The Urban Setting Thesaurus: A Writer's Guide to City Spaces
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- Create Date：2021-04-03 15:01:15
- Update Date：2025-09-06
- Status：finish
- Author：Angela Ackerman
- ISBN：098977256X
- Environment：PC/Android/iPhone/iPad/Kindle
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Summary
Making readers care and feel like they’re part of the story should be the number one goal for all writers。 Ironically， many storytellers fail to maximize one of fiction’s most powerful elements to achieve this: the setting。 Not only can the right location become a conduit for emotion， it can also provide conflict， characterize the story’s cast， reveal significant backstory， and trigger the reader’s own emotional memories through sensory details and deep point of view。
Inside The Urban Thesaurus， you’ll find:
• A list of the sights， smells， tastes， textures， and sounds for over 120 urban settings
• Possible sources of conflict for each location to help you brainstorm ways to naturally complicate matters for your characters
• Advice on how to make every piece of description count so you can maintain the right pace and keep readers engaged
• Tips on utilizing the five senses to encourage readers to more fully experience each moment by triggering their own emotional memories
• Information on how to use the setting to characterize a story’s cast through personalization and emotional values while using emotional triggers to steer their decisions
• A review of specific challenges that arise when writing urban locations， along with common descriptive pitfalls that should be avoided
The Urban Setting Thesaurus helps you tailor each setting to your characters while creating a realistic， textured world readers will long to return to， even after the book closes。
Inside The Urban Thesaurus， you’ll find:
• A list of the sights， smells， tastes， textures， and sounds for over 120 urban settings
• Possible sources of conflict for each location to help you brainstorm ways to naturally complicate matters for your characters
• Advice on how to make every piece of description count so you can maintain the right pace and keep readers engaged
• Tips on utilizing the five senses to encourage readers to more fully experience each moment by triggering their own emotional memories
• Information on how to use the setting to characterize a story’s cast through personalization and emotional values while using emotional triggers to steer their decisions
• A review of specific challenges that arise when writing urban locations， along with common descriptive pitfalls that should be avoided
The Urban Setting Thesaurus helps you tailor each setting to your characters while creating a realistic， textured world readers will long to return to， even after the book closes。
Reviews
R。A。Y
，
Udah selesai baca bagian teorinya yang panjang dan sangat insightful dan mengenyangkan terutama buat diriku yang masih ogah-ogahan nulis setting AAAAAAAAAAAAAAA 😭😭😭 Bagian tesaurusnya akan dibuka ketika perlu， alias pas saya praktik nulis。 Sekarang mau meraup teori sebanyak-banyaknya dulu。
Susanne Dietze
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The Writer's Guide books by Ackerman and Puglisi are pure gold to me。 I'm slowly collecting them but I use them to help my writing， with everything from character development to enriching my scenes to plot points。 They serve as a springboard for me， like brainstorming with a friend。 I highly recommend these books！ The Writer's Guide books by Ackerman and Puglisi are pure gold to me。 I'm slowly collecting them but I use them to help my writing， with everything from character development to enriching my scenes to plot points。 They serve as a springboard for me， like brainstorming with a friend。 I highly recommend these books！ 。。。more
Shania
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Just as "The Emotion Thesaurus" this one manages to hit the nail on the head once again！ I loved being able to go through and pick out just what I need at the time。 Descriptions of settings have never been my forte， but having this book helps to pulls out the words that I'm unable to compile on my own。 For other writers out there， I would recommend you check out this book。 Just as "The Emotion Thesaurus" this one manages to hit the nail on the head once again！ I loved being able to go through and pick out just what I need at the time。 Descriptions of settings have never been my forte， but having this book helps to pulls out the words that I'm unable to compile on my own。 For other writers out there， I would recommend you check out this book。 。。。more
Latanya （Crafty Scribbles）
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What a great book to have in my collection。 As a writer， it's an indispensable tool。 What a great book to have in my collection。 As a writer， it's an indispensable tool。 。。。more
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
Ivy Seablom
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PerfectI thought this was a spectacular tool that outlines and details many locations that I may not necessarily get a chance to really see or explore for myself。 It’s a perfect helper so my places within my books really have a well built world that feels realistic。
M。T。 Bostick
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Once again， here is a wonderful book on setting descriptions。 Use it when your unsure of what your setting should look like。 Another great book for writers
Jennifer Price
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I love every one of the books in this series they are all very useful
Dominique Saczawa
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HIGHLY RECOMMENDED。 The Emotion Thesaurus is the most used by me out of the series and this is a CLOSE second。 MUST HAVE。
Joseph Hirsch
