Guide to Writing

Writing Tip 13: Effective Description

Chapter Written by AliciaM21 

When using details, you don't want to be vague - the reader won't be able to picture the scene. So try to use as much details as possible. This goes for thoughts, emotions, scenery, actions and reactions.

When you're writing thoughts and emotions you want to be very detailed, especially in first person. You want to get inside your character's mind; pull out everything and write what they feel, what they think. Try to use similes and metaphors to help you paint a better picture, making it more visible to see as a reader. What you can also do is have your characters debate with themselves. Have them ask themselves questions to get their mind going and keep them thinking.

Again, make sure it isn't vague. It's better to say something like: "My heart is in shambles; it feels like it's sinking into my stomach so it can digest it and leave me broken, lifeless. I need a heart to live, but how can I when it's torn apart?" than "I'm sad."

For scenery, actions, and reactions, try to think about the five senses: smell, taste, touch, sight and sound. When you're writing, try to think about how your character experiences the five senses. For instance, if they walked the streets of a busy city, what do you think they'll hear? All types of things. From cars passing by, cars honking, people talking, walking, maybe even fighting. Also think about other things they'll hear, see, and smell.

Try to avoid repetition. This is a common mistake for all types of writers for certain words or sentences. If you say your character looked at something, looked away, and then looked back, there are different ways to say that, such as the following: "She stared at the wall, searching. But when she noticed him looking, her gaze moved away. She walked around a little bit, hoping to pass the time for her to stare back again. When she knew he wasn't stalking her at that moment, her eyes gazed back at the empty wall." You're able to use synonyms to and other phrases instead of saying the same thing.

Avoid unnecessary details. These are details that do not need to be said, or details that need to be vague, such as describing clothes. Unless the clothing is important to the story (for instance, a character finding out that her prom dress was actually stolen and has real diamonds on it), it does not need to be explained in a lot of detail. This is also because it gets boring to know every single thing your character wears, so adding it in is unnecessary.

Detailing can help your book become more interesting, but you do have to be careful of what you detail. It can also be helpful by fleshing out your chapters. The more effective your description, the better your story.

What others have had to say

xFakingaSmilex "Writing effective description transports the reader from seeing words to a world."

Stephen King "Description is what makes the reader a sensory participant in the story. Good description is a learned skill, one of the prime reasons you cannot succeed unless you read a lot and write a lot. It's not just a question of how-to, you see; it's a question of how much to. Reading will help you answer how much, and only reams of writing will help you with the how. You can learn only by doing."

Ammelia11 "Description is one of the basic parts of a story - it allows us to truly be there with the reader. The point is to give enough detail so that we as readers can visualise it right there with the character. Maybe this means showing the five senses, or using similes and metaphors, but the more your readers can relate to the story, the more they'll be there in the story with the characters."

C. S. Lewis"Don't use adjectives which merely tell us how you want us to feel about the thing you are describing. I mean, instead of telling us a thing was "terrible," describe it so that we'll be terrified. Don't say it was "delightful"; make us say "delightful" when we've read the description. You see, all those words (horrifying, wonderful, hideous, exquisite) are only like saying to your readers, "Please will you do my job for me." "

AaronStone07 "One creative use of a word is more powerful than a descriptive single sentence: It will be remembered, it will be felt, and most importantly, it will be imprinted in the reader's memory much after having completed the book."

As always, thanks for reading, everyone! What are your tips on describing in a story?