Description

The WG Editors Thoughts: Description

So, every now and then, the WG editors will each collaboratively post their thoughts regarding an aspect of writing. We won't be giving any pointers or tutorials, but perhaps a paragraph or two regarding their thoughts on good ways to do it, or perhaps how they do it.

Isaiah

Description is the most descriptive part of writing, if it's done correctly. There are several things you can do that will help you describe things in your story. A common way is to talk about the way it interacts with your 5 senses (what does it sound like, feel like, look like, smell like, taste like?). Another way is to come up with as many adjectives as you can that describe what you're writing about. You should definitely incorporate colors as adjectives. It's also a huge help to visualize what you're describing. Let's use a tree as an example. Don't just think "trees are tall and green with brown bark", you have to really visualize the finer details. The way some of the bark is ripped up, how the veins on the leaves are slightly crooked, the way it bulges near the center, like a planet, etc.


Warden


Descriptions... Dangerous in wrong hands, disastrous when gotten wrong and just magical when used well. Some call it the butter of the story sandwich; with plot being the bread and emotions the topping. Without the butter it's not half as good, while without the topping it's still edible. But for whatever is said about that part of writing, it's indisputable that it's one of the most crucial parts of any story - for without description... What would you be writing?


Ever

Description. One of the most important things in writing a book. If you do not have description in your story then all you have is a buch of words that are nothing but blurs when you try to imagine the scene behind them.

There is one thing that I have been told by others, mostly PF, and learned to do and that is, when describing a place or person you must put yourself in the place of your character. Feel and see what your character feels. Imagine every detail of your characters surrounding, then put into words.

Example.

"Sam sat upon her homes roof, with her arms wrapped around her kness and her head resting on her shin. Her black hair swirled all around her peaceful looking face as the wind blew through the land. Her sea blue eyes looked around the vast green woodsy land around her and the endless blue sky above her."

Also, you can use other objects to describ something, such as what I did above ^ with the color of Sam's
eyes. (Her sea blue eyes looked around).



Jsquared

Description is a really tricky subject. If you're too superfluous, then you bore your reader. If you lack in it, than either your reader does not know what is going on, must picture what is going on using their own imagination, and/or your flow will be hindered. In addition, the work will feel rushed. When you are explaining something, do not say what it is. Describe its characteristics until the reader knows what it is, who it is, what they look like or what was done.

Think of it like this. In a fight scene, writers do not go into grotesque details of what the fighters see as they hack and slash through. Why? Because then the reader is going to be grossed out and not want to read. We do not want to know about the entrails that began to fall out of a dude that just had his stomach slashed open. You will alienate some of your readers as well. The same thing goes for all description, just replaced grossed out, with perhaps bored to death in some cases.

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The WG editor's thoughts will be in sync with the articles of the blog, whichever topic they decide to post, the WG editors will add in their thoughts to. Though, if we see something in WD that a lot of people want to see, then we will look at that as well. One of the editors, Angelic Ninja, could not be reached for comment.