Writing Forum

I am and will always be a student in the art of writing.

Right now I am trying to create a macabre piece and realize that to make it work I am going to have to truly be able to use the setting as a character. I have some (limited) experience with creating characters; writing back stories, identifying character flaw, finding the inciting moments for them, etc. BUT I have never done this for a setting.

I started by writing a "walk through" of the setting, but it is drab, lifeless, and is without personality(probably because I was trying not to give personal impressions of the locations).

Do you have any suggestions on how I can create a setting that is as alive as a character?