How to Choose Settings that Have Emotional Impact

Generic settings won’t cut it if you want readers to feel the story–instead, your locations need emotional impact as this immerses them better in the point-of-view character’s experience.

Shared experiences are rooted in emotion, and Deep POV is one of the best tools we have to transfer those emotions directly from the character to the reader. (Download this checklist!)

To create that closeness, the story’s world must be filtered through the character’s inner lens: their senses, thoughts, and emotional state. Readers don’t just observe what’s happening—they feel it. They see what the character sees, but also interpret it the way the character would, shaped by their mood, fears, and desires.

Picture a character walking across a football field at night. The air smells like fresh-cut grass, dew glints on the turf, and silence stretches all around—peaceful, calm, reflective. The setting feels safe because the character feels safe, and that emotion is passed to the reader.

Now shift the lens: a cold breeze stirs, the school flag flaps sharply in the dark, and shadows seem to gather near the tree line. The setting hasn’t changed, but the emotional filter has. Now, the same field feels ominous. The reader tenses, just like the character does, anticipating something just out of reach. That’s the power of Deep POV—it lets the reader live the moment emotionally, not just visually.

As you can see, shared emotional moments help readers immerse themselves into the story. But we can always do more. If we truly want to show readers who our character is and help them experience what they feel, we should choose settings that have an emotional value.

Settings that have emotional value are in some way meaningful or symbolic.

They represent something to the protagonist and possibly other characters. A location containing an emotional value might remind a character of a past event and the feelings associated with it, good or bad. It may represent safety, loss, failure, connection, love, or one’s greatest success. It could also reveal a fear, a desire, or hope. The list goes on and on.

For example, imagine a character being asked to an important business lunch meeting. A writer could choose any restaurant for this scene, but why go with something generic?

Instead, let’s choose one with a specific emotional value: the same restaurant where, two years earlier, our character’s girlfriend turned down his marriage proposal.

By making this setting meaningful to the protagonist, everything changes, because even though time has passed, an echo of that old hurt and rejection will affect him while in this restaurant. He may find his gaze turning to the table where he popped the question. The heaviness of the cutlery, the smooth linen napkins, the taste of wine…everything will evoke memories of that day. And, in turn, his turbulent emotions will influence his behavior. Does he blow the meeting, or can he ride the pain out? Suddenly, we have tension, conflict, and possible plot complications. And as a bonus, we’ve created a scenario where the reader can’t help but feel empathy for the character.

So how do we go about creating an emotional value within the setting?

The first step is to brainstorm the best setting match for a particular scene. Look at what will happen in the scene and which emotions are at play. Identify your hero’s scene goal—what must he do, learn, or achieve? And what do you want him and the other characters involved to feel?

Once you’ve nailed down what your scene needs to accomplish—emotionally and plot-wise—start brainstorming different settings where this moment could unfold.

Look beyond the obvious and think about places that not only make sense for the story but also carry emotional weight for your character.

What setting would amplify the tension, challenge the protagonist, or reflect their inner world? Is there a location that symbolizes something deeper—hope, regret, fear, or change—and could subtly reinforce the theme or outcome of the scene?

To find a setting with high emotional value, look past the first few ideas.

The first ideas that surface are often the most generic: the kitchen, the car, the office. But if you dig a little deeper, you’ll likely come up with locations that will have more emotional impact. Maybe the conversation doesn’t happen at a coffee shop but at the playground where your character used to take her child—before the custody battle. Or, instead of a generic sidewalk chase, it unfolds in a neighborhood your hero swore he’d never return to. Those choices add meaning and put readers right into the character’s emotional shoes.

Setting is often overlooked, but it’s one of the most flexible, underused tools in a writer’s toolbox. It can reveal character, deepen conflict, steer the plot, and stir emotion—all while grounding the reader in the world of the story. If you’d like to explore more ways to create emotional impact through your setting choices, check out The Urban Setting Thesaurus: A Writer’s Guide to City Spaces.

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