Now you have a plot, you need a setting.

The setting is much more important than what people give it credit for- it dictates a lot of what the writer describes, and so much to do with the atmosphere, even a character's clothing- you wouldn't want to be caught under dressed out in the middle of a snow storm.

If the characters are wandering through a golden-lit meadow on a warm summer's eve, they are likely to be at ease, happy, perhaps pensive. But if the setting is a cold, dank cave, with little to no lighting and a mist around your ankles, you are likely to feel apprehensive, even scared. The setting gives the story atmosphere, and if you get the right setting with the right plot, it can be super effective.

Here are some (certainly not all) settings. Some go hand in hand when mixed, others are complete opposites.

Forest- And while you're at it, why not a lake? Both can fit almost every atmosphere you like- scary or happy, calm or mysterious.

Coast- This can include beaches, ports, and things which come with the two... *cough* pirates *cough*

Plains- This can be an expanse of grass, earth, or savannah, what you like really. Hills are a nice touch to this.

Sea-  Floating settlements exist, you know. Rafts and all. So why not have your own floating city? This leaves open for a very different feel to the fantasy world, with a salty breeze and seagulls. It also leaves open for a different kind of character- seamonsters. Mermaids, sea Sirens, serpents, the Kraken...

Caves and tunnels- These can be as straight forward or labyrinth like as you prefer, as scary or as enchanting as you wish. They are surprisingly diverse. I am a big fan of mine shafts, actually.

Mountains- Snowy or otherwise, these are the classic dragon nests. I do love a cut-off village in the mountains.

Volcano- This is a fun one. Taking a realistic and more serious view, you know what happened in Pompeii when Vesuvius erupted. It's also a great fire elemental home, or the 'lair of the beast' kind of thing.

Desert- This reminds me of ancient artefacts you find in backstreet markets, and of tombs, and mirages. It has great potential for curses, prophesy and magical happenings.

Savannah- Out in the bush. This setting is usually quite dry, and interesting because I don't often see it used.

Tundra- A nice, cold expanse of snow. Another less common one.

Wetlands- Swamps, snakes and 'interesting' flowers. The wetlands are usually outside and away from settlements, so they make great "only way to _____ city" passages.

Rainforest- Fantastic creatures are just waiting to be discovered on our own planet- who knows what's lurking in the rainforests of a fantasy world?

Wasteland- This can be /any/ of the above, but the ruined/dried up/dead version of it. Skeletons and piles of ox bones are a nice touch.

Battlefield- This goes hand in hand with any kind of conflict plot. It can be just before the battle, or maybe the aftermath, with the medics searching for survivors, and the crows searching for those who didn't make it.

Fort/fortress- A good old settlement. Granted these are usually founded on hills, near rivers, they'll fit in most settings.

Village/town- These can be hostile or welcoming, wooden or stone, small and secluded or large and important. However a little more importantly, they can be put close to anywhere on the fantastical map- even up in the trees, or out at sea. Tree-houses are great fun, by the way.

Castle- This includes functioning castles, and ruins. Ruins are great exploration points.

Dungeons- This usually has a great plot attached to it, seeing as characters usually have had to do something wrong in the first place to end up there. And I say usually loosely- innocents probably ended up there all the time- look at how many "witches" were burned in our own medieval times.

Dream realm- The place where people go when they sleep. What if it could be accessed by the conscious mind? Anything can happen here, making it an awesome landscape to play with. Figures of the past can come back to haunt, and to grace. If a group were to enter a combination dream world, who knows what would happen, and what secrets would be revealed? (the dream realm is a good one for modern fantasy as well.)

Other dimensions- Very versatile. These are fun to access by finding mysterious objects or portals.

_____ realm- This realm comes under many names, usually individual to plots. It has been called the Shadow realm, Limbo, the Fade, and the Spirit realm. It is where the dead pass through, where spirits get trapped, and daemons roam. When the Spirit realm's veil is ripped or weak, spirits (or ghosts) can aparate into the mortal world. Sometimes daemons search for a host when the veil is split for long enough. The veil is weakest where there is a lot of death, like a battlefield, or where the dead are sent, graveyards. Since the Spirit realm is directly related to magic, often where the veil is weak, mages are strong. That is one of the many reasons why necromancers are feared and often formidable (take it or leave it, guys, it's not social realism).

Don't forget the time, season and weather when describing the setting!