How To Pull Off Descriptions

How to pull off descriptions

New authors always describe the scene and place every object on the stage before they press the play button of their novels. And I feel that it happens because we live in a world filled with visual media like comics and films, which heavily influence our prose.

In visual media, it’s really easy to set the scene—you just show where every object is, doesn’t matter if they’re a part of the action about to come or not. But prose is quite different from comics and films. You can’t just set the scene and expect the reader to wait for you to start action of the novel. You just begin the scene with action, making sure your reader is glued to the page.

And now that begs the question—if not at the beginning, where do you describe the scene? Am I saying you should not use descriptions and details at all? Hell naw! I’m just saying the way you’re doing it is wrong—there’s a smarter way to pull off descriptions. And I’m here to teach that to you.

***

#01 - What are descriptions?

Let’s start with the basics—what are descriptions? How do you define descriptions? Or details, for that matter? And what do the words include?

Descriptions refer to… descriptions. It’s that part of your prose where you’re not describing something—the appearance of an object, perhaps. Mostly, we mean scene-descriptions when we use the term, but descriptions are more than just scene-descriptions.

Descriptions include appearances of characters too. Let’s call that character-descriptions.

Both scene-descriptions and character-descriptions are forms of descriptions that we regularly use in our prose. We mostly use them at the beginning of the scene—just out of habit.

Authors, especially the newer ones, feel that they need to describe each and every nook and cranny of the place or character so they can be visualized clearly by their readers, right as the authors themselves visualized them. And they do that at the start of the scene because how can you visualize a scene when you don’t know how the scene looks first.

And that’s why your prose is filled with how the clouds look or what lights are on the room before you even start with the dialogues and action. But the first paragraph doesn’t need to be a simple scene-description—it makes your prose formulaic and predictable. And boring. Let me help you with this.

***

#02 - Get in your narrator’s head

The prose may have many MCs, but a piece of prose only has a single narrator. And these days, that’s mostly one of the characters of your story. Who uses third-person omniscient narrator these days anyway? If that’s you, change your habits.

Anyway, know your narrator. Flesh out their character. And then internalize them—their speech and stuff like that. Internalize your narrator to such an extent that you can write prose from their point-of-view.

Now, I don’t mean to say that only your narrator should be at the center of the scene—far from it. What I mean is you should get into your narrator’s head.

You do not describe a scene from the eyes of the author—you—but from the eyes of the narrator. You see from their eyes, and understand what they’re noticing. And then you write that.

Start your scene with what the narrator is looking at.

For example,

The dark clouds had covered the sky that day. The whole classroom was in shades of gray—quite unusual for someone like Sara who was used to the sun. She felt the gloom the day had brought with it—the gloom that no one else in her class knew of.

She never had happy times under the clouds like that. Rain made her sad. Rain made her yearn for something she couldn’t put into words. What was it that she was living for? Money? Happiness?

As she stared at the sky through the window, she was lost in her own quiet little corner. Both money and happiness—and even everything else—were temporary. All of it would leave her one day, then come back, then leave, then come back, like the waves of an ocean far away from any human civilization in sight.

All of it would come and go—like rain, it’d fall on her, like rain, it’d evaporate without proof.

And suddenly, drops of water began hitting the window.

You know it was a cloudy day, where it could rain anytime soon. You know that for other students, it didn’t really matter, but Sara felt really depressed because of the weather that day. You know Sara was at the corner, dealing with her emotions alone.

It’s far better than this,

The dark clouds covered the sky that day. It could rain anytime soon.

From her seat at the corner of the room, Sara stared at the sky that made everything gray that day. She…

The main reason it doesn’t work is that you describe the scene in the first paragraph, but it’s devoid of any emotions. Of any flavor. It’s like a factual weather report of the day. That’s what you don’t want to do—write descriptions in a factual tone.

If you want to pull off the prior one, get to your narrator’s head. See from their eyes, think from their brain. Understand what they’re experiencing, and then write that experience from their POV.

Sara didn’t care what everyone was wearing—they were all probably in their school uniforms, obviously, so I didn’t describe that. Sara didn’t focus on how big the classroom was, or how filled, or what everybody was doing. Sara was just looking at the clouds and the clouds alone, hearing everybody just living their normal days, so I mentioned just those things.

As the author, you need to understand that only you, the author are the know-it-all about the scene, not your narrator. And that you’re different from your narrator.

Write as a narrator, not as an author.

***

#03 - Filler Words

This brings me to filler words. Now, hearing my advice, you might start writing something like this,

Sarah noticed the dark clouds through the window. She saw that they’d saturated the place gray.

