SETTING THESAURUS

URBAN ROOFTOP



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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:
Painted metal rooftop air conditioning units/HVAC system
Ducts and vents (weather worn, dull, rusty at the edges)
A heavy, self-sealing door leading into the building
Pebbled gravel or cement with tufts of weeds growing in clumps
Water pools after a rainfall
Exhaust blooms from roof vents
Roof railings or a cement ledge
Exterior ladder that leads to a higher rooftop or lower level
Stained, cracked concrete
Mold blooms
Dirt and dust
Bird poop
Crumbling chimneys
A rooftop water tower
Generator
Rusted pipes, cords, and hoses
Solar panels
Small communal space if accessed by residents (possibly a rooftop patio area with loungers and chairs, a BBQ area, potted plants, strung patio lights, raised communal garden beds, watering can, laundry lines)
Birds perching on posts, stacks, or a railing
A locked storage shed
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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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