WRITERS HELPING WRITERS®

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Setting Thesaurus

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Below are samples of our popular setting thesaurus.

For the completely developed and enhanced collection (over 220 settings included), please visit One Stop For Writers, where it has a permanent home within our vast Descriptive Database. You can access it and all our other thesauruses with a click of a button as you write! If you like, stop by and check out our FREE TRIAL.

If you are a book person, good news: The Rural Setting Thesaurus and The Urban Setting Thesaurus also contain all of this setting description. For more information on these publications, see our Bookstore page.

What is a Setting Description Thesaurus?

Visit our other Descriptive Thesaurus Collections HERE.

*GE*: Guest Entry (an entry written by a guest poster)

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  2. Andrea Oregon says

    I would be the first to grab a copy if there was a Fantasy and SciFi/Dystopian Setting Thesaurus

  3. Rachel L Harris says

    Hi girls! Love your sites, own all your books, and have a subscription to One Stop 😉 One thing I didn’t see but was looking for was a dance studio. For my purposes it was a ballroom dance studio, but ballet could’ve worked, too. Thought I’d mention it in case you were looking for any new ideas

    Thanks for all you do!!
    xoxo

    • ANGELA ACKERMAN says

      Rachel, you are so sweet–thank you for the kind words, and for joining One Stop! I hope you are finding all our resources there helpful. 🙂

      You’re right, we don’t have Dance Studio, and that might be a good one to do. Do me a favor and add it to the Wish List? (That’s how we keep track of new Thesaurus requests.) Here’s the link: https://onestopforwriters.com/os_updates

  5. Charity Talbot says

    Love you guys for all these! They have been super helpful! I’m trying to paint the picture of how things are in a medieval military camp. Would this be on the list in the future? If not, what lists do you guys recommend using to get the right atmosphere? 🙂

    • BECCA PUGLISI says

      Hi, Charity. We do have a few medieval settings in the thesaurus at One Stop For Writers: castle, armory, tavern, dungeon, gallows, and herbalist’s shop. We don’t have a military camp on our list currently, but I can add it to the hopper and we’ll see what happens. Off the top of my head, I think it might be too broad for us to cover. We have so many possible entries that we could write; many times, the decision comes down to how much research an entry would require and how many other similar entries we already have. But Angela and I can discuss it. I’ll let you know :).

      As far as research goes, your best bet is to do some Google searches. I found a ton of information online when I was writing the Medieval Castle entry, so between the internet and the library, I’m sure you could find the info you need on a military camp. Best of luck!

  6. Sid says

    I’ve been trying to write about an underwater expedition, but i’m unable to.
    Since, I never experienced it. So can you Guys help me Out. 🙂

  7. Lee says

    Hi,

    I’ve been using this website for years now. It is a treasure!

    A tip for a new entry many would find useful:

    Christmas marketplace (based perhaps on German cities)

  8. Josh says

    Hello! I was wondering if you had anything for a cobbled street or old stone buildings? Thank you!

  10. Mark says

    Do you have anything on the website for a police station? I’m sure some of the stuff for other offices might translate, but the police station would have interrogation rooms, evidence counters, ect.

    Or will that be in the book that is coming out sometime in the future?

  11. Evie Jayne says

    This is fantastic. Angela. For a long time I’ve been saying that a writer’s setting database would be such a good thing, but have no idea how to go about it. Thanks heaps for this. I have it in my bookmarks and pop it up each time I sit down to write. I live in a tiny town(population 350) and write urban fantasy set in large cities, so I don’t write what I know.
    I’d love to see a database on places around the world eg: What does New York smell like, what would I be likely to see walking down the street in Arusha, Tanzania, what does the heat feel like when I step off the plane in Kuala Lumpur? If anybody knew of anything like this or knew how to create it, I would be eternally grateful.

  12. Shell says

    I would love Museum on this list.
    I find your site very useful and have three of your books on my writing shelf.

    • BECCA PUGLISI says

      Hi, Shell! You’ll be happy to know that “Museum” is on our list for the book version of The Setting Thesaurus, which we’re hoping will be available for purchase in late spring. I wish it was sooner; if you can’t wait that long, I can tell you that this entry will be part of the Setting Thesaurus at One Stop For Writers, which is launching on October 7th. So you might want to check that out :).

