The Rural Setting Thesaurus: A Writer's Guide to Personal and Natural Places
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- Type：Epub+TxT+PDF+Mobi
- Create Date：2021-04-03 15:01:24
- Update Date：2025-09-06
- Status：finish
- Author：Angela Ackerman
- ISBN：0989772551
- Environment：PC/Android/iPhone/iPad/Kindle
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Summary
Within the pages of a book exists a world drawn from a writer’s deepest imaginings， one that has the ability to pull readers in on a visceral level—but only if the realm and its inhabitants can be described well。 This can be achieved by providing readers with a unique sensory experience via the setting。 So much more than stage dressing， the setting can build mood， convey meaning through symbolism， drive the plot by creating challenges that force the hero to fight for what he wants， and trigger emotions which will reveal his most intimate feelings， fears， and desires。
Inside The Rural Setting Thesaurus， you’ll find:
• A list of the sights， smells， tastes， textures， and sounds for over 100 settings revolving around school， home， and nature
• Possible sources of conflict for each location to help you brainstorm ways to naturally complicate matters for your characters
• Advice on the many effective ways to build mood， helping you steer both the character’s and readers’ emotions in every scene
• Information on how the setting directly influences the plot by acting as a tuning fork for what a character needs most and by testing his dedication to his goals
• A tutorial on figurative language and how different descriptive techniques can bring settings alive for readers while conveying a symbolic message or deeper meaning
• A review of the challenges that arise when writing description， as well as special considerations that apply specifically to rural and personal settings
• Downloadable tools that encourage a deeper sensory and emotional exploration of each setting
The Rural Setting Thesaurus takes “show-don’t-tell” to new heights。 It offers writers a roadmap to creating fresh setting imagery that impacts the story on multiple levels while keeping readers engaged from the first page to the last。
Inside The Rural Setting Thesaurus， you’ll find:
• A list of the sights， smells， tastes， textures， and sounds for over 100 settings revolving around school， home， and nature
• Possible sources of conflict for each location to help you brainstorm ways to naturally complicate matters for your characters
• Advice on the many effective ways to build mood， helping you steer both the character’s and readers’ emotions in every scene
• Information on how the setting directly influences the plot by acting as a tuning fork for what a character needs most and by testing his dedication to his goals
• A tutorial on figurative language and how different descriptive techniques can bring settings alive for readers while conveying a symbolic message or deeper meaning
• A review of the challenges that arise when writing description， as well as special considerations that apply specifically to rural and personal settings
• Downloadable tools that encourage a deeper sensory and emotional exploration of each setting
The Rural Setting Thesaurus takes “show-don’t-tell” to new heights。 It offers writers a roadmap to creating fresh setting imagery that impacts the story on multiple levels while keeping readers engaged from the first page to the last。
Reviews
Megan Thomas
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Another 10/10 guide to add to my toolkit as I dip my toe into the pond of authorship！ I thought I had already done a fantastic job describing each setting in my story。 I learned I still had more work to do， and improvements to make！I cannot recommend this guide enough。 Please pick this up if you are open to receiving helpful hints in crafting your world through writing！
☘Misericordia☘ ⚡ϟ⚡⛈⚡☁ ❇️❤❣
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A fun （or a not-so-fun） view into dysfunctional families:Q:It’s true that conflict is likely to occur when people get together， and the chances for conflict greatly increase when emotions run high。 Given this， it should come as no surprise that some of the most fertile breeding grounds for conflict are settings involving family。 （c）Lots of great settings to use in writing:Q:Mood can be defined as the emotional atmosphere that a piece of writing creates—the feelings it evokes in the reader。 It’s A fun （or a not-so-fun） view into dysfunctional families:Q:It’s true that conflict is likely to occur when people get together， and the chances for conflict greatly increase when emotions run high。 Given this， it should come as no surprise that some of the most fertile breeding grounds for conflict are settings involving family。 （c）Lots of great settings to use in writing:Q:Mood can be defined as the emotional atmosphere that a piece of writing creates—the feelings it evokes in the reader。 It’s an important device because the mood of a scene prepares the reader for the events that will follow。 （c）Setting and emotion， the 'show don't tell' is reflected in lots of great detail:Q:Readers can glean a lot about the family dynamic from the details delivered in this scene。 The living room is cold—from the spotless floors to the crystal knickknacks to the frames displayed in stark geometric patterns。 The only images in the room are ones that celebrate accomplishment。 The people who occupy this space aren’t loving or warm; they’re mostly interested in appearances and success。 （c）Seaesons， narrators， weather， foreshadowing， opportunities for reflection， test， figurative language - a whole plethora of instruments for a budding writer to work with。 。。。more
