 Action/Adventure: August 08, 2007 Issue [#1873] |
  Action/Adventure
This week: Edited by: trose
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This week’s newsletter is going to cover writing vivid descriptions. The devil is always in the details and of course in the business of writing descriptive, clear tales are those that are most enjoyable.
“Color contributes to beauty, but it is not beauty. Color should have a minor part in the consideration of beauty, because it is not [color] but the structure that constitutes its essence.” - Johann Joachim Winkelmann
“You use a glass mirror to see your face; you use works of art to see your soul.” - George Bernard Shaw |
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Writing Vivid Descriptions
A clear, vivid description makes a story come to life for the reader. Descriptions that are solid and specific can paint a more memorable image for your readers that will keep them coming back again and again to your work.
Choose your words carefully when describing something as your tell your tale so that you allow your reader to use all of their senses. You want to invoke more than the imagination with your words, you want to make your reader feel what you’ve written as well.
Here are a few tips on writing vivid descriptions that may assist you in honing your talent for making your readers feel, sense, and imagine all that you want to convey in your writing.
 Try to avoid using abstract and general terms in your writing. Don’t just say, “ The man is handsome.” Instead, describe how handsome he is; write about his most appealing features, his smile, etc. Again, details are what really set a story to life in the reader’s mind.
When using description always remember you aren’t just working with the sense of sight. Be sure to stimulate your reader’s other senses - sound, touch, taste, and scent. You can do this effectively through your descriptions without taking away from the idea of your tale.
But remember, you don’t want to just say something like, “The air was cold.” A more memorable line would be:
“The night air was bitterly cold, with the wind whipping around him, opposed to his progress along the street, stinging his cheeks and bringing tears to rim his eyes, blurring his vision.”
You can use the descriptive device of comparison and contrast. Compare or contrast something strange or foreign with something your reader is familiar with. For example, “A talmouse tastes like cheesecake but it’s less sweet and more tart.”
Another thing you can do to bring more description to your tale is to give ‘life’ to inanimate objects, animals, or even abstracts. By this I mean give them human characteristics.
Also consider using fresh words for your descriptions. Don’t write, “They walked slowly down the street.” Exactly how slow did they walk? Did they trudge with determination? Did they slink along like thieves in the night? You decide!
Now you have a go at description. Turn these bland sentences into sentences that reek with descriptive words. Make your readers taste, feel, see, hear, or smell them just by reading what you’ve written. You don’t have to send these to me, but you can if you like. I always look forward to hearing from you!
 The music began.
 A woman walked slowly.
 A car went by.
 The pie was sweet.
 His hands were rough.
Now it is all in your very capable hands my treasured WDC readers and fellow writers. I hope you are able to take this information and improve upon your descriptive skills so that your readers sit poised on the edges of their seats as they read the words you’ve penned. Until next time…
trose
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Have you read any great action/adventure tales lately that you'd like to share with me? Did you find a great contest that includes action and adventure? If so, drop me a line and send me the link!
WDC Member Feedback & Questions
esprit  Trose, excellent newsletter! Even those who call themselves readers/reviewers only, would do well to study these points. It's very clear, concise and informative. Thank you!
likenion Awesome newsletter! I will have some hard time to actually catch when what element of these I am using, but still it was extremely helpful! Bravo! Keep up the good work!
SilverGryphon This was interesting, and a hard topic to cover. You did it pretty well, but it could have done with examples. You can say that there is a negative tone that ruins a genre, but without an example, that can end up being all in the writer's mind. They can think "well, this isn't negative because I say it isn't negative. they haven't SEEN me negative."
Otherwise, I think this was a great newsletter, but the lack of examples made a hands-on learner like myself wonder at what all those words meant...
Starr Phenix  Excellent article with excellent advice! Tone, focus, and pace are crucial to a well written story. I particularly loved your quote that without a point of view, you cannot make a point. So true!
dejavu_BIG computerprobs Hi TRose, an excellent follow-up to the last edition. This was very timely information for me, full of great information on the three things I find I have to work hardest to keep in my stories.
Thanks for a wonderful wealth of information.
SM Ferguson |
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