This review provides my evaluation of The Urban Settings Thesaurus and the The Rural Settings Thesaurus.

Puglisi and Ackerman have published eight thesauri for use by writers. Each begins with an informative introduction of 60-100 pages. Abraham Maslow’s Hierarchy of Human Needs, described in the introductory text and appendices, is the theoretical framework underlying the content, but it is not central in these two volumes. Aside from this front material, these thesauri are technical references to consult when addressing particular needs.

The thesis of these thesauri is the setting is an integral part of every scene in every story. Settings have emotional values that can function as a vehicle for steering the story. The setting can provide tests the character must pass or downtime for reflection and recovery. If a setting is important enough to be part of a scene, it should also have a specific identity.

The book provides an alphabetically ordered list of more than 100 settings found in rural (or urban) locations. The topics covered include the sights, sounds, smells, tastes, textures, people commonly found, related settings, and the resulting effects of the setting.

These thesauri function best as references to consult when looking for help or inspiration in describing a setting. ( )

Good riddance to boring, one-dimensional story settings…

Creating compelling, believable settings is one of the most overlooked yet vital components of storytelling. Too little can make your story feel flat; too much can overwhelm and frustrate readers—either can potentially pull them out of the story or cause them to stop turning pages altogether.

The Urban Setting Thesaurus is part reference guide, part writing tool for developing rich city settings that will add depth to both your backstory and characters. Using strong settings to reveal these layers helps readers form an emotional bond with your characters—giving them someone to root for—and makes them feel as though they are part of the ride…all the way to “The End.”

As with the other books in the series*, The Urban Setting Thesaurus offers a comprehensive, but easy to understand format and when you open the book, you quickly see that a great deal of thought has gone into the layout, which starts with a common misconception about setting and moves into other discussions, including using setting as a vehicle for characterization and backstory, where to implement setting, utilizing sensory details, pros/cons of choosing real world settings and common setting snags. I recommend reading these sections before proceeding to the thesaurus entries, as they serve as a fantastic springboard for getting you into the setting mindset.

The entries themselves are vast—and I mean VAST—covering a variety of locations you might find in your story’s urban setting:

In the city—construction sites, elevators, fitness centers, parking garages/lots, waiting rooms, etc.
Restaurants—coffeehouses (a writer’s favorite), diners, delis, pubs, etc.
Retail stores—bookstores, convenience stores, shopping malls, pawn shops, etc.
Sports, Entertainment & Art Venues—art galleries, bowling alleys, movie theaters, museums, etc.
Transportation—airplanes, buses, taxis, etc.

If these weren’t enough to get your creative juices flowing, the thesaurus entries are followed by a couple of cool resources: an Emotional Value Tool and a Setting Checklist!

The Urban Setting Thesaurus is another fantastic addition to the Thesaurus collection—which are the only writing craft books I have in BOTH print and .pdf versions! Having said that, if you are looking for books that will enhance and improve your writing—whether you are a student, a newbie writer or a seasoned pro—these books are a must have!

Happy writing!

* The Positive Trait Thesaurus, The Negative Trait Thesaurus, The Emotion Thesaurus, The Rural Setting Thesaurus ( )