D Fox
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I got most of the books in the series and they've been very helpful， since they're straight to the point and serve their purpose as a reference at 100%。 I got most of the books in the series and they've been very helpful， since they're straight to the point and serve their purpose as a reference at 100%。 。。。more
Rita Peterson
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Helped me understand different sounds and objects in different rural environments。
Jordan Sanders
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Good information for the toolbox and as a writer I need the biggest toolbox possible。
Jane Nash
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this is a brilliant resource for authors who are stumbling with writer's block - all of this series are a great brainstorming exercise done for you - now it's time for you to make the magic on the page with all these juicy tidbits。 this is a brilliant resource for authors who are stumbling with writer's block - all of this series are a great brainstorming exercise done for you - now it's time for you to make the magic on the page with all these juicy tidbits。 。。。more
Tracey Pedersen
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I don't always describe a lot of places in books， and this paperback helps me add a bit more depth to all kinds of settings。 Highly recommend I don't always describe a lot of places in books， and this paperback helps me add a bit more depth to all kinds of settings。 Highly recommend 。。。more
Jacqui
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I bought Angela Ackerman and Becca Puglisi's The Rural Setting Thesaurus （JADD Publishing 2016） to buttress my knowledge of the rural settings that make up so much of my current WIP--actually， the entire ecosystem that is the background for my trilogies in Man vs。 Nature。 Ackerman and Puglisi didn't disappoint。 The authors cover settings at home， at school， in inhabited rural areas， and the very rural （the arctic tundra， the badlands， and more）。 For each of the dozens of locations， the authors c I bought Angela Ackerman and Becca Puglisi's The Rural Setting Thesaurus （JADD Publishing 2016） to buttress my knowledge of the rural settings that make up so much of my current WIP--actually， the entire ecosystem that is the background for my trilogies in Man vs。 Nature。 Ackerman and Puglisi didn't disappoint。 The authors cover settings at home， at school， in inhabited rural areas， and the very rural （the arctic tundra， the badlands， and more）。 For each of the dozens of locations， the authors cover sights， sounds， smells， tastes， textures， and sensations （all the sense） as well as possible conflict， people found here， and related settings。 Then they give an example of what a description of the setting might be。 For example， the example for river is:"I stumbled up the hill， my body baked as dry as the land I'd crossed。 Flashes of liquid light winked through the trees ahead and my legs tremored。 Cocking me head， I heard it at last: the gentle burble of salvation。"If you're writing about a rural location you haven't visited or don't know enough about--especially the all-important sensory detail--there's no better book out there than this。 Oh--this is part of a series by these authors covering:The Urban Setting ThesaurusThe Positive Trait ThesaurusThe Negative Trait ThesaurusThe Emotional Wound ThesaurusThe Emotion Thesaurus 。。。more
M。T。 Bostick
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Excellent assistance with description when you're at a loss as to how something should look。 Highly recommend for writers。 Excellent assistance with description when you're at a loss as to how something should look。 Highly recommend for writers。 。。。more
Jennifer Price
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I love every one of the books in this series they are all very useful
Krishna Mehta
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I wish it was more inclusive and beyond USA。Not helpful for stories which aren't in USA at all。 I was hoping for more variation with landscapes， timelines， vegetation。 I wish it was more inclusive and beyond USA。Not helpful for stories which aren't in USA at all。 I was hoping for more variation with landscapes， timelines， vegetation。 。。。more
L。R。 Braden
