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The Urban Setting Thesaurus: A Writer's Guide to City Spaces

(Writers Helping Writers Series #5)

Angela Ackerman (Goodreads Author),

Becca Puglisi (Goodreads Author)

4.60 · Rating details · 404 ratings · 50 reviews

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 ...more

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Paperback, 305 pages

Published June 13th 2016 by JADD Publishing

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Jul 03, 2016 K.M. Weiland rated it it was amazing

Thorough as ever. Author advocates Ackerman and Puglisi have added yet another comprehensive guide to their wonderful Thesauri series. This one has obviously been researched with sterling care and provides authors with a quick and handy reference and/or reminder of any and all imaginable settings they might need for their latest book. (I even used it to explore ideas for an upcoming trip!)

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Jun 08, 2016 Elise Edmonds rated it it was amazing

Shelves: non-fiction

The Urban Setting Thesaurus starts with a discussion of how to use setting to assist with characterisation and back story. This leads into a section on how to use the sensory details of the setting to draw the reader into the story.

I agree with the writers that the use of setting in this way is often overlooked, with plot and characters usually being the key considerations. This section of the book has a lot of good advice on letting the setting do some work for you, and how to integrate releva The Urban Setting Thesaurus starts with a discussion of how to use setting to assist with characterisation and back story. This leads into a section on how to use the sensory details of the setting to draw the reader into the story.

I agree with the writers that the use of setting in this way is often overlooked, with plot and characters usually being the key considerations. This section of the book has a lot of good advice on letting the setting do some work for you, and how to integrate relevant aspects of the setting into the action.

The main body of the work is a thesaurus of specific urban locations. These are split into categories: In the city (locations such as the bank, the courtroom, and a hotel room, Restaurants (such as coffeehouse, diner, and fast food restaurant), Retail stores (such as flower store and pet store), and Entertainment venues (such as art studio and museum).

Each specific setting has a list of many sensory details, split by the five main senses. Following this is a list of possible sources of conflict in the setting, people commonly found in the setting, some tips on the setting, and a brief written example.

I think this book will be a very useful addition to my collection of writing tools. The discussion on using the sensory details of the setting to enhance the characterisation already has me thinking about how I can improve my writing.

The wide variety of settings included in the book mean have covered most of the settings I can think of. It's very comprehensive.

My only caveats would be that the urban settings are predominantly contemporary, and some have an American slant.

So if you are writing a contemporary novel in another country, you may need to adapt the setting. For example, sporting event stands in the book are focused on American sports, whereas, if I, a Brit, were writing about a sports stand, I would be more likely to refer to football scarves than pom-poms.

If you are writing a historical novel, you may find only the basics helpful, as many of the settings would not be appropriate. I'm writing fantasy, and in that respect, it will depend on the tech level and type of your fantasy setting as to whether you will be able to make use of it. I have an urban setting in my current work in progress, but I would, for example, have to substitute my magical glow globes for fluorescent lighting. If you write contemporary urban fantasy, however, the book would suit with minor tweaking.

If you are writing a contemporary romance, thriller, crime or literary work, however, this book will be invaluable. ...more

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Apr 30, 2020 Latanya (Crafty Scribbles) rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: collections, nonfiction, reference, writing

What a great book to have in my collection. As a writer, it's an indispensable tool. ...more

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Jun 05, 2016 Annie Lima rated it it was amazing

I'm so glad I got this handy little book! The introductory material about settings and their purpose is full of great reminders. But the best part is the actual thesaurus part, where you can look up almost any imaginable urban setting and read a detailed list of likely sights, sounds, smells, tastes, and textures & sensations. In addition, the authors include suggestions for possible sources of conflict in that location, people commonly found there, related settings that may tie in with it (with ...more

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Oct 03, 2017 Daniel rated it it was amazing

Shelves: read-in-2017, english, ebook

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

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Dec 12, 2017 Tracey Pedersen rated it it was amazing

The perfect writing companion. No matter where you are in your writing journey, this book series will make an immediate difference to your output.

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Sep 02, 2020 Susanne Dietze rated it it was amazing

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

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May 16, 2016 Harley Christensen rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: writing

Good riddance to boring, one-dimensional story settings…

Creating compelling, believable settings is one of the most overlooked yet vital components of storytelling. Too little can make your story feel flat; too much can overwhelm and frustrate readers—either can potentially pull them out of the story or cause them to stop turning pages altogether.

The Urban Setting Thesaurus is part reference guide, part writing tool for developing rich city settings that will add depth to both your backstory and ...more

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Jun 11, 2016 Sloane Collins rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

It was a dark and stormy night…
Eh, kind of a boring opening, right?
Right.

So any good author worth his or her salt would want a really impactful way to describe the setting, one that will draw readers into the story and keep them there. Authors want readers to feel as if they’re living the story through the point of view character’s eyes, so their experience with the book will not only be worth their time and money, but will keep them coming back for more.
This is where The Urban Setting Thesau It was a dark and stormy night…
Eh, kind of a boring opening, right?
Right.

