It was a dark and stormy night. The writer sat at her desk, frantically pounding out the last few lines of an article. As she inched her mouse over to the "Save" icon, the lights overhead flickered and dimmed. She paused, watching the lightning flash outside in the ebony sky, and...

Okay, I'll spare you the rest.

So, you've decided to write a story. You have the plot, the hero, the scene-stealing sidekick, the bad guys, some monsters thrown in for fun, and a classic battle. Now all you need is the setting.

Calm down. It's really not as bad as it sounds. Sure, the setting and how you describe it can make or break your story within the first few paragraphs, but you can work through this.

World building is more than just "It was a dark and stormy night." It may have worked for A Wrinkle in Time, but it never worked for Snoopy. It doesn't just describe the setting you have placed your characters in, but it also creates the mood and atmosphere that needs to be reflected within your characters. One of the main problems with world building is blandness and repetition. You may get your point across well, but will anyone be awake to read the rest of the story? This also brings up the subject of the "hook". Without a good opening that gets readers interested, there is no point in writing the rest of the story. Most people won't have enough patience to see if the story gets better later on, especially on a huge website like Elfwood, where there are many stories to choose from.

In fantasy stories, many people tend to get carried away with the creation of their worlds. For some reason, the thought is out there that because it is a fantasy or futuristic story, any element goes. Yes, you can decide to make a world where everyone walks on air and food falls from the sky. But, to quote Tolkien, "It is easy to imagine a green sun. It is difficult to imagine a world where it would look natural." While many people do not like Tolkien's extensive descriptions, they do help the reader understand the world the story is set in.

How do you find a happy medium between boring and vague? Good question. Most writers never find this area. What I hate most when reading a new story is when the writer is ramming the setting down your throat: describing every little detail, whether it is pertinent to the storyline or not. As you write, take a look at what you are writing and ask yourself, "Why am I putting this in?" If you can't come up with an answer, chances are it doesn't need to be there. Also, instead of putting all your descriptions in one place, spread them out. If you are describing a stormy scene, you can easily keep the introduction to a few descriptions, but later on remind the readers of the atmosphere by incorporating the setting into the actions or feelings of the characters.

None of us are Tolkien, or Robert Jordan, or Anne McCaffrey. And none of us will be. So when it comes down to creating your worlds within your stories, don't copy the styles of these writers. Find your own style as you write, and the world that goes along with it. One of the most important things to remember is not to give up. Most writers take years before they create something truly terrific, and it also might take a while before you find your comfortable writing niche. Just remember to write something more than the dark and stormy nights.