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Ackerman and Puglisi have published an entire series of books designed to help authors create unique details。 Some focus on character building， others on world building。 The Urban and Rural Setting Thesauruses focus on the latter。The main part of these books is the actual thesaurus， which lists places an author is likely to write about。 Under each listing， they have included descriptive details you are likely to find in each location arranged by sense: sights， sounds， smells， tastes， textures an Ackerman and Puglisi have published an entire series of books designed to help authors create unique details。 Some focus on character building， others on world building。 The Urban and Rural Setting Thesauruses focus on the latter。The main part of these books is the actual thesaurus， which lists places an author is likely to write about。 Under each listing， they have included descriptive details you are likely to find in each location arranged by sense: sights， sounds， smells， tastes， textures and sensations。 They also list people commonly found in that environment and possible sources of conflict， as well as a written example of the setting。 Obviously， the lists can't be exhaustive， but they are an excellent jumping off point for authors。 It's hugely useful to get a full-sensory description of a place your character goes when it's not a location you personally frequent， and these details can prove the difference between a flat setting and a vivid one。The first section of each of these books also contains about 30 pages of useful， engaging articles designed to help authors use their setting descriptions to the fullest。 The Rural Setting Thesaurus includes: "Crafting Settings That Create Emotional Connections，" The Setting as a Vehicle for Establishing Mood，" The Setting as a Vehicle for Conflict，" "The Setting as a Vehicle for Steering the Story，" "Figurative Language: The Key to Enhancing Your Setting"， "Common Setting Snags，" and "Rural Setting Considerations。" In the Urban Setting Thesaurus， you will find: "The Giant Misconception: Who Cares About the Setting？" "The Setting as a Vehicle for Characterization，" "Setting Matters: The Importance of Where，" "The Setting as a Vehicle for Delivering Backstory，" "The Crown Jewel of Settings: Sensory Details，" "Urban World Building" The Pros and Cons of Choosing a Real-Life Location，" "Common Setting Snags，" and "Other Urban Setting Considerations。" As you can see， the authors split the articles so they didn't overlap， so if you want the full spectrum of information you'll need to get both books。These are not the kind of books most people would read cover to cover。 They are more designed to sit on your shelf as a reference， and when you hit a snag in your writing or find a description that is falling flat， you can pull these out to give you a creative kick in the pants。 The variety of entries in both books is impressive， and while you may not be able to find the exact setting you are trying to get across， you will doubtless be able to find something close。 Again， these books are tools to get your own writing on track， not to write your scenes for you。 Be selective in what you take from each entry。 Don't try to include all the details， and don't always use the same details for the same types of places。 The goal is to make each scene fresh and unique， and these books can help with that if you use them well。 。。。more
Leanne Beadle
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A great book for describing rural settings。
Stephen
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A pretty good book， that has helped me with my book writing。
Alexander Shay
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Decent as a standalone but definitely better if you have the Urban volume alongside。 I almost didn't take this book out because I almost never write anything out in the country， but that isn't the only setting included in this volume。 On top of that， Home and School subsections are included， and the home one in particular could be helpful for me。 The locations include common senses--all five--that can be experienced there， people who frequent those locations， and possible conflicts that occur。 A Decent as a standalone but definitely better if you have the Urban volume alongside。 I almost didn't take this book out because I almost never write anything out in the country， but that isn't the only setting included in this volume。 On top of that， Home and School subsections are included， and the home one in particular could be helpful for me。 The locations include common senses--all five--that can be experienced there， people who frequent those locations， and possible conflicts that occur。 A good starting place or support point if you already have a setting in mind。 。。。more
Heather Wenonah
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Loved this book。 Helped me explore new ways of experiencing a scene and writing out。
Jan Schwietert
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Very helpfulI like this book。 Not only excellent suggestions for specific descriptions， but good tips on using the senses in descriptions and good explanations about what makes a description good。
M。A。 Nichols
