Setting Thesaurus Entry: Night club

Sight

Strobe lights, colored lights, speakers, a stage, bars with bar stools, small round tables with stools, washrooms, waitresses dressed skimpily with glowing trays of drinks or shooters or empty bottles/glasses, shots lined up at the bar, bartenders, bottles of booze lined up…

Sounds

Loud music, people screaming in your ear to talk to you, laughter, come-ons, hooting, yelling, swearing, glass breaking, whistling, DJ announcements coming over the loud speaker, mugs clunking against a table, the hiss of pop filling a glass at the bar

Smells

Sweat, beer breath, cologne, perfume, hairspray and hair products, body spray, stale air, vomit, smoke or pot wafting off of clothing, fruity…

Tastes

Beer, coolers, martinis, jack and coke, gin and tonic, cosmos, mojitos, coffee, water, shooters (dirty hookers, sex on the beach, bottlecaps, Dr Pepper, China white, snakebite, B52, jägerbomb, Irish Car bomb, sambuca, etc), Red Bull, pop, fruit mixes, spritzes…

Touch

Beer or other cold drink on a parched throat, licking sweetness from lips, crunching up ice cubes, touching people to get their attention, pushing hair back away from ear and off the face, touching clothing, straightening shirts, skirts, etc, applying lipstick or gloss, checking…

Helpful hints:

–The words you choose can convey atmosphere and mood.

Example 1: I took a sip of my beer and swayed to the beat, a little drunk and grinning because I knew it. The air was hot and so were the guys, just how I liked it. Here I didn’t need to talk or tell jokes and be charming; everything that needed to be said could be done with a look. His name, my name and then we were off on the floor, dancing tight against each other, the music and filtered lights turning our awkward bodies into fluid rhythm…

–Similes and metaphors create strong imagery when used sparingly.

Example 1: (Metaphor) The guest band’s thrashing sound was billed as one-of-a-kind and didn’t disappoint. Too bad the closest thing I could compare it too was the night I heard a high velocity car crash on the street in front of my house…

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

Setting 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.

On 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.