• 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: City Park

December 12, 2009 by ANGELA ACKERMAN

Sight

tall trees, well-tended bright green grass, park benches, water fountain, drink fountain, fields, joggers, dog-walkers, strollers, women with strollers, holding toddlers by the hand, a pond with ducks/swans/geese, garbage cans, dedication plaques, stone benches, picnic tables, paved pathways, cyclists, birds pecking at the grass, pigeons clustering at the feet…

Sounds

Music (live buskers, radios, mashed hard rock notes leaking out a jogger’s iPod), birds tweeting, squawking, chirping, squirrels or gophers darting through dried leaves and undergrowth, dogs barking, kids crying, squealing, shouting, laughing, whining, people talking, heavy quick breaths of joggers, mothers calling out to their children, the splash of…

Smells

Food from vendor carts (hot dogs, pretzels, onions, etc), fresh mowed grass, blooming flowers, dead, dusty leaves, warmed earth, perfume/body spray/aftershave, sweat, algae if there’s a pond, dog fur, a pungent whiff of skunk…

Tastes

A hot dog bought from the cart, a picnic sandwich, water, pop, slushes, ice cream, gum, mints, cough drops, crackers, sunflower seeds, hot nuts, cigarette (if smoking or passing a smoker)

Touch

The stiff boards of a park bench digging at your back, hard cement underfoot, the soft, spiky grass prickling at your butt and calves as you sit, water spray carried on the wind from a fountain, dipping feet or fingers in the fountain, wiping sweat from the brow with the back of the hand, kite cord digging into palms as you struggle to hold the kite, pulling a…

Helpful hints:

–The words you choose can convey atmosphere and mood.

Example 1: Jenna’s gaze bounced between from her husband Mark, who side stepped across the grass, his hands waving in the air and their seven-year-old son Ben, who stood not far away with the football, his tongue dipping out to lick the corner of his mouth as his arm bent back to throw. As she leaned back on one elbow on their picnic blanket, the sun came out from behind a cloud and warmed her brow. She closed her eyes and smiled up at the sky, enjoying the perfect moment…

–Similes and metaphors create strong imagery when used sparingly.

Example 1: (Simile) The old man hunched at the end of the bench like a crooked branch, tossing seed down to the greedy pigeons at his feet.

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. The Urban Setting Thesaurus and The Rural Setting Thesaurus are 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.

Bookmark and Share

ANGELA ACKERMAN
ANGELA ACKERMAN

Angela is a writing coach, international speaker, and bestselling author who loves to travel, teach, empower writers, and pay-it-forward. She also is a founder of One Stop For Writers, a portal to powerful, innovative tools 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. book review says

    December 14, 2009 at 12:26 am

    thank you

  2. Mirella Sichirollo Patzer says

    December 13, 2009 at 1:08 pm

    Blogger Award. It’s a great way to network and promote and discover new blogs. For details on how to participate, click on the following link: http://historicalnovelreview.blogspot.com/2009/12/kreativ-blogger-award.html

    Everything you need to know is there.

    Love, love, love, your blog

  3. Bish Denham says

    December 13, 2009 at 9:29 am

    Another excellent thesaurus entry!

  4. Tara McClendon says

    December 12, 2009 at 10:10 pm

    Great post. I love parks. We have one where we can rent paddle boats. It’s fun.

  5. Stephanie Thornton says

    December 12, 2009 at 6:43 pm

    I love that branch simile. I’ve had a thing with tree imagery lately- I’m not sure why.

  6. Shannon O'Donnell says

    December 12, 2009 at 2:35 pm

    I’m with Nora! 🙂 I love the description of example 2. This is great stuff for me – super good!

  7. Nora MacFarlane says

    December 12, 2009 at 1:46 pm

    I’ve said it before, but I love this blog.

  8. Karen Lange says

    December 12, 2009 at 12:20 pm

    Good post! Gives me lots of ideas – thanks for helping spur the creative juices. Have a great weekend!

Trackbacks

  1. Setting Thesaurus Entry Collection | WRITERS HELPING WRITERSWRITERS HELPING WRITERS says:
    May 14, 2014 at 3:56 pm

    […] City Park […]

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...