SIGHTS
Parked cars, striped awnings, colorful and welcoming displays in storefront windows, mom-and-pop businesses (such as a locally-owned deli, coffeehouse, a flower shop, a bakery, an ice cream parlor, etc.), personal residences on the second floor above the stores, other municipal standards (a post office, a police station, a small fire house, a library), tree-lined sidewalks, colorful flower boxes or potted plants outside shops, pedestrians strolling along and then stopping to talk to people they know, streetlights or four-way stops, single lane traffic with faded pavement markings, crosswalks, light posts with a hook for a hanging flower basket, sapling trees spaced along the sidewalk, garbage cans painted by local artists to be more appealing, turnstile parking meters, people walking their dogs or pushing strollers, kids on bikes or skateboards, cracked sidewalks, clean gutters, water bowls placed by a business’ entrance for thirsty dogs, window shoppers, someone on a lunch break sitting on a bench to people watch
SOUNDS
Cars driving past, brakes squealing or tail pipes backfiring, older trucks with chugging engines, the occasional honk of a horn, a driver calling out and waving to someone walking past, chimes ringing as doors are opened, people chatting as they walk, dogs barking or panting in the heat, leaves skittering along sidewalks, the breeze fluttering an awning, customers chatting at an outdoor table, water splattering the sidewalk as someone hoses off the plants
SMELLS
Yeasty bread browning in bakery ovens, fresh flowers, sunshine, green leaves, spices, hamburgers cooking, frying grease, car exhaust
TASTES
The sugary coldness of an ice cream cone, the bitterness of coffee, water, a slush drink from the local gas station convenience store
TEXTURES AND SENSATIONS
Uneven ground when walking over cracked sidewalks, the bumpy hardness of a brick storefront wall while leaning against it, pulling on the smooth door handle of a shop, the searing heat of sitting down on a leather car seat after it’s been parked in the hot sun, placing the arch of one’s palm against the glass store window to see inside, the tug of a dog leash during a morning walk, a metal bench that has been warmed in the sun, a cool breeze lifting one’s hair, kids skateboarding or riding scooters across bumpy sidewalk slabs, heavy bags full of purchases causing arm strain
POSSIBLE SOURCES OF CONFLICT
Intoxicated altercations near a pub or liquor store
Rivals or enemies running into one another
Small town gossip being aired
Cars parking poorly and taking up too much room
A driver cutting someone off
A pedestrian or cyclist being hit by a car
A dog slipping its leash and running into traffic
Finding a dog or baby left in a car while the owner is shopping
Experiencing a public humiliation that everyone knows about (losing an election, being arrested, getting fired)
A chain restaurant or retail store coming to town and threatening one’s small business
Being at odds with an important person who can make one’s life difficult (the mayor, the sheriff, a building inspector)
PEOPLE COMMONLY FOUND HERE
A street cleaning crew, locals, police officers, shopkeepers, tourists
RELATED SETTINGS THAT MAY TIE IN WITH THIS ONE
Antiques shop, bank, bookstore, grocery store, hair salon, hardware store, laundromat, library, parade, park, parking lot, police station
SETTING NOTES AND TIPS
Small towns often have generic mom-and-pop stores rather than big box franchises, and everyone seems to know everyone else. Criminal activity still exists (especially if the town has seasonal tourists), but infractions tend to be less serious than the ones seen in a bigger city. For the most part, locals involved in criminal activity are known to the police, and a smaller population allows those in charge to better control troublemakers.
SETTING DESCRIPTION EXAMPLE
Ten feet from The Big Grind I could tell Sarah was on shift. Not only was there a flower-filled welcome message drawn in chalk on the sandwich board outside, but soft jazz, her favorite, seeped out the propped-open door alongside the scent of fresh-roasted coffee.
Techniques and Devices Used: Multisensory descriptions
Resulting Effects: Characterization, establishing mood