SETTING THESAURUS

DINER



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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 whiteboard with daily specials written on it
Booths nestled against the walls
Smudged windows with a view of the street or parking lot
Tables holding a selection of condiments (salt and pepper shakers, ketchup and mustard bottles, sweetener packets)
Scratched tabletops with chips around the edges and gum stuck to the underside
Salt scattered over tabletops and floors
Dull metal cutlery
Forks with slightly bent tines
Plain white dishes
Laminated menus featuring staple diner foods (bacon and eggs, pancakes, burgers and fries, meat loaf, grilled cheese, patty melts, shakes, etc.)
A long counter with spaced-out stools
Fruit and meringue pies displayed under glass domes
A cash register
A tip jar
Fry cooks wearing stained white aprons
A checkered tile floor
Dingy curtains or dusty blinds
Hard-looking waitresses delivering gravy-laden food or baskets of fries
A waitress pouring coffee and jotting down orders
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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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