The Rural Setting Thesaurus: A Writer’s Guide to Personal and Natural Places (Paperback)

Did you know one of the most versatile storytelling elements is vastly underutilized by writers? Harness the power of the setting with The Rural Setting Thesaurus. Part how-to, part brainstorming tool, this resource shares expert instruction on how to do more with the setting. Describing the details of your world becomes much easier with this book's handy lists of sights, sounds, smells, tastes, and textures of 100+ natural and personal locations. 

This book will help you:

• Immerse Readers in the Story. From the earthy smells of a forest to the soft crunch of snow underfoot, this thesaurus explores rich, sensory details that can transport readers into the heart of each scene.
• Add Depth and Mood. Your setting is more than a physical place. Learn how to use elements like the weather to mirror your characters’ emotions and struggles, sow tension, and reinforce themes.
• Generate Realistic Conflict in Natural and Personal Locations. Problems and threats can come from anywhere—through a breach of privacy, unpredictable weather, or rough terrain. This book's recommendations of location-specific complications can help you generate tension and push characters to their limits.
• Use the Setting to Shape the Plot. Settings can serve as physical obstacles, sources of solace, or hiding places for dangerous adversaries. Discover how to use the setting to support the plot rather than pull attention from it. 
  
• Utilize Figurative Language for Powerful, Layered Descriptions. Repurpose descriptive details as metaphors that add layers of meaning and stir the reader's emotions.

Note: This guide has a sister volume (The Urban Setting Thesaurus) that covers city locations. Each book can be used independently, but reader reviews indicate that the two together increase the writer's knowledge of settings and give them a more complete collection of locations to choose from.

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View the list of rural setting locations in this book
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Looking for the digital version? This book is also available as a PDF and ebook.