Descriptions (Key to Good Writing)

[Joeanne]

They say when you are writing a story,poem, ect. That discription is what makes what ever your writing good.(Well thats what i heard from my english teacher) I would like to know what are somthings that helped you guys when i comes to discriptions??

[Ky]

songs! Songs definately help by setting a mood...

[Stephanie]

Um, I always make sure I can see what it is or what's happening in my mind- clearly. The surroundings too- at least most the time it includes the surroundings, almost always I'm sure there a few times when it doesn't.

[Baxter, butts butts butts]

I naturally just view everything I write as being in movie form, and so I just write what items would look like in said movie.

[[deleted user]]

same as baxter

[Ky]

I do that with the things I read.

when I write it helps me to picture myself (tehe) or other people I know doing these things.

It's a fun way to do it, just like casting yourself in a movie!

[Stephanie]

yeah

[Krys]

I LOVE DESCRIPTION! DESCRIPTION IS ABSOLUTLY THE FOUNDER OF ALL WRITING!!!

Now with that said, I usually make my description by setting a mood of sorts. I personally think it makes a story more realistic if you describe a persons emotions, whether it's the main characters or anothers, and so describe different sorts of expressions seen with people. I usually write my descriptions by seeing something insperational and then finding the insperation to describe it. Think of how personally an object looks to you, and put it into written words. That's how I describe thinks, hope it makes sense :P

[Ky]

You indeed are a very avid decriber!

[Krys]

Thank you :D

[Ky]

lol

[Krys]

Ah but words are a wonderful thing. There's not really a need to limit how many are used in description. It depends on the style of ones writing though I suppose.

[Stephanie]

Kriss wrote: "Ah but words are a wonderful thing. There's not really a need to limit how many are used in description. It depends on the style of ones writing though I suppose. "

true

[Krys]

Yeah. I know what you mean. It depends on the writing style :)

[Krys]

Yeah. It also kind of depends on your preferance of writing too :)

[Krys]

Yeah, I know what you mean. Some authors can't pull of writing like that... Third person can be hard to write in, expesially with the thoughts and feelings of characters.

[Krys]

Third person. I can't write well at all in first person.

[[deleted user]]

Hm...I like describing and setting moods in stories but I'm always afraid to over-due it.

I <3 your descriptions Kriss. :)

[Krys]

Haha, thanks Abbee :D

Third person is, but it's how I learned to write.

[Joeanne]

That is wonderful thank you everyone who answered. I can describe things ,but i tend to write as if its coming from a dream.
I guess i ccan try the movie thing it can't hurt i suppose.

[Jayda]

Descriptions, in my opinion, need to be quick and kept to a minimum. Otherwise the reader gets bored, like me :/ With City of Bones I just skim over all of the descriptions except the characters.

[Ky]

I usually do first person, but always have to switch views..so I started doing third person..it's fun, but I like thoughts and stuff too much..tehe

[Ellen]

I like both POV's. I'm not too fussy. But sometimes when I am writing in Third Person I get caught up, and I drift to First. So I have to watch myself! Lol.

[Krys]

I can't write in first person to save my life... Eh, so I just write in third person all the time. I noticed that I'm extreamly alone in that o.o most other people on goodreads write in first person.

[Ky]

I've been writing in Third lately..starting mostly with my NaNo..tehe

[[deleted user]]

I do my best to get a really firm picture in my head and try to use really specific adjectives. I also listen to my "Story Inspiration!" Playlist. It helps.

[Summer]

I love first person. When I don't write in first person I feel so unpersonal even though I think Of myself in first person a lot. I aslo like present tense but I'm still trying to manuver around my fumblings. Most of the time it comes out alright and I've gotten so used to writing in presnent tense that when I right in past tense I automatically got back to present when I'm really into it even if its better for the story to be in past. I try. Good writing should involve a good mix of all areas of the human life (humor, romance, depression, ect.) while focussing more on specific things. When I'm having trouble I go of and take pictures or something and just blow of steam and then come back to what I was doing.

[Mandy]

Kriss wrote: "I LOVE DESCRIPTION! DESCRIPTION IS ABSOLUTLY THE FOUNDER OF ALL WRITING!!!

