Setting is a term in literature and drama usually referring to the time and location in which a story takes place. The term is relevant for various forms of literary expression, such as short stories, novels, dramas, and screenplays. Old book bindings at the Merton College library. ... This does not cite its references or sources. ... This article is in need of attention. ... A novel (from French nouvelle Italian novella, new) is an extended, generally fictional narrative, typically in prose. ... This does not cite its references or sources. ... A screenplay or script is a blueprint for producing a motion picture. ...

Broadly speaking, the setting provides the main backdrop for the story and often sets the overall tone for it as well. For example, many of William Faulkner's novels are set in the early 20th Century in Yoknapatawpha County, a fictional county in the American South. More specifically, the term "setting" can also refer to the time or location of a single scene in a larger story. In John Cheever's short story "The Swimmer", for example, the story's protagonist visits various swimming pools in his neighborhood with each pool serving as its own unique setting. William Cuthbert Faulkner (September 25, 1897 – July 6, 1962) was an American novelist and poet whose works feature his native state of Mississippi. ... (19th century - 20th century - 21st century - more centuries) Decades: 1900s 1910s 1920s 1930s 1940s 1950s 1960s 1970s 1980s 1990s As a means of recording the passage of time, the 20th century was that century which lasted from 1901–2000 in the sense of the Gregorian calendar (1900–1999... Yoknapatawpha County is a fictional county created by American author William Faulkner as a setting for many of his novels. ... The U.S. Southern states or The South, known during the American Civil War era as Dixie, is a distinctive region of the United States with its own unique historical perspective, customs, musical styles, and cuisine. ... A scene is an episode in a story. ... John Cheever (May 27, 1912–June 18, 1982) was an American novelist and short story writer, sometimes called the Chekhov of the suburbs. ... The Swimmer is a short story by American author John Cheever, published in 1964 in the short story collection The Brigadier and the Golf Widow. ...

Genre specifics

• In a theatrical production, the term "setting" can also refer to the actual scenery itself.
• In the literature associated with role-playing games, the term "setting" often refers to a specific campaign setting, meaning the fantasy world or other milieu in which a series of related game adventures occur
• also includes the "mood" of a story
• In literature, setting may refer to the geographic location, place of action, time of day, season, historical period, or the characters' customs.

This article is about traditional role-playing games. ... A campaign setting is a fictional fantasy world which serves as a setting for a role-playing game or wargame. ...

See also

• Fiction