    • ANGELA ACKERMAN says

      We stuck to mainly contemporary settings, but may do a fantasy setting list in the future. For now there is a medieval castle armory, a dungeon and a medieval marketplace all listed, so that should give you some starting point detail. 🙂

  14. Russell Baker says

    Love the work you do!! Can’t wait for more books to come out, I will be purchasing all that I can get my hands on.
    I do have some suggestions to add to the Setting Thesaurus Entry Collection –
    You could use the following:
    Laboratory or Workshop
    Tunnel
    Inn
    Tavern
    Stable

    Thanks
    Russ

    • ANGELA ACKERMAN says

      Hi Russ,

      Thanks so much! You will be happy to know that we are working on two Setting Thesaurus books with a hopeful release date of June, and I believe most of these are included in the books. 🙂 Have a terrific day!

      • Carly says

        I’m guessing you meant January 2016? I’m soooo very excited! I wish I could pre-order them now! I love your books, site, and resources. This site is wonderful! Thank you for all you do!

  15. naila says

    hi angela,
    i would like to buy your book about setting thesaurus entry, could u give me any information about this.

    • BECCA PUGLISI says

      Hi, Arden! Angela and I are drafting the book version of this thesaurus, and we’ve already added the Tropical Island entry :). So eventually, you’ll have access to that one, too. Thanks for letting us know!

  17. Celia Lewis says

    I’m wondering about the addition of “Yarn Store”… I can get lost in them for several hours… from the patterns to the fabulous yarns, commercial to local hand-dyed/woven, so many textures, sounds, sights.
    Love what I’m reading on your site – total distraction… er, education! 🙂

  18. Poppy says

    This website is so useful. I use it all the time and I’m so grateful for all the work you put into it. I have all three of your books. I was wondering whether you might consider – if it’s not too late for me to ask – doing a setting of a train/train station? Once again, thank you for all your good work.

    • BECCA PUGLISI says

      Hi, Poppy! Unfortunately, we’re all done with the setting thesaurus and won’t be adding more to it on our blog. BUT…we ARE in the process of writing the book version of the setting thesaurus, and it will include a train station. I don’t know if you can wait that long, but the books will be out next spring :).

  19. Arden Rose says

    This is a amazing website and I just received all three of your books very helpful. So I just wanted to say thanks for that. 🙂 is there any chance you could add a ‘Circus’ one? I’ve been trying to look around for it and watching some clips but honestly it’s a little difficult. If you could that would help me loads! Keep up the great work on this site it’s truly amazing.

  20. Ian Laverman says

    Hi, these thesaurus are really amazing, the are a great help when i am writing even if i write in a different language. i was wondering if youre going to make one about a castle or a ancient abandond city?

  21. Christine says

    I absolutely love this website, one of the best tools I have ever come across and so well organized. I would like to add to the list the following:
    – overgrown field (forgotten farm land) has trees lining the property lines, grass long in some places, short in others, usually a tree in the center, old wooden windmills, wooden fences. What would it smell like? How do you describe the open and closed spaces (trees and grass) with accuracy for the reader?

    Thanks!

  22. Christina Janz says

    These setting thesaurus entries, as the others, are goldmines. I would love to see these all make it into physical books, because I like to just flip open a book for these kind of references. I’ve already bought the three books you have out. Absolute genius! I’ve told all my writer friends, who have also bought your books. One look through mine convinced them. Thank you for the work that went into this endeavor.

    • BECCA PUGLISI says

      Thanks so much for letting us know that our books are working for you, Christina. And for telling your friends ;). We don’t know for sure of all of our thesauri will make it into book form. Turning them into books takes quite a bit of time, so we’re focusing first on the ones that are the most popular. But we’ll keep you posted! Thanks again for the kinds words, and have a great week!

  23. Anon says

    Could you do a post about a mansion? My novel is set partly in a rich orphan’s estate, and as MC is observant, constantly bored and analytical, I need more details.

  25. Ana says

    Hey guys, I want to thank you for helping writers better themselves, and ask you if in the Setting Thesaurus Collection you could add “art gallery”. I’ve never been to one, but have seen them in the movies and tv, I’d like to know what else is going on besides what they show on tv. Thank you!

    • BECCA PUGLISI says

      Hi, Ana! I’m so glad you’re finding the setting thesaurus useful. It’s one that I consult often. We’re keeping a list of additional settings in case we do ever add to this list. We’ll definitely keep “art gallery” in mind :).

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