Your Guide to Writing the Perfect Story

Writing Effective Descriptions

Okay, so at this point in the game I've basically beat the point to death that you need narration as well as dialogue. Now, a lot of narration is just, well, your character narrating what is going on. Part of that, however, is your character describing what they see, hear, smell, etc. In a story, you need to know how to describe things well. I'm going to provide you with some tips but it is up to you to actually figure it out on your own, using my tips.

Tip #1:

Before choosing how to describe something, you must consider what to describe in the first place. If you aren't selective in what you find important to describe, your story will become boring. Often times, people didn't plan out enough to happen in a chapter but they are aiming for a certain amount of words so they just describe random, unimportant things to get there. Let me tell you something; it will always be more effective to not describe something boring than to describe it in the hopes it will fill the pages. 

Now, let's move back to what I was saying. I can tell you to be selective but I can't tell you how and that is why this is only a tip. What you believe to be necessary or important is your judgement and only yours because when it comes down to it, the author controls the story. I'd suggest describing very interesting sceneries to set mood or because you need to know what it looks like. Try to leave out your character's daily routine or what their outfit looks like, unless it's for a masquerade ball or something out of the ordinary. 

Tip #2:

Next up, avoid repetition and paraphrasing. First of all, your readers don't need to hear the same thing said twice, even if it does sound different. We're pretty smart but we get bored if you insult our intelligence so get on with the story, please. So basically just try to avoid saying the same thing twice.

However, if you do have to repeat something, make sure that you do not say it in the same way. Find synonyms for the word to ward off repetition. Or you can paraphrase, but like I said, try not to! This isn't an English essay where you have to write about the same thing for an hour and a half. The same point doesn't need to be repeated until our eyes roll back into our heads.

Tip #3:

So the time has come where you've hit a wall. Yes, it's the horrible condition of *gasp* writer's block! But what can you do? You just don't know where to begin in describing something. 

And this is where I come in. My tip for you today is to completely take what you are trying to describe out of context of the story. If it's a character, remove her name. Then just try and describe the first things that come to mind. Don't worry about it making sense in the story; just write. Keep writing until you are all out of creativity. Then you can cut down on it, making adjustments so that it fits into the story and removing what you don't want or need. 

Tip #4: 

I've talked about the main types of figurative language -- now you need to try and use it. People absolutely drool over figurative language and analogies. Try and incorporate as many as you can without making it seem too crowded. It will create some very vivid imagery and help readers appreciate your skill. Figurative language is always a good idea. Don't let any one else tell you otherwise. 

Tip #5:

Next up is vocabulary. I'm not saying you need to read a thesaurus or dictionary in your free time or anything, but try to broaden your vocabulary as much as possible. This means searching up definitions for words you hear that you don't understand, reading more books, and paying special attention to how others talk. That way, when you are writing your descriptions finding good words to you will come easier. Especially venture out of the teen section if that's where you generally spend your time because the adult books tend to have a more vast vocabulary.