Fillers words like “see”, “notice”, “stare”, “hear” should be ignored. But many authors who begin writing from the POV of the characters start using these verbs to describe what the character is experiencing.

But remember, the character is not cognizant of the fact that they’re seeing a dark cloud, just that it’s a dark cloud. You don’t need these filler words—straight up describe what the character is seeing, instead of describing that the character is seeing.

Just write,

There were dark clouds on the other end of the window, which saturated the place gray.

Sarah is still seeing the clouds, yeah. But we’re looking from her eyes, and her eyes ain’t noticing that she’s noticing the clouds.

It’s kinda confusing, but it’s an important mistake to avoid. Filler words can really make your writing sound more amateurish than before and take away the experience of the reader, because the reader wants to see through the narrator’s eyes, not that the narrator is seeing.

***

#04 - Characters

Character-descriptions are a lot harder to pull off than scene-descriptions. Because it’s really confusing to know when to describe them, their clothing, their appearances, and what to tell and what not to.

For characters, you can give a full description of their looks. Keep it concise and clear, so that your readers can get a pretty good idea of the character with so few words that they don’t notice you’ve stopped action for a while.

Or can show your narrator scanning the character, and what they noticed about them.

Both these two tricks only work when a character is shown first time to the readers. After that, you don’t really talk about their clothing or face anymore.

Until there’s something out of the ordinary about your character.

What do I mean by that? See, you’ve described the face and clothes of the character, and the next time they appear, the reader is gonna imagine the character in a similar set of clothes, with the same face and appearance that they had the first time. Therefore, any time other than the first, you don’t go into detail about the character again. But, if something about your character is out of ordinary—there are bruises on their face, scars, or a change in the way they dress—describe it to the reader. That’s because your narrator may notice these little changes.

***

#05 - Clothing

Clothing is a special case. Some new authors describe the clothes of the characters when they’re describing the character every time the reader sees them. So, I wanna help you with this.

Clothing can be a way to show something about your character—a character with a well-ironed business suit is gonna be different from a character with tight jeans and baggy t-shirt. Therefore, only use clothing to tell something unique about the character.

Refrain from describing the clothing of characters that dress like most others. Like, in a school, it’s obvious that all characters are wearing school uniforms. Also, a normal teenage boy may wear t-shirts and denim jeans. If your character is this, no need to describe their clothing—anything the reader would be imagining is fine.

Refrain from describing the clothing of one-dimensional side-characters—there’s a high chance you’ve not really created them well enough that they have clothing that differs from the expectations of the readers. We all know what waiters wear, or what a college guy who was just passing by in the scene would be wearing.

You may describe the clothing of the important character in the story, but only in the first appearance. After that, describe their clothes only if the clothes seem really, really different from the first time. And stop describing their clothes if you’ve set your character well enough in the story that your readers know what to expect from them in normal circumstances—then, describe clothes only when they’re really, really different from their usual forms of clothing.

***

#06 - Conclusion

I think there was so much I had to say in this article, but I didn’t do a good job. However, I said all that I wanted to say. I hope you guys liked the article and it helps you in one way or the other.

And please subscribe if you want more articles like this straight in your inbox!

Describe your Main Character sheet

Skin

Tone: Pale, Rosy, Olive, Dark, Tanned, Alabaster, Ebony, Bronze, Golden, Fair

Texture: Smooth, Rough, Silky, Coarse, Flaky, Supple, Wrinkled, Calloused, Bumpy

Condition: Moles, Acne, Dry, Greasy, Freckled, Scars, Birthmarks, Bruised, Sunburned, Flawless

Complexion: Clear, Ruddy, Sallow, Glowing, Dull, Even-toned, Blotchy

Eyes

Size: Small, Large, Average, Tiny, Bulging, Narrow

Color: Grey, Brown, Blue, Violet, Pink, Green, Gold, Hazel, Crimson, Amber, Turquoise, Sapphire, Onyx

Shape: Doe-eyed, Almond, Close-set, Wide-set, Round, Oval, Hooded, Monolid

Expression: Deep-set, Squinty, Monolid, Heavy eyelids, Upturned, Downturned, Piercing, Gentle, Sparkling, Steely

Other: Glassy, Bloodshot, Tear-filled, Clear, Glinting, Shiny

Hair

Thickness: Thin, Thick, Fine, Normal

Texture: Greasy, Dry, Soft, Shiny, Curly, Frizzy, Wild, Unruly, Straight, Smooth, Wavy, Floppy

