Notes on Descriptive Writing

The point of description is not to recreate what the exact image that the writer sees but to invoke a reaction in the reader.

The intent might be to portray an emotion, or to give a sense of setting or character.

Too much detail with overwhelm the reader or clutter the image, and the point gets lost in the details. One or two well thought out details can accomplish more than a long string of visual information.

Use the other senses, beyond visual

• Hearing
  
  
• Touching
  
  
• Tasting
  
  
• Smelling

Always filtered through the character's perceptions: What matters to them? What will they take notice of? What are they feeling?

Use the specific, not the general. Be concrete. Use the particular word.

Pinning down specific details eliminates unnecessary modifiers and makes the ones you choose work harder. Choose just the right word to create an impact, rather than throwing bunches of words at the reader and hoping some of it sticks.

Also remember the flow, because it makes it easier to follow: head to toe, or left to right, or along a road/river