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The Rural Setting Thesaurus: A Writer's Guide to Personal and Natural Places
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.
259 pages, Paperback
First published June 1, 2016
442 people are currently reading
1858 people want to read
About the author
Angela Ackerman
34 books1,022 followersANGELA ACKERMAN is a writing coach, international speaker, and co-author of 11 bestselling books for writers, including The Emotion Thesaurus: A Writer’s Guide to Character Expression. Her books are available in 10 languages, are sourced by US universities, and are used by novelists, screenwriters, editors, and psychologists around the world. Her home country is Canada.
Angela is also the co-founder of the popular site Writers Helping Writers®, as well as One Stop for Writers®, a portal to powerful tools and resources that help you think like a writing expert so you become a stronger storyteller. A strong believer in writers helping and supporting other writers, she tries to pay-it-forward however she is able to.
http://writershelpingwriters.net
http://onestopforwriters.com
Angela is also the co-founder of the popular site Writers Helping Writers®, as well as One Stop for Writers®, a portal to powerful tools and resources that help you think like a writing expert so you become a stronger storyteller. A strong believer in writers helping and supporting other writers, she tries to pay-it-forward however she is able to.
http://writershelpingwriters.net
http://onestopforwriters.com
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 61 reviews
November 19, 2020
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.
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.
July 8, 2016
The one thing I always appreciate Ackerman and Puglisi's Thesauri series is how comprehensive they are. They never stop at just the obvious, and they always over-deliver. Their Setting Thesauri are no different, offering not just the obvious notes of the various settings they've covered, but going into easy-to-miss details like smells and tastes. They even offer to jumpstart the brainstorming with categories on "potential sources of conflict." This Rural Setting Thesaurus, in particular, is wonderfully versatile, useful for contemporary authors and even fantasy authors such as myself.
February 22, 2020
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 Thesaurus
The Positive Trait Thesaurus
The Negative Trait Thesaurus
The Emotional Wound Thesaurus
The Emotion Thesaurus
"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 Thesaurus
The Positive Trait Thesaurus
The Negative Trait Thesaurus
The Emotional Wound Thesaurus
The Emotion Thesaurus
June 26, 2016
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.
April 25, 2021
Very helpful and interesting! I think I need to purchase one for myself (I borrowed this one from the library).
September 2, 2020
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%.
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June 19, 2016Book Talk…6/24/16
Traci Kenworth
I love craft books and the thesaurus collections by Angela Ackerman and Becca Puglisi are no exception. This time I’m reviewing: The Rural Settings Thesaurus. If you need help with your setting, this is the book!! I’ve come to think that settings are as important as your characters. In this book, you get the lowdown on seven different ways to enhance your setting. For instance, weather can establish a mood and you’re given the following example:
The tumbled walls of the ancient ruins stretched upwards, basking in the sun’s glow. Indeed, they were warm to the touch, their stone surfaces worn and smooth from centuries of wind and rain. Overgrown grass hugged the stones’ knees while snapdragons and cornflowers nodded in the gentle breeze.
The book is set up simply. Pick any rural setting (for urban settings, there’s a thesaurus on those too!!) such as: Block Party. You’re given suggestions based on sights, sounds, tastes, smells, textures and sensations, possible conflicts that could happen here, people that can be found here, related settings that might tie in, setting notes and tips, and examples of how this setting can work in your story.
So, if I wanted to have a story set during a house fire, I could pick from sights: smoke drifting at the ceiling level and sliding under the doors, and from tastes ( a hard one to come up with sometimes): thick phlegm, and from notes and tips: that smoke inhalations makes memory recall and problem solving more difficult. Or one set in nursery, I could pick from sounds: the baby sucking on thumb or slurping at fingers, and from smells, disinfectant, and discover the type of people found here are babysitters for one.
The rural settings go from everything in an attic to county fairs to a bonus material: ancient ruins. There’s SO much that could be of use to a writer here. I know when I’m researching places, it’s sometimes difficult to find information on each of these choices. This book solves that problem. I hope it will do the same for you.
Traci Kenworth
I love craft books and the thesaurus collections by Angela Ackerman and Becca Puglisi are no exception. This time I’m reviewing: The Rural Settings Thesaurus. If you need help with your setting, this is the book!! I’ve come to think that settings are as important as your characters. In this book, you get the lowdown on seven different ways to enhance your setting. For instance, weather can establish a mood and you’re given the following example:
The tumbled walls of the ancient ruins stretched upwards, basking in the sun’s glow. Indeed, they were warm to the touch, their stone surfaces worn and smooth from centuries of wind and rain. Overgrown grass hugged the stones’ knees while snapdragons and cornflowers nodded in the gentle breeze.