So any good author worth his or her salt would want a really impactful way to describe the setting, one that will draw readers into the story and keep them there. Authors want readers to feel as if they’re living the story through the point of view character’s eyes, so their experience with the book will not only be worth their time and money, but will keep them coming back for more.
This is where The Urban Setting Thesaurus: A Writer’s Guide to City Spaces will come in handy. The authors, Angela Ackerman and Becca Puglisi (sheer geniuses, if you ask me!) have written a book that will help authors describe and weave in setting descriptions so effortlessly that readers will not want to skim any part of the book.

While this book covers settings one would find in urban areas, it covers so much more about the craft of writing. As I read this book, I found myself highlighting important tidbits on nearly every page. The authors discuss the importance of weaving setting in to stories to portray emotions, give hints of backstory, sensory details, etc.

When it comes to the description for each setting, it’s so much more than just “here’s what a construction site looks like”. Each setting lists: sights, sounds, smells, tastes, textures and sensations, possible sources of conflict, people commonly found here, related settings that may tie in, setting notes and tips, a setting description example, then techniques and devices used, and resulting effects.

We’ve got a veritable goldmine of information in this book!

It’s one thing for an author to imagine a setting, or to have possibly visited a particular setting, and this book has so much more than just lists of the five senses your character might experience in a specific location.

I’ve been a fan of these authors for several years now, and have all of their previous thesauri, as well as belong to their “One Stop for Writers” website. This new book puts them on a whole new level.

So do yourself a favor and get this book immediately to take your writing to a new level. I’m going online right now to order the companion book, The Rural Setting Thesaurus: A Writer’s Guide to Personal and Natural Places.

I received this book from the authors in exchange for an honest review.

...more

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May 16, 2016 Sacha Black rated it it was amazing

Both the settings thesauri are fantastic. Much like the first in the series (the emotion thesaurus) it is supremely useful. I particularly like the fact each setting has accompanying suggestions on the right senses. This book is extremely generous in its quantity of different settings. If you're a new writer, this book is perfect for you to bring depth to your witting by ensuring you capture your setting adequately. ...more

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Jun 10, 2016 Hope Ann rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Like their other writing Thesauruses, Angela and Becca's Urban Setting Thesauruses is a wonderful resource for any writer. Not only are dozens of settings described in up to five senses, but variations within each settings are noted, possible conflicts are recorded, and numbers of small scenes give example of how settings can be used to enhance a story. Plus, several chapters at the beginning of the book detail the power of settings and show how you can use them to further enhance your story. ...more

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May 22, 2018 Alexander Shay rated it liked it

Shelves: writing, canadian-author

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

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Aug 23, 2018 Samantha Stroiazzo rated it liked it

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

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Jun 28, 2016 ★ gwiz ★ rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: a-new-read, zzcovercolor-white, a-all-my-books-read, a-to-plan-to-reread, aa-own-hardcopy, zzcovercolor-black, zzcovercolor-gray, zzcovercolor-orange, nonfiction-writing, non-fiction-all-types

Great reference book for writing. When I see one of Ackerman and Puglisi thesaurus release I buy it. In fact if there was an automatic purchase feature I would sign up for it.

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Nov 21, 2018 L.R. Braden rated it really liked it

Shelves: writing-craft

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

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Dec 30, 2018 Joseph Hirsch rated it liked it

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

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Mar 18, 2017 Rebecca Allen rated it it was amazing

Shelves: reviewed-books

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

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Jan 08, 2018 Willow Woodford rated it it was amazing

Shelves: writing-craft-books

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 ...more

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Jul 14, 2017 Osiris Brackhaus rated it it was ok

Shelves: non-fiction

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

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May 12, 2018 Marsha rated it really liked it

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

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May 28, 2018 M.A. Nichols rated it really liked it

Shelves: non-fiction

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

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Mar 13, 2017 Melinda rated it it was amazing

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).

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Sep 22, 2019 Ivy Seablom rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Perfect

I 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.

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Apr 16, 2020 Jane Nash rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

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

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Oct 07, 2017 Kimberly rated it it was amazing

Shelves: writing-books

Another great tool for authors!

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Nov 29, 2017 Holly Davis rated it it was amazing

5/5!! Another must-have thesaurus which should go hand-in-hand with The Rural Setting Thesaurus. So grateful for these writing staples!!

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Dec 01, 2017 Darlene rated it it was amazing

Shelves: writing-reference, 2017-book-challenge

Another great reference book by Ackerman. I use this quite often and find it very helpful.

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Apr 17, 2018 Roger Alderman rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

This book always remains close by as I work on my own fiction titles.

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May 13, 2018 Eric Huffbind rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: reference

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

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Aug 25, 2018 Leanne Beadle rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Great for writing descriptions of urban areas.

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About Angela Ackerman

Angela Ackerman

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ANGELA ACKERMAN is a writing coach, international speaker, and co-author of 8 bestselling books for writers, including The Emotion Thesaurus: A Writer’s Guide to Character Expression (now an expanded 2nd Edition). Her books are available in eight languages, are sourced by US universities, and are used by novelists, screenwriters, editors, and psychologists around the world.

Angela is also the co-fo ...more