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Comic book artists used to use something called a "morgue。" It sounds a bit macabre， but the morgue was really nothing more than an alphabetized collection of images of various locations， to which a cartoonist could refer when drawing a scene， in order to give it some verisimilitude。 Say， for instance， you wanted to place your character in a bowling alley or in a dentist's office， and you wanted to get the details of those two environments right （we've all been to bowling alleys or dentists' off Comic book artists used to use something called a "morgue。" It sounds a bit macabre， but the morgue was really nothing more than an alphabetized collection of images of various locations， to which a cartoonist could refer when drawing a scene， in order to give it some verisimilitude。 Say， for instance， you wanted to place your character in a bowling alley or in a dentist's office， and you wanted to get the details of those two environments right （we've all been to bowling alleys or dentists' offices， but chances are we probably weren't taking notes while there）。 You would merely dig into your morgue and look under the B's and D's to reacquaint yourself with the locales in question。"The Urban Setting Thesaurus，" is basically a Cliff's Notes morgue for writers， who want to get the bare-bones vibe， ambiance， or description of various locales when writing fiction。 The quality of the descriptions on offer inside varies， and the authors too often leave out the exteriors/structures of the places that they're describing。 This is a pretty egregious oversight， because stories and novels usually have the literary equivalent of cinema's "establishing shot，" whereby an exterior is described （along with maybe the weather） before getting to the action going on inside the building。 The book also provides sensory details for each entry， but makes another pretty big mistake under the heading of "Taste" by being a bit too literal and forgetting that some smells are strong enough （or malodorous enough） that they （sometimes unfortunately） can also be considered tastes。 How many war stories or criminal procedurals have you read， for instance， in which a character describes the smell of blood or bodies so strong that it could be tasted？ Unpleasant， sure， but a large part of what drives multiple genres of fiction is unpleasant， and taking this into account would have made the book better。"The Urban Setting Thesaurus" is a companion piece or complement to "The Rural Setting Thesaurus，" which I also own， and which I will also get around to reading， and reviewing。 Hopefully it's better than this。 Tepid rec。 。。。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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Great for writing descriptions of urban areas。
Samantha Stroiazzo
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Though it's made to be a starter and get your own creative juices flowing， I felt it was biased and too short for the price。 It didn't live up to the expectations of The Emotional Thesaurus。 It still does what it was intended for which is to jump start the creative process so for that I give it a three star review。 Though it's made to be a starter and get your own creative juices flowing， I felt it was biased and too short for the price。 It didn't live up to the expectations of The Emotional Thesaurus。 It still does what it was intended for which is to jump start the creative process so for that I give it a three star review。 。。。more
Carol
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very helpful guide
M。A。 Nichols
，
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 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。 。。。more
Alexander Shay
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Very handy if you're waffling between certain types of settings for your scenes。 Probably the most handy part is the inclusion of different senses that could be included， to avoid just vision through an entire novel。 Bringing in other senses is sometimes hard and easily forgotten， so this book can help remind an author of what to add to their prose if they feel it's falling a little flat or feeling a little empty。 A lot of generic locations， but a few more unusual ones。 Very handy if you're waffling between certain types of settings for your scenes。 Probably the most handy part is the inclusion of different senses that could be included， to avoid just vision through an entire novel。 Bringing in other senses is sometimes hard and easily forgotten， so this book can help remind an author of what to add to their prose if they feel it's falling a little flat or feeling a little empty。 A lot of generic locations， but a few more unusual ones。 。。。more
Eric Huffbind
，
All I can say is that these sets of Thesauruses is a must for any author of fiction。 It's a tool I can't live without！Eric Huffbind All I can say is that these sets of Thesauruses is a must for any author of fiction。 It's a tool I can't live without！Eric Huffbind 。。。more
Marsha
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I love all the books these two authors published thus far。 With me being a country girl of meager means， this book was very helpful for writing a book with part of the setting being urban。 I don't have the $ to travel to all the places I may want to write about。 This book helps me create places similar to the places I would like to go。 I also like Ackerman and Puglisi's blog and website。 There is so much helpful information that writers can obtain from these two ladies。 I love all the books these two authors published thus far。 With me being a country girl of meager means， this book was very helpful for writing a book with part of the setting being urban。 I don't have the $ to travel to all the places I may want to write about。 This book helps me create places similar to the places I would like to go。 I also like Ackerman and Puglisi's blog and website。 There is so much helpful information that writers can obtain from these two ladies。 。。。more
