Setting Thesaurus Entry: Old Abandoned Mine

For a reader to relate to the story’s action, they need a physical anchor to tie the characters to. But it can be difficult, finding the right words to convey a sense of place.

Settings come alive through description, and the right details can evoke emotion, drawing readers in. The following entry contains samples of the sights, smells, tastes, sounds, and textures associated with this location so you can weave them into your storytelling, thereby deepening the reader’s sensory experience.

Abandoned Mine

SIGHTS: Rough rock walls, thick cracked support beams (along sides & roof) every few meters down the shaft, dust, rick crumbles, dirt, debris blown in from outside (twigs, leaves, paper garbage/fliers), old broken pick handles, bits of chain, rusted nails/screws, old rails for carts, a rusted out/broken handcart, a forgotten hazard cone, broken or smashed in lunch box, pools of standing water, flooded areas…

SIGHTS: Echoes, boots on rock, accidentally kicking loose stone, creaking, shifting timber, dripping water, amplified sounds from outside through the rock (trucks driving by, construction, etc), heavier breathing…

SMELLS: Stale, moist air, cold stone, must, mildew, scummy standing water, sweat, dust (noxious gases: many mines have stores of gasses like Carbon monoxide or radon gas which do not have a smell…

TASTES: The tang of cold rock, saliva, sweat, grit in teeth

TOUCH: Cold, slippery rock, dry, rough work gloves rubbing against fingers, back pain from bent back to maneuver through the tight spaces, smacking head on a low ceiling, bashing/scraping knees as you crawl through low tunnels, the slip of perspiration down the back of the neck, skinning knuckles on rock…

Helpful Hints

The words you choose can convey atmosphere and mood.

Example 1: Janet handed me her flashlight as she pulled back the rotting plywood covering the shaft. The wood splintered as she chucked it into the dead scrub nearby, leaving a yawning black hole. I swung the beam toward it but the light barely pierced the gloom. This had been my idea, but suddenly my brain was filled with thoughts of homework and tests to study for. I glanced at Janet, who crossed her arms and gave me a knowing smirk. “You going first, or am I?”…

Similes and metaphors create strong imagery when used sparingly.

Example 1: (Metaphor) I secured the straps on the heavy, over sized miner’s hat for the tour but it was no use…I’d have an easier time juggling a brick on my head….

Other Setting Thesaurus entries can be found here.

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

This sample, along with the rest of the setting entries, has been expanded into a 2-book set. Together, the bestselling URBAN SETTING THESAURUS and RURAL SETTING THESAURUS volumes contain over 200 settings for you to choose from when creating memorable, compelling characters.

Each entry contains multi-sensory cues associated with the location, conflict options commonly found in the environment, instructive information on how to avoid setting-related infodumps, and examples of well-written descriptions that can reinforce emotion, characterize, foreshadow future events, and more.

For more information on this bestselling set of books and where they can be found, please visit our bookstore.