Descriptions (Key to Good Writing)

[[deleted user]]

I'm okay at descriptions, but I have the same problem as Lav: I have such a strong image in my head that I forget that not everyone else can see it.

[Clarence :P]

I usually just picture the event, or the feeling, and then try to describe it. I try to use figuritive language, metaphors, similes, you know. Also, I like using the thesarous to find a word that's describing the mood then base it off of that word. If that makes any sense??

[Isaac]

Leslie Noel (Lavendarlol) wrote: "Description is what I'm worst at. I'm not necessarily bad at writing descriptions, I just don't do it enough. I can see it in my head, so I forget that everyone else can't."

DDDIIITTTTTTOOO.

[Annemarie, hi]

Ellen ♥ wrote: "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..."

This is from a long time ago but anyways, I totally agree with you! That Blue Bloods book was so annoying. They described her clothes wayyy too much. Yuck.
I didn't like that book.

[Tesssss cool story broo]

i know what u mean! like at 12:42 am I sat up and hit my head on my shelf. The pain seared throw my left eyebrow, and coursed along the top of my head. It turned red, then little scarlet droplets of blood appeared. i breifly thought about getting a bandaid, but the thought left me as I noticed my door slightly ajar. but muuuuuuch wooooooorse it can be really boring to read a book like that!

[Maria [the clockwork creeps on useless lives], Butts butts]

I think it's bad to be too specific. Well not bad, but annoying.

[Isaac]

MariaCrazyChrysanthe wrote: "I think it's bad to be too specific. Well not bad, but annoying."

Thank you, Maria, for saving my describing life. I thought my writing was horrible because I wasn't specific enough.

Indecisive Dayna wrote: "I have never read Blue Bloods."

Never even heard of them. :\

[Maria [the clockwork creeps on useless lives], Butts butts]

Well if you describe every little thing, it gets boring.although I for thought am not specific enough

[Isaac]

MariaCrazyChrysanthe wrote: "Well if you describe every little thing, it gets boring.although I for thought am not specific enough"

*no comment*

[Maria [the clockwork creeps on useless lives], Butts butts]

Then why comment?

[Maria [the clockwork creeps on useless lives], Butts butts]

Lol you confuse me

[Isaac]

I confuse everyone. ;-)

[Maria [the clockwork creeps on useless lives], Butts butts]

Haha confusion is the basis of answers

[Isaac]

Because I am the answer to the world.

[kero]

i hate reading and writing descriptions. Dialogue is where I shine

[Maria [the clockwork creeps on useless lives], Butts butts]

Ugh I hate dialogue. To read, not write. I just don't think it's the best way to show off writing skills, but it helps make round charries

[[deleted user]]

I like dialogue because I'm a "show, not tell" freak. It's a good way to give exposition without having an info-dump where the author just rambles about the past for seven pages - not that anyone here does that, and that was an exaggeration. Forgive me. =]

[Maria [the clockwork creeps on useless lives], Butts butts]

hehe I ramble, but when I edit I cut some of it out. I often show with scenes from the main characters eyes.

[[deleted user]]

I know what you mean. On the other hand, it's irritating to see two or three pages with dialogue alone and no narration. Either way, someone's going to be annoyed. *cough*probablyme*cough*

I'm hyper.

[Maria [the clockwork creeps on useless lives], Butts butts]

I know, I try to split it up with some dialogue. But I have two whole pages of dialogue for one of my stories :P ergghhh I know how to spell dialogue auto correct! stop tellling me it's wrong!

[[deleted user]]

I hate that! Or when it thinks your character's name is an error.

I'm getting a little better at descriptions lately. Yaaaaaay.

[Krys]

I really think it kind of depends on the author. Some are innate at describing things, sometimes in a manner that comes across as unique and un-boring whereas other's tend to be capable of showing their talent with dilogue. Any book needs a fairly equal balance of both.

I personally, adore any type of description. So long as it doesn't suck horribly... Mm. I can read pages and pages of it and it's my favorite thing to write.

[[deleted user]]

Kriss, your descriptions are epic. =] There are some authors who can get away with page after page of descriptions - in Les Mis, an entire page (in small print) is spent describing Fantine's appearance alone.

[Maria [the clockwork creeps on useless lives], Butts butts]

I agree with Kriss and Maxy's opinion about Kriss's writing. I think that a book with barely any dialogue can get terribly boring

[Isaac]

Maxy wrote: "I know what you mean. On the other hand, it's irritating to see two or three pages with dialogue alone and no narration. Either way, someone's going to be annoyed. *cough*probablyme*cough*

I'm h..."

I just hate it when the dialouge goes on forever and you finally lose track of who's talking or they put a pause in between and doesn't tell you who starts talking again.

[Maria [the clockwork creeps on useless lives], Butts butts]

I had that problem sometimes with Harry Potter

[Isaac]

MariaCrazyChrysanthe wrote: "I had that problem sometimes with Harry Potter"

I had that problem with Twilight.

[[deleted user]]

Emily, Zepikness Saviour of the Muffins wrote: "Maxy wrote: "I know what you mean. On the other hand, it's irritating to see two or three pages with dialogue alone and no narration. Either way, someone's going to be annoyed. *cough*probablyme*co..."

Me too. I love Jane Eyre, but that happens a lot in the book, wonderful as it is. Sometimes I have to put my finger on the page and mumble "Rochester, now Jane, Rochester again, Jane," etc.

