SETTING THESAURUS

DESERT



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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:
A sand and rock landscape
Cacti (tall saguaros, barrel, prickly pear, etc.)
Acacia trees
Mesquite bushes and desert broom
Bright green aloe spears
Withered trees and stunted bushes
Thorny shrubs
Thick-stemmed yellow and green grass
Vibrant desert blooms (yellow, pink, and white) after rainfall
Dying cacti riddled with bullet holes
Tumbleweeds
Dust devils
Rolling foothills
Riverbeds and ravines
Crumbling rock
Sandstone
Vast canyons
Wind-worn rock formations
Flash floods cascading from the mountains
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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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