The Essential Elements of Description

These are the most important elements to remember when it comes to description:

• The reader needs description to paint the picture of a location or scene in their head, but too much bogs down the story, slows the pace and detracts from the forward movement of the plot.
• It’s essential to describe your characters as soon as possible after they’re introduced. But, don’t over describe them – let the reader fill in their own details, this enables them to cement a picture of the character in their mind.
• Use the five senses as much as possible, think about what your character can hear, see, smell. Think about touch and taste. Don’t use too many senses in each scene, but use them to paint a real, tangible picture.
• Use colour well.
• Practise writing description – e.g. describe characters whose pictures you have found in magazines, or describe a room you’ve visited.
• Don’t overdo description – remember the join-the-dots rule – let the reader fill in some detail for themselves.
• Metaphors can be very powerful in description, evoking a mood or theme that runs through your story. Don’t forget, if you’ve heard it before it’s a cliché – to be avoided at all costs – you are a writer, be creative, come up with your own metaphors and similes.
• Use description to develop mood – a stormy day, a bright white apartment.
• Tie description to action to show the reader rather than tell them what is happening.
• Be aware of what you can assume the reader knows (e.g. the shape of a newspaper), and what they don’t know.
• Quirky details are good – they stand out in the reader’s mind. Do your research and build on a small detail to inform the reader about your characters and locations.

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