Roger Alderman
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This book always remains close by as I work on my own fiction titles。
Willow Woodford
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The Urban 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 Urban 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
Tracey Pedersen
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The perfect writing companion。 No matter where you are in your writing journey， this book series will make an immediate difference to your output。
Darlene
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Another great reference book by Ackerman。 I use this quite often and find it very helpful。
Holly Davis
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5/5！！ Another must-have thesaurus which should go hand-in-hand with The Rural Setting Thesaurus。 So grateful for these writing staples！！
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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Another great tool for authors！
Daniel
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I finished reading this book and I thought it was amazing。 It's actually a very useful book for those who really want to improve their writing。 I totally recommend it。 I finished reading this book and I thought it was amazing。 It's actually a very useful book for those who really want to improve their writing。 I totally recommend it。 。。。more
Osiris Brackhaus
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Was excited about the idea， but realized I had the wrong book after reading through the table of contents - entirely centered on the USA and a few locations that US writers might deem 'exotic'。 For a book that is supposed to help writers avoid using tropes and cliché descriptions， this is damning。 I agree， the individual locations are well researched and described， but if you are looking for anything that helps you avoid banalities or write anything outside the US， this is not the book。 Was excited about the idea， but realized I had the wrong book after reading through the table of contents - entirely centered on the USA and a few locations that US writers might deem 'exotic'。 For a book that is supposed to help writers avoid using tropes and cliché descriptions， this is damning。 I agree， the individual locations are well researched and described， but if you are looking for anything that helps you avoid banalities or write anything outside the US， this is not the book。 。。。more
Rebecca Allen
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I received a free copy of Angela Ackerman and Becca Puglisi’s The Urban Settings Thesaurus: A Writer’s Guide to City Spaces in exchange for an honest review。 Since I'm a fan of their Emotion Thesaurus， I was excited to dive in。 The Urban Setting Thesaurus is a wonderful resource for a fiction writer！ The bulk of this book and its sister craft book， The Rural Settings Thesaurus， is comprised of two-page entries describing dozens of settings that could pop up in any fiction genre — from a police c I received a free copy of Angela Ackerman and Becca Puglisi’s The Urban Settings Thesaurus: A Writer’s Guide to City Spaces in exchange for an honest review。 Since I'm a fan of their Emotion Thesaurus， I was excited to dive in。 The Urban Setting Thesaurus is a wonderful resource for a fiction writer！ The bulk of this book and its sister craft book， The Rural Settings Thesaurus， is comprised of two-page entries describing dozens of settings that could pop up in any fiction genre — from a police car to an emergency room， the stands of a sporting event to an art gallery。 Each entry provides a wealth of sensory words describing the sights， sounds， smells， textures， and even tastes that characterize that setting。In the recording studio entry， you find sights like vocalists warming up， cords running from instruments to outlets and recording equipment， and the “recording” light to let you know to keep quiet。 You hear humming or instruments being played， smell takeout Chinese food or coffee， and feel the snug fit of headphones over your ears。 If your scene takes place in a setting you’ve never been to， this thesaurus can help you craft the experience your characters will encounter in a way that will make your story feel more real to your reader。Not sure where a scene should take place？ A flip through entries listed in the table of contents could help you brainstorm。 Perhaps your protagonist is mulling over whether to confront her antagonist…she could do that anywhere。 But what she sees， hears and touches as she weighs her decision could more vividly show her mood and emotions。 What backdrop would carry the most emotional impact？ Would highlight her fears and the challenges she’ll need to face？In addition to the setting entries， there is a wealth of information in the first chapters of The Urban Setting Thesaurus on how to use setting to convey your story with the most impact。 These chapters discuss how to use setting to create a mood， to characterize a room full of primary and secondary characters， and to heighten tension。 They also illustrate using all the senses to pull the reader into your scene。I’m sure I’ll turn to this helpful resource again and again。 。。。more
Melinda
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I received this book as a prize from the authors。 I loved it so much I bought the rest of the series too。 Accurate and incredibly useful to the creative process and to editing， I highly recommend this book （and the others in the series）。
Luciano Negreiros
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