Now with that said, I usually make my description by setting a mood of sorts. I personally think it makes a story more..."

YES!!! That's exactly how I feel about it!! :)

[Krys]

Hmm... Here's chapter one to Eternal Eclipse, also there is already a posted prologue an whatnot... Mind you that this is the first time I've written in first person for a story in over a year, so please tell me what you think and if my first person is alright... Anyhoo, I'd love comments and feedback on it, please :D
http://www.goodreads.com/story/show/5...

[[deleted user]]

Jayda wrote: "Descriptions, in my opinion, need to be quick and kept to a minimum. Otherwise the reader gets bored, like me :/ With City of Bones I just skim over all of the descriptions except the characters."

I agree. I like when books have descriptions, but when they get too long I often just skip over them.

[Ky]

*cough* Tw*light *cough*

[Brigid ✩, No tears in the writer, no tears in the reader.]

Jayda wrote: "Descriptions, in my opinion, need to be quick and kept to a minimum. Otherwise the reader gets bored, like me :/ With City of Bones I just skim over all of the descriptions except the characters."

gaah really?! I like Cassie Clare's descriptions. xD

[Brigid ✩, No tears in the writer, no tears in the reader.]

Summer wrote: "I love first person. When I don't write in first person I feel so unpersonal even though I think Of myself in first person a lot. I aslo like present tense but I'm still trying to manuver around my..."

Totally agree :)
I love writing in first person. Actually, I only write in first person. haha.
And I agree, the best stories are like life – many different things at once. Ironic, unpredictable, funny, depressing, romantic … etc ;D

[Audrey]

Describing too much can be really . . . annoying and pointless sometimes. Like in the Lord of the Flies, the author spends too little time talking about what Simon is doing, and then he spend like a whole page talking about what he looks like when he's dead!

[Krys]

Death appearences are awesome to describe and read; also, the author was probably trying to get some sort of point off.

[[deleted user]]

Audrey wrote: "Describing too much can be really . . . annoying and pointless sometimes. Like in the Lord of the Flies, the author spends too little time talking about what Simon is doing, and then he spend like ..."

Yes! That and his craptastic dialogue labeling made doing the worksheets nearly impossible!

[[deleted user]]

Kriss wrote: "Death appearences are awesome to describe and read; also, the author was probably trying to get some sort of point off."

True, but descriptions must be prioritized. Like, what the character is doing is a little more important than what he looks like when he's dead.

[Brigid ✩, No tears in the writer, no tears in the reader.]

Well, if he's dead then he's not doing anything. :P

[Krys]

Exactly what Brigid said. Dead people don't do anything but turn stiff and stare, I'm pretty sure at least.

[[deleted user]]

Yes. It's so obnoxious.

[[deleted user]]

hahahahahaha

[[deleted user]]

I need some new adjectives. And a thesaurus. I have no money for a thesaurus. HELP ME!

[[deleted user]]

Flabbergasted.

[Ellen]

Audrey wrote: "Describing too much can be really . . . annoying and pointless sometimes. Like in the Lord of the Flies, the author spends too little time talking about what Simon is doing, and then he spend like ..."

Ooh, I read a book just like that! Blue Bloods by Melissa de la Cruz, but instead it was all about the clothes and who is who and how 'first class' they are and all this crap. Really annoying!

[Ellen]

Kriss wrote: "Exactly what Brigid said. Dead people don't do anything but turn stiff and stare, I'm pretty sure at least."

yes and no. I mean what about their nerves? That could make them move. :P Lol.

[Ellen]

Cassie (Mallory/Skitts. I accept probie snacks) wrote: "I need some new adjectives. And a thesaurus. I have no money for a thesaurus. HELP ME!"

Me too. Usually though I just use the thesaurus on the internet at times. Lol.

[[deleted user]]

I don't always trust the internet, though...

[Ellen]

Yeah, the internet can be dodgy at times.... :/

[[deleted user]]

Yes. Yes it can.

[Ellen]

But that doesn't change the fact that I am addicted to it- and technology in general. Lol.