[Maria [the clockwork creeps on useless lives], Butts butts]

I still absolutely live HP though. And I had a problem with everything in Tw!l!ght

[Isaac]

MariaCrazyChrysanthe wrote: "I still absolutely live HP though. And I had a problem with everything in Tw!l!ght"

Wait, I thought you loved that book?

[Maria [the clockwork creeps on useless lives], Butts butts]

What book? Tw!l!ght? If sonyou have very low expectations of me young lady

[Maria [the clockwork creeps on useless lives], Butts butts]

What book? Tw!l!ght? If sonyou have very low expectations of me young lady

[Isaac]

MariaCrazyChrysanthe wrote: "What book? Tw!l!ght? If sonyou have very low expectations of me young lady"

Oh, it must've been someone else....

[Maria [the clockwork creeps on useless lives], Butts butts]

Darn tootin right it was!!! Grrrr... Hehe sorry I'm keeping my language clean

[Jordan, The Picture Magician (aka Probie)]

Maxy wrote: "I like dialogue because I'm a "show, not tell" freak. It's a good way to give exposition without having an info-dump where the author just rambles about the past for seven pages - not that anyone h..."

*cough*stephaniemeyer*cough*

[[deleted user]]

Emily, Zepikness Saviour of the Muffins wrote: "
I just hate it when the dialouge goes on forever and you finally lose track of who's talking or they put a pause in between and doesn't tell you who starts talking again. "

Ugh, I hate that. It's really not that hard to put in "______ said"

[Maria [the clockwork creeps on useless lives], Butts butts]

Jordan wrote: "Maxy wrote: "I like dialogue because I'm a "show, not tell" freak. It's a good way to give exposition without having an info-dump where the author just rambles about the past for seven pages - not ..."

lol. I love any hits on stephanie meyer. I'm just a nice person that way

[Isaac]

Cara wrote: "Emily, Zepikness Saviour of the Muffins wrote: "
I just hate it when the dialouge goes on forever and you finally lose track of who's talking or they put a pause in between and doesn't tell you who..."

I KNOW, SERIOUSLY.

[Krys]

Maxy wrote: "Kriss, your descriptions are epic. =] There are some authors who can get away with page after page of descriptions - in Les Mis, an entire page (in small print) is spent describing Fantine's appear..."

Thank you ;)

[Maria [the clockwork creeps on useless lives], Butts butts]

I love good long descriptions by talented writers that can pull it off, but not long drawn out boring ones by writers who can't.

[Krys]

MariaCrazyChrysanthe wrote: "I love good long descriptions by talented writers that can pull it off, but not long drawn out boring ones by writers who can't."

Agreed.

[Sonya]

When I write descriptions I really try to sink into, to engulf myself into my work. I just lie there on my bed staring. Im not waiting. Im not even thinking. Im just letting the world revolve around me. And maybe something will come.

[Elliott]

Anyone know how to creatively describe a character? Because one can only write He had blue eyes and brown hair and a really pretty chin so many times before it gets old.

[Krys]

Get in depth on the discriptions. What's the length of his hair? The texture? What color of blue are his eyes? Light blue, dark blue, cerulean, navy? Are they gemlike or skylike or waterlike? Describe more than just his chin, perchance? Maybe describe the rest of his face as well. Mouth/eyebrows/nose/cheeks/ears/forehead/ect

[Elliott]

That's really helpful. Thanks! :) I guess I should've thought of that. Using more adjectives. That's always a good thing. Haha.

[Krys]

Of course! :D And yeah... I love adjectivies and description, and I especially like describing facial characteristics of a character.

[Elliott]

I'm always at a loss for what to say. I actually don't really see faces when I read. I mean I do, but I can't distinguish characteristics out loud how I see them and when I try to conjure them up in my brain I can't but as I'm reading I guess I see them. It's really weird. Which is why it's so hard for me to describe people.

[Krys]

Yeah... Maybe relate their physical discription to somebody you know or have seen before? That could always help. And if you draw, I've always found that scetching characters chan sometimes help make their physical attributes more defined in my mind and whatnot. Another tip is to use physical characteristics you like seeing in people in real life, or things that make you interested. For examble, my character Kierlan has chin-length black hair and a single, silver tooth. I, personaly, adore black hair and the silver tooth is a blemish with a story behind it, so it interestes me more.

*rambling Kriss rambles*

[Elliott]

When Josh walks into a crowded room, conversations are put on pause, hands automatically shoot up to wave, and smiles slip onto all the girls faces. And most of the boys. His textured almost, but not quite curly hair, shines a shade of blonde that's a little dimmer than yellow, but brighter than white. Scanning the room for his favorite friends, his blue eyes twinkle, as he turns on the charm to wink at each girl. Each pretty girl, that is. His nose is the perfect size and shape, his lips aren't too big or too thin, and his eyebrows have never been bushy in his life. But if you look hard enough, you can see the tiny beginnings of a pimple, just below his chin. When he smiles, you will melt whether you want to or not, and most people never notice that one of his bottom teeth is missing. His ears stick out, but the way his hair hides it so perfectly makes it so no one ever notices. I never noticed the pimple, or the tooth, or the ears. I was so blinded by his charm and handsome features there were a lot of things I didn't notice.

(Practicing my new describing skills. What do you think?)

[Krys]

Very good, however I think it would be better to give him a few more flaws. It makes characters a bit more believable than those who are flawless. The discription is very good, though.