WEATHER AND EARTHLY PHENOMENON THESAURUS

SUNSET



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HELPFUL TIP:

Don’t be afraid to pair weather conditions with your setting choice to contrast or reinforce a character’s emotions. Hopelessness might be mirrored in the relentless drizzle of rain and the resulting heavy drag of one’s clothes; alternatively, this feeling can stand out in stark contrast to sunlight dancing over fresh snow. Can weather also provide symbolism, thereby enriching the reader’s experience? Think about your goal for the scene and the mood you are trying to create, and then layer your description with meaningful choices.
SIGHTS:
The sun's hue dimming from bright yellow to a deeper gold as it sinks below the horizon
The sky shifting to deeper pinks, purples, and oranges
Clouds lit from below picking up the colors of the sky
Shadows that lengthen and build
Trees
Structures and the landscape becoming silhouetted
Dust in the air growing visible as the light quality changes to a richer hue
Reflective surfaces (water, glass panes, lakes, the ocean) mirroring the sky 
Shiny surfaces glowing with light
Animals beginning to settle down for the night (roosting in trees, etc.)
Skin and hair picking up a shimmer of light

SMELLS:
No smells are directly associated with sunset. However, as the temperature cools, certain smells lessen: day-blooming flowers, pollution, spoiling garbage in bins, soil, grass, etc. Night-blooming flowers, if present, will release their scent into the air.

TASTES:
While the sunset doesn't create specific tastes, it signals dinnertime for many people, so these meals may be associated with the sun's setting.

TEXTURES AND SENSATIONS:
Squinting at the brightness
Holding a hand up to block the power of direct light while being able to observe the beauty of the colorful sky
Closing one's eyes to soak up the last rays
Rubbing one's bare arms as the skin cools and goose bumps form

SOUNDS:
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REINFORCING A MOOD:
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SYMBOLISM:
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COMMON CLICHÉS:
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WEATHER NOTES:
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SCENARIOS FOR ADDING CONFLICT OR TENSION:
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