Length: Cropped, Pixie-cut, Afro, Shoulder length, Back length, Waist length, Past hip-length, Buzz cut, Bald

Styles: Weave, Hair extensions, Jaw length, Layered, Mohawk, Dreadlocks, Box braids, Faux locks, Braid, Ponytail, Bun, Updo

Color: White, Salt and pepper, Platinum blonde, Golden blonde, Dirty blonde, Blonde, Strawberry blonde, Ash brown, Mouse brown, Chestnut brown, Golden brown, Chocolate brown, Dark brown, Jet black, Ginger, Red, Auburn, Dyed, Highlights, Low-lights, Ombre

Eyebrows: Thin eyebrows, Average eyebrows, Thick eyebrows, Plucked eyebrows, Bushy eyebrows, Arched eyebrows, Straight eyebrows

Lips

Shape: Full, Thin, Heart-shaped, Bow-shaped, Wide, Small

Texture: Chapped, Smooth, Cracked, Soft, Rough

Color: Pale, Pink, Red, Crimson, Brown, Purple, Nude

Expression: Smiling, Frowning, Pursed, Pouting, Curved, Neutral, Tight-lipped, Parted

Nose

Shape: Button, Roman, Hooked, Aquiline, Flat, Pointed, Wide, Narrow, Crooked, Upturned, Snub

Size: Small, Large, Average, Long, Short

Condition: Freckled, Sunburned, Smooth, Bumpy

Build

Frame: Petite, Slim, Athletic, Muscular, Average, Stocky, Large, Lean, Stout, Bony, Broad-shouldered, Narrow-shouldered

Height: Short, Tall, Average, Petite, Giant

Posture: Upright, Slouched, Rigid, Relaxed, Graceful, Awkward, Stiff, Hunched

Hands

Size: Small, Large, Average, Delicate, Strong

Texture: Smooth, Rough, Calloused, Soft, Firm

Condition: Clean, Dirty, Manicured, Scarred, Wrinkled

Nails: Short, Long, Polished, Chipped, Clean, Dirty, Painted, Natural

Voice

Tone: Deep, High, Soft, Loud, Raspy, Melodic, Monotonous, Hoarse, Clear, Gentle

Volume: Loud, Soft, Whispery, Booming, Muted

Pace: Fast, Slow, Steady, Hasty, Measured

Expression: Cheerful, Sad, Angry, Calm, Anxious, Confident, Nervous, Excited, Bored

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iwannaread13

3 months ago

I Was Asked By A Friend Yesterday If I Could Offer Basic Tips About Comic Paneling. As It Turns Out,

I was asked by a friend yesterday if I could offer basic tips about comic paneling. As it turns out, I have a lot to say on the matter! I tried breaking down the art of paneling using the principles of art and design, and I hope it helps you out!

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iwannaread13

3 weeks ago

ok back to that time travel au

it doesn't take long before people begin to point out the inconsistencies between sy's and sj's behavior with suspicion. after all, sy's generally sunny disposition is rather striking when compared to sj's aloofness and cold expressions. that could be attributed to a life-changing event or enlightenment, but still, people gossip, and with sj's reputation, they talk about it badly.

so sy, in a panic, tries to subtly show his similarities with sj. it doesn't go very well, like all his plans. but when he does give up, they are suddenly very similar.

sy, fussing over the junior disciples of qing jing peak: do you remember what to do?

yqy, about to reassure sy that the disciples will be safe on their one day field trip with qiong ding's disciples: ?

the disciples: make sure we always have our robes and guans with protective arrays on! also create a protective array on the ground and on our tents and ban intruders! never agree to anything qiong ding says and keep everything we say vague! always establish an oath if we do agree to anything. and if they try to hurt us, kill them and go to shizun because he will take care of it!

sy, proud: good.

yqy, remembering sj's paranoia: *worry intensifies*

qqq, in a peak lord meeting: so there is this one disciple i have that has a horrible, abusive husband. she's planning on running away, will it be feasible for qiong ding and an ding to create a new identity for her?

sy, reading a book bc all pl meetings are boring past or present or future: she should kill her husband. brutally. piece of shit.

the peak lords: ...

sy, an overprotective brother to one adorable and troublemaking little sister: should burn down the household too before she leaves. better yet, fake her death in the fire.

sj, strangely proud and comforted bc this kinder version of him also has his viciousness: and make sure there are no witnesses and evidence left behind.

sy, remembering qiu haitang, staring at sj: yes. make sure there are no witnesses left behind.

