Locations in Your Story

So as I began writing more in earnest, (and in a more organized manner), I realized making "Location Descriptions" was also a great idea.  I took the general idea for a character description and tried to make it relevant to a location.  For me, it was a great thing to do for my roleplaying group.  People like to feel as if they are there and the better description you have, the more likely the players and readers will see what you are trying to describe.

Here are the highlights I like to hit:

1) Site name.  This seems obvious, but as you run a roleplaying group, or are even writing, it's nice to make sure you are consistent on the name.

2) Surrounding area.  This gives a reader a good idea of what the area is like.  Is it just a castle out the middle of no where or in the middle of a grand city?

3) Exterior and interior descriptions.  This could be a huge description which you may never need to use, but its a good way to get your creative juices flowing.  Not to mention if you don't flush it out, as a GM a player will definitely ask for a description!

4) People associated with this building/location.  You don't have to flush out the characters here, but when you are writing and want to mention the barkeep for the inn they were staying at who gave them information, you don't want to look through all your notes to find a name.  Trust me, it's not fun.

5) Attitude and dress of people.  This is more of a general feeling so you can give the ambiance of the place and a quick description of those around them.  Trying to remember if a city is the one where feathered caps is all the rage versus more conservative dress, is a pain.

6) Rumors to be found.  This is more for the roleplaying but still is good for planning out your story plot.  Taverns are always a good rumor mill for roleplaying, but you can use them in writing as well. There are several places in my story that the main characters hang out in taverns to see if they can be moved in the right direction.

7) Defenses.  This is more for castles and the like, but it is good to know.  How many soldiers are your characters going to have to fight through to get to the next plot point?  What kind of weapons or magic will they encounter?  How will they counter the defenses?  These are all good things that can be figured out in this section.

Happy Writing!