.

Remember: the words may be exactly the same, but where your characters are when they say them and what they are looking at can make all the difference to your reader and your story.

Bernadette Geyer provides writing, copy editing, and translation services for small businesses, entrepreneurs, and writers. She also leads online workshops on a variety of topics for small businesses and writers. Geyer likes being a small fish in a big pond, and enjoys helping others move to bigger ponds themselves. Subscribe to her monthly news from the big pond if you’re interested in professional growth.

Geyer’s No Time Guide series of online guides for small businesses offers simple, jargon-free guides to small business owners and nonprofits who want to grow, but don’t have a lot of time.