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iwannaread13

10 months ago

REVERSE TROPE WRITING PROMPTS

Too many beds

Accidentally kidnapping a mafia boss

Really nice guy who hates only you

Academic rivals except it’s two teachers who compete to have the best class

Divorce of convenience

Too much communication

True hate’s kiss (only kissing your enemy can break a curse)

Dating your enemy’s sibling

Lovers to enemies

Hate at first sight

Love triangle where the two love interests get together instead

Fake amnesia

Soulmates who are fated to kill each other

Strangers to enemies

Instead of fake dating, everyone is convinced that you aren’t actually dating

Too hot to cuddle

Love interest CEO is a himbo/bimbo who runs their company into the ground

Nursing home au

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iwannaread13

6 months ago

basic things you should know about your main characters

how is their relationship with their family

what are their beliefs, if they have any

what is their motivation (preferably something unrelated to their love interest/romantic feelings)

who were they raised to be vs. who they became/are becoming

what are their plans for the future, if they have any

how they feel about themselves and how it affects their behaviour

how do they feel about things they cannot control

and last but not least: Why is This Character the Protagonist??

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iwannaread13

6 months ago

List of unique and imaginative types of government that can add depth to your fantasy world:

1. Gerontocracy

A government ruled by the elderly. Wisdom and experience are highly valued, and the oldest members of society hold the most power.

2. Stratocracy

A government led by military leaders. The state and the military are closely intertwined, and military service is often a prerequisite for leadership.

3. Timocracy

A government where only property owners or those with a certain level of wealth can participate in governance. The idea is that those with a stake in the land will govern it wisely.

4. Gynarchy

A society governed by women. Leadership roles are exclusively or predominantly held by females.

5. Noocracy

A government ruled by the wise or intellectuals. Decisions are made based on knowledge, wisdom, and rational thought.

6. Kleptocracy

A corrupt government where leaders exploit national resources and steal; rule by thieves. This often leads to widespread corruption and inequality.

7. Cyberocracy

A futuristic government where information technology and artificial intelligence play a central role in governance. Decisions are made based on data and algorithms.

8. Hologarchy

A decentralized government where power is distributed equally among all members of society. There is no central authority, and decisions are made collectively.

9. Ecocracy

A government that prioritizes ecological and environmental concerns above all else. Policies are designed to protect and sustain the natural world.

10. Psionocracy

A government ruled by individuals with psychic or mental powers. Leadership is determined by one's mental abilities and control over psychic forces.

11. Syndicracy

A government run by syndicates or groups of people with common interests, such as trade unions or professional associations. Power is distributed among various syndicates.

12. Cryptocracy

A secretive government where the true rulers are hidden from the public. The real power lies with a shadowy group that operates behind the scenes.

13. Technomancy

A blend of technology and magic, where the government is ruled by technomancers who use both technological and magical means to govern.

14. Animocracy

A government where animals or animal spirits play a central role in decision-making. This could involve druids or shamans who communicate with animal spirits.

15. Necrocracy

A government where the dead or undead hold power. This could involve necromancers who use their control over the dead to maintain order.

16. Elementocracy

A government where rulers are chosen based on their mastery of elemental forces (earth, water, fire, air). Each element might have its own representative or leader.

17. Dreamocracy

A society governed by those who can control or influence dreams. Decisions might be made in a dream realm, affecting the waking world.

18. Symbiocracy

A government where humans and another species (like elves, dwarves, or even sentient plants) share power equally. Cooperation and mutual benefit are key.

19. Chronocracy

A government where time manipulation is central. Leaders might be time travelers or have the ability to foresee future events and make decisions accordingly.

20. Shadow Council

A secretive group that rules from the shadows, with their identities unknown to the public. They might use spies and covert operations to maintain control.

21. Guildocracy

A government run by various guilds, each representing different trades or professions. Power is distributed among the guild leaders.

22. Arcane Senate

A council of powerful mages who govern based on their magical prowess and knowledge. Each member might represent a different school of magic.

23. Beastocracy

A society where intelligent beasts or mythical creatures hold power. This could include dragons, griffins, or other fantastical beings.

24. Celestocracy

A government ruled by celestial beings or those who claim divine right from the stars. Astrology and celestial events might influence decisions.

25. Labyrinthine Council

A government where the ruling council resides in a vast, ever-changing labyrinth. Only those who can navigate the maze can reach the leaders.

26. Mirrorocracy

A society where decisions are made by reflections or alternate versions of the leaders from parallel dimensions. This could involve magical mirrors or portals.

27. Puppetocracy

A government where the rulers are figureheads controlled by unseen puppet masters. The true power lies with those pulling the strings.

