When the Room Speaks First

Setting as Character

October is the season for Gothic thinking, which always brings me back to the importance of setting. In the best fiction, the house is not just a backdrop; it is a character. It has a mood. It reacts to the people inside it.

If a character is feeling trapped, the room should feel smaller—the ceiling lower, the shadows more aggressive. If they are feeling hopeful, the setting should reflect that potential. We must stop thinking of “description” as a separate task from “action.” The environment should be an active participant in the emotional stakes of the scene.

The Monroe Minute
Write a brief description of the room you are in right now, but give it a human personality (e.g., “The kitchen was feeling judgmental today”).

Until the next page,
Sloane S. Monroe

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Sloane Shay Monroe

I don’t write to idealize love, but to explore it honestly, with emotional precision and depth.