The book is set up simply. Pick any rural setting (for urban settings, there’s a thesaurus on those too!!) such as: Block Party. You’re given suggestions based on sights, sounds, tastes, smells, textures and sensations, possible conflicts that could happen here, people that can be found here, related settings that might tie in, setting notes and tips, and examples of how this setting can work in your story.
So, if I wanted to have a story set during a house fire, I could pick from sights: smoke drifting at the ceiling level and sliding under the doors, and from tastes ( a hard one to come up with sometimes): thick phlegm, and from notes and tips: that smoke inhalations makes memory recall and problem solving more difficult. Or one set in nursery, I could pick from sounds: the baby sucking on thumb or slurping at fingers, and from smells, disinfectant, and discover the type of people found here are babysitters for one.
The rural settings go from everything in an attic to county fairs to a bonus material: ancient ruins. There’s SO much that could be of use to a writer here. I know when I’m researching places, it’s sometimes difficult to find information on each of these choices. This book solves that problem. I hope it will do the same for you.
December 16, 2016
I was so happy when I finished reading this master piece for its what I have been searching for. It has everything I need to set up a scene and to do what I need when the words are sounding the same.
http://kristalmckerringtons.blogspot....
http://kristalmckerringtons.blogspot....
April 30, 2022
Helpful and informative. I really like the ideas for conflict in each type of setting.
November 21, 2018
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.
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.
December 29, 2022
This is one of a series of books to assist writers. I also own 'The Urban Setting Thesaurus'. They've been invaluable to my writing development.
As a writer, there's a knack to not only describing a place well, but also to bringing it to live, and how it adds depths to the character's emotions and actions. These books don't take the thinking out of what you write - they add fuel to it!
At times, I've struggled with show and don't tell in my storytelling. Truthfully, this set of books is gifting me skills that no other books on the craft of writing have.
There's a myriad of settings that the authors explore, and it's clear that they've put heart and soul into it. I look forward to writing my fantasy story as this book helps me create a clearer picture of where my characters are at.
This is a great buy for any author.
As a writer, there's a knack to not only describing a place well, but also to bringing it to live, and how it adds depths to the character's emotions and actions. These books don't take the thinking out of what you write - they add fuel to it!
At times, I've struggled with show and don't tell in my storytelling. Truthfully, this set of books is gifting me skills that no other books on the craft of writing have.
There's a myriad of settings that the authors explore, and it's clear that they've put heart and soul into it. I look forward to writing my fantasy story as this book helps me create a clearer picture of where my characters are at.
This is a great buy for any author.
January 8, 2018
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.
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.
May 29, 2018
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.
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.
February 5, 2025
The "Thesaurus" series is useful as a set of basic references for writers in many genres - this one and its twin, the "Urban Settings Thesaurus," offer not only useful details to make settings more vivid and avoid embarrassing mistakes by authors unfamiliar with those environments, but ideas to spark new plot directions and twists. I'm reviewing these two together because they are complementary.
Highly recommended for fiction authors in any genre that would include rural spaces.
Highly recommended for fiction authors in any genre that would include rural spaces.
November 25, 2017
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.
May 28, 2018
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.
November 25, 2020
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!
I cannot recommend this guide enough. Please pick this up if you are open to receiving helpful hints in crafting your world through writing!
April 15, 2018
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.
June 28, 2018
Very helpful
I 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.
I 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.
April 17, 2020
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.
May 10, 2022
As I love writing setting, this is my favourite one in the series. This one focuses on rural settings. There’s so much here to make your setting a character, essential in your story, instead of just a place where things happen.
August 11, 2017
They've thought of everything when putting this book together. This is now one of my standard resource books.
September 6, 2017
Great descriptive resource for writers. I have found it very useful in my own writing.
September 28, 2017
Less settings than the Urban Thesaurus, but still a great resource.
October 7, 2017
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.
February 8, 2018
This is a must read, and then re-read, series. A vital reference for writers.
April 17, 2018
This book always remains close by as I work on my own fiction titles.
June 30, 2018
Loved this book. Helped me explore new ways of experiencing a scene and writing out.
August 6, 2018
A pretty good book, that has helped me with my book writing.
August 25, 2018
A great book for describing rural settings.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 61 reviews