SETTING THESAURUS

BIG CITY STREET



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HELPFUL TIP:

Settings should always be chosen with care. Consider the emotion you want your viewpoint character to feel and how setting choices, weather elements, and symbolism might build a specific mood in the scene, create tension and conflict, or even raise the stakes.
SIGHTS:
Multi-lane traffic (honking cars, taxi cabs, delivery vans, police cars and emergency vehicles, bicycle messengers, motorcycles, road construction vehicles)
Stoplights and sidewalks packed with pedestrians
Dented trash cans
Panhandlers and bottle collectors
Storefronts with security shutters
Colorful graffiti
Trash and cigarette butts on the ground and in gutters
Cars parked in every available space
Meters and meter monitors
City buses and bus stops crowded with passengers
Doormen in uniforms opening doors and assisting patrons to and from buildings
Fire hydrants, air vent grating, manhole covers, and cracked sidewalks
Cab stands
Light poles and electricity transformers papered with flyers for special events, ads, and gatherings
Dusty store awnings
Chain coffeehouses, stores, and fast food providers
Upscale businesses and specialty stores
Food trucks and cart vendors
Narrow alleyways
Buskers entertaining people as they pass by
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SOUNDS:
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SMELLS:
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TASTES:
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TEXTURES AND SENSATIONS:
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POSSIBLE SOURCES OF CONFLICT:
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PEOPLE COMMONLY FOUND IN THIS SETTING:
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SETTING NOTES AND TIPS:
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SETTING DESCRIPTION EXAMPLE:
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TECHNIQUES AND DEVICES USED:
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DESCRIPTIVE EFFECTS:
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