• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Home
  • About
    • About WHW
    • Press Kit
    • Resident Writing Coaches
    • Contact Us
    • Podcasts & Interviews
    • Master Storytelling Newsletter
    • Guest Post Guidelines
    • Privacy Policy
    • Charities & Support
  • Bookstore
    • Bookstore
    • Foreign Editions
    • Book Reviews
    • Free Thesaurus Sampler
  • Blog
  • Software
  • Workshops
  • Resources
    • List of Resources
    • Recommended Writing Books
    • WHW Descriptive Thesaurus Collection
    • Free Tools & Worksheets
    • Grab A Free Show-Dont-Tell Pro Pack
  • WRITERS HELPING WRITERS®
  • Nav Social Menu

    • Email
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
WRITERS HELPING WRITERS®

WRITERS HELPING WRITERS®

Helping writers become bestselling authors

Setting Thesaurus Entry: Meadow

April 18, 2009 by BECCA PUGLISI

Sight

Long grass seeded with wildflowers, sunlight, bees, dragonflies, butterflies, dry leaves trapped in the grass, tall trees laden with leaves hemming the clearing, birds, mushrooms, wild strawberry plants, ants, beetles, spiders, mice, moss, broken branches at the edge…

Sounds

Leaves rustling/clattering, wind shushing, small critters scampering through the grass, crickets, water tricking over stones and roots from a nearby creek, the hum of bees and dragonflies, the whine of flies and mosquitoes, silence, birds trilling/cawing/squawking…

Smells

Growing grass, warm earth and sunlight, pollen, sweet flowers & berries, clean air, dew

Tastes

Chewing on a stalk of sweet grass, picnic food brought to the area (sandwiches, wine, grapes, cheese, bread, cold cuts, chicken, other fruit, crackers, water etc), wild strawberries from the field, raspberries/blueberries/Saskatoon or gooseberries collected at the edge

Touch

Warm sun on the face, breeze ruffling clothes and brushing through hair and over skin, warm earth beneath you, soft grass, scratchy dead leaves or grass close to the ground, the sting of a bee or bite of an insect, grass sliding against legs as you walk, twigs/dead leaves…

Helpful hints:

–The words you choose can convey atmosphere and mood.

Example 1: Claire waited between the prickly skirts of two evergreens, rubbing her arms and jumping at the slightest movement. She dared not set foot out in the open; high above, the bloated moon scoured the low grass like a blind witch’s eye. The note that had summoned her here clearly outlined what would happen if she was seen or followed…

–Similes and metaphors create strong imagery when used sparingly.

Example 1: (Simile) The butterfly hovered over the cluster of white daisies, it’s wings shimmering like coins in the sun…

Think beyond what a character sees, and provide a sensory feast for readers

Logo-OneStop-For-Writers-25-smallSetting is much more than just a backdrop, which is why choosing the right one and describing it well is so important. To help with this, we have expanded and integrated this thesaurus into our online library at One Stop For Writers. Each entry has been enhanced to include possible sources of conflict, people commonly found in these locales, and setting-specific notes and tips, and the collection itself has been augmented to include a whopping 230 entries—all of which have been cross-referenced with our other thesauruses for easy searchability. So if you’re interested in seeing a free sample of this powerful Setting Thesaurus, head on over and register at One Stop.

The Setting Thesaurus DuoOn the other hand, if you prefer your references in book form, we’ve got you covered, too, because both books are now available for purchase in digital and print copies. In addition to the entries, each book contains instructional front matter to help you maximize your settings. With advice on topics like making your setting do double duty and using figurative language to bring them to life, these books offer ample information to help you maximize your settings and write them effectively.

BECCA PUGLISI
BECCA PUGLISI

Becca Puglisi is an international speaker, writing coach, and bestselling author of The Emotion Thesaurus and its sequels. Her books are available in five languages, are sourced by US universities, and are used by novelists, screenwriters, editors, and psychologists around the world. She is passionate about learning and sharing her knowledge with others through her Writers Helping Writers blog and via One Stop For Writers—a powerhouse online library created to help writers elevate their storytelling.

Share this:

  • Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Tumblr (Opens in new window)
  • Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window)
  • More
  • Click to print (Opens in new window)

Related

Filed Under: Uncategorized

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Crystal says

    July 15, 2009 at 4:47 pm

    Thanks SO MUCH for these setting descriptions. You guys are lifesavers!

  2. Danette Haworth says

    April 21, 2009 at 10:07 am

    I just love your examples! Strong imagery!

  3. Jessica says

    April 19, 2009 at 9:03 pm

    Prickly skirts!!!! What an awesome way to say it.
    Sheesh. That was great.
    I just wrote a meadow scene. I had to really think hard, but it’s so worth it to draw the reader in.

  4. slhastings says

    April 19, 2009 at 6:20 pm

    Angela and Becca-

    This is an EXCELLENT post. What a great “sensory” exercise. If only it wasn’t raining here in Chicago. I’m kind of in the mood to lay in a meadow, watching the clouds, and listen to the sounds of nature.

    sam

  5. Angela says

    April 19, 2009 at 2:11 pm

    Thanks everyone!

    Timing in everything, hey PJ?

  6. PJ Hoover says

    April 18, 2009 at 10:38 pm

    Perfect timing! I have a meadow scene and have neglected to put in any insects (though I do have some birds).

  7. Mary Witzl says

    April 18, 2009 at 7:56 am

    We’re off for a picnic now, and good thing too, after reading this!

    I love that image of lying in the grass, smiling like a child being read a story — perfect.

  8. Bish Denham says

    April 18, 2009 at 7:18 am

    I love how just reading the setting thesaurus puts me in the place.

Trackbacks

  1. Setting Thesaurus Entry Collection | WRITERS HELPING WRITERSWRITERS HELPING WRITERS says:
    December 12, 2013 at 7:24 pm

    […] Meadow […]

Primary Sidebar


Welcome!

Writing is hard. Angela & Becca make it easier. Get ready to level up your fiction with game-changing tools, resources, and advice.

Follow Us

  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter

Subscribe to the Blog

Check your inbox to confirm! If gremlins tried to eat it, you might have to check your spam folder.

Read by Category

Grab Our Button

Writers Helping Writers

Software that Will Change the Writing Game

One Stop for Writers

WRITERS HELPING WRITERS® · Copyright © 2023 · WEBSITE DESIGN BY LAUGH EAT LEARN

Cookies are delicious and ours help make your experience here better. If you continue to use this site we will assume that you are happy with our cookie use. Cookie settingsGOT IT
Privacy & Cookies Policy

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these cookies, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may have an effect on your browsing experience. More on our Privacy Policy here.
Necessary
Always Enabled
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.
Non-necessary
Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.
SAVE & ACCEPT
 

Loading Comments...