Language. Economy. Crime. Myths. Natural Resources. How do you fit worldbuilding on all these subjects into a 217 page romance?
You pick two to focus on deeply and weave the rest in subtley, as Julie Daines does in Havencross.
Havencross is a regency romance. Books in this genre are set in early nineteenth century England, commonly London or Bath, the popular social cities of the time. But Havencross takes place in a different corner of England: Cornwall, a county on the westernmost tip of England that’s rich in Arthurian lore and smuggling history. Our leading lady, Elaine, is returning to her home in Cornwall after a scandal ends her family’s five year stay in London. She’s not happy to be back. Last time she saw Cornwall, she was fleeing a marriage proposal and mourning her brother’s death at the hands of smugglers. Upon her return, she and her former love, Gareth, team up to figure out what happened to Elaine’s brother and stop the smugglers. Along the way, they encounter a mysterious woman who just might be the legendary Gwenevere.
The setting is brought to life through both deep and subtle worldbuilding. Though this is a rich book with many worldbuilding features, only two, the Arthurian myths and smuggling, are central enough to be mentioned in the summary above. These are the setting features the author chose to put a deep focus on. Other elements, like the natural resources and language of Cornwall, are sprinkled throughout the novel to add flavor to the setting. These are included more subtley.
At the Manuscript Doctor, we believe that all good scenes should do more than one thing at once. Though the setting of Cornwall is fascinating, this is a romance novel, not a travel guide, so all elements of the Cornish setting are pulling double duty. Here are three ways to use setting to enrich the rest of your story:
1. Make setting elements inform the plot
Cornwall’s smuggling history is the most important setting element. Elaine’s brother and Gareth’s father were killed by smugglers. They work to find the smugglers and bring their loved ones’ killers to justice. The main plot depends on smuggling.
Subtle elements inform the plot too. Gareth can speak Cornish, a dying Celtic language that persisted in Cornwall when English overtook minority languages all over England. This language is what Cornwall is most famous for. To include it in a story set in a time period where Cornish was very nearly extinct, the author made it a crucial plot point. Elaine gets kidnapped by smugglers and only the town crazy lady, who refuses to speak English, knows where she is. Gareth’s Cornish allows him to rescue her.
2. Make setting elements mean something for the character
Cornwall is famous for tin mining. Tin mining is not romantic. But it’s important to Gareth, who believes that Elaine rejected his proposal because he’s poor, when he inherits a tin mine and gains the money he needs to marry her. Tin mining and smuggling both majorly contributed to the economy of Cornwall. But because smuggling is daring and dangerous and tin mining less so, smuggling informs the main external plot, and the tin mining is merely an element that contributes to Gareth’s marriageability.
3. Make setting elements mean something for the theme
While exploring the ruins of Tintagel Castle, said to be King Arthur’s birthplace, Elaine and her Aunt Rose discuss the concept of Camelot.
Are you fan of regency era books? Or looking to improve how you express worldbuilding and setting in your own writing? You can get the book here or add it to your Goodread’s shelf here.