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I love this series of books。 They're great desk references for authors wanting inspiration for their writing。 It helps spur new ideas and helps your writing from becoming stagnant and repetitive （just like having a regular thesaurus does for your word choice）。 I would highly recommend these books for anyone looking to improve their craft。I will say that I do struggle with this particular one in the series because I don't like how the information is formatted。 It's not as easy to scan through for I love this series of books。 They're great desk references for authors wanting inspiration for their writing。 It helps spur new ideas and helps your writing from becoming stagnant and repetitive （just like having a regular thesaurus does for your word choice）。 I would highly recommend these books for anyone looking to improve their craft。I will say that I do struggle with this particular one in the series because I don't like how the information is formatted。 It's not as easy to scan through for ideas， but the information is good。 。。。more
Samantha Stroiazzo
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This Thesaurus was lacking compared to many of the others in the series。 You could feel a specific bias behind some of the entries。 Sure， it's not meant to be in-depth but I think they could have done better with more experience along socio-economic paths。 Maybe take in more peer reviews and take from different genres to fill in more of a vision。 This Thesaurus was lacking compared to many of the others in the series。 You could feel a specific bias behind some of the entries。 Sure， it's not meant to be in-depth but I think they could have done better with more experience along socio-economic paths。 Maybe take in more peer reviews and take from different genres to fill in more of a vision。 。。。more
Roger Alderman
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This book always remains close by as I work on my own fiction titles。
Josh K
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Just got it。 Looks good！ I ordered several of the other books in this series。 By including sections on the senses: sights， sounds， smells， it gives me a lot more material to use in writing descriptive prose。
Shelley
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This is a must read， and then re-read， series。 A vital reference for writers。
Willow Woodford
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The Rural Setting Thesaurus opens with some great suggestions on how to use setting to make your story come alive and then an entries for various settings and what they might be like。 They include the sounds， smells， tastes， sensations and possible sources of conflict that might come from that setting amongst other suggestions。 Again， an invaluable resource。 I have the whole set on my kindle which I can carry with me for easy reference。 On the Kindle version the table of contents is linked and y The Rural Setting Thesaurus opens with some great suggestions on how to use setting to make your story come alive and then an entries for various settings and what they might be like。 They include the sounds， smells， tastes， sensations and possible sources of conflict that might come from that setting amongst other suggestions。 Again， an invaluable resource。 I have the whole set on my kindle which I can carry with me for easy reference。 On the Kindle version the table of contents is linked and you can easily jump through the book， hopping back to the table of contents at any time。 They are also available in paperback versions for easy desk reference if you prefer that。 If you are an author this is a series you will find very helpful。 。。。more
Holly Davis
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A must-have for any writer or author！ Ackerman and Publisi not only provide a comprehensive list of rural setting descriptions， but they start the thesaurus out with great examples and advice on how to get the most out of your setting descriptions with the use of similes， metaphors， personification， hyperboles， and more。 Truly grateful for these books。
Margaretha
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Best writers resource and a good read for those who need to be inspired！ I recommend all of the books by Angela Ackerman and Becca Puglisi。 I have heard Ackerman and Puglisi speak at a workshop in Calgary and they were funny， informative， and inspiring。
Kimberly
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A great tool for every writer。 Even if you don't actively need to fill in a setting， I find thumbing through it gives me inspiration for being more intentional with setting my stories。 A great tool for every writer。 Even if you don't actively need to fill in a setting， I find thumbing through it gives me inspiration for being more intentional with setting my stories。 。。。more
Jamie
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Less settings than the Urban Thesaurus， but still a great resource。
Adrienne Bross
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Great descriptive resource for writers。 I have found it very useful in my own writing。
LKbytheBay
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They've thought of everything when putting this book together。 This is now one of my standard resource books。 They've thought of everything when putting this book together。 This is now one of my standard resource books。 。。。more
Melinda
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