28. Songocracy

A society where music and song are central to governance. Leaders might be chosen based on their musical abilities, and laws are sung rather than written.

29. Crystal Dominion

A government where rulers derive their power from magical crystals. These crystals might grant various abilities or influence the land.

30. Ethereocracy

A government where spirits or ethereal beings hold sway. This could involve ghosts, ancestral spirits, or other supernatural entities.

31. Mercantocracy

A government ruled by merchants and traders. Economic policies are designed to maximize trade and commerce, with leaders often being the wealthiest traders.

32. Coinclave

A council of bankers and financiers who control the economy. Decisions are made to ensure financial stability and growth, with a focus on banking and investments.

33. Tradeguild Dominion

A realm where powerful trade guilds hold sway. Each guild represents a different industry, and they work together to regulate trade and industry standards.

34. Barterocracy

A society where barter and trade are the primary means of exchange. Leaders are chosen based on their ability to negotiate and manage resources effectively.

35. Resource Syndicate

A government where control is based on the management of natural resources. Leaders are experts in mining, agriculture, and resource distribution.

36. Artisan Assembly

A government led by master craftsmen and artisans. Economic policies focus on the production and trade of high-quality goods and craftsmanship.

37. Agrarian Council

A society governed by those who control agricultural production. Policies are centered around farming, food distribution, and sustainable agriculture.

38. Guilded Senate

A ruling body composed of representatives from various economic guilds. Each guild has a say in the governance based on their economic contributions.

39. Commodocracy

A government where power is based on the control of key commodities, such as gold, spices, or magical resources. Leaders are those who control these valuable goods.

40. Marketocracy

A society where the free market dictates governance. Leaders are chosen based on their success in the marketplace, and economic freedom is highly valued.

41. Tradewind Dominion

A government where trade routes and shipping lanes are the lifeblood of the economy. Leaders are often powerful ship captains or trade route managers.

42. Coincouncil

A council of wealthy individuals who use their resources to influence governance. Economic policies are designed to benefit the wealthy elite.

43. Craftocracy

A government where skilled artisans and craftsmen hold power. The economy is driven by the production and trade of artisanal goods.

44. Miner’s Syndicate

A society governed by those who control mining operations. Economic policies focus on the extraction and trade of minerals and precious metals.

45. Spice Dominion

A government where control of rare and valuable spices dictates power. Leaders are those who manage spice production and trade.

-------

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List Of Unique And Imaginative Types Of Government That Can Add Depth To Your Fantasy World:

2K notes View Post

iwannaread13

6 months ago

I’m shipping this right now. I found today a Kyle apprecitaion account and it convinced me of this ship xD

A lot of love in the Horde 🌚🌚🌚

(Also, I posted a nsfw catradora on my instagram account, so if anyone wants to see that, my name there is also @soniagallegomora1996)

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iwannaread13

3 weeks ago

The floating empire of Pharoah Duul Aman

It's not every Tuesday the Justice League encounters something like this, but this was new to Wonder Woman.

A giant island floating in mid air suddenly appeared in a flash of glowing green.

It was Egyptian yet futuristic, like Kemet, where a massive silver and green pyramid in the center with a large pulsing green ball constantly swirling in a barrier.

The building themselves were oddly a combination of modern with Egyptian hieroglyphics carved into them and plants coating and moving around buildings, puffing out icy breaths. It look to be a modern yet futuristic town.

There were people, yet.. odd looking with a pale blue color as some were floating around, the other chasing after their children, parents, floating babies sleeping above them attached to a purple leash wrapped around a Egyptian Mau cats as they talking about the next Hide and Fight game.

Before Wonder Woman could fly closer, she faceplanted right into a golden barrier.

...

Tucker Foley was desperate to save Danny. After the GIW last attack, they severely injured Danny who pushed tucker out of harm way with a new untested ecto blaster that was stolen from the Fentons before. They gave up on hunting and helped Danny after his revealing.

The Portal was malfunctioned and breaking apart as it slowing eats out the Fenton's basement into it, even as he incase the town in a barrier of his own making to push out the GIW all out and hidden around town.

Danny, who is lays on the makeshift bed outside the Fenton house, Fangs grinding in pain with trails of greens and red pulsing through his skin with frantic Jazz trying to find another ecto-dejecto in the Fenton mobile knowing there is no more.

His hands trembled as he was performing a ritual, writing another hieroglyphics in Egyptian symbol. Sam was out the circle holding the Scarab Scepter using fenton gloves to keep her mind from being enchanted by it dark power.

Tucker knew he was the reincarnated Duul Aman. He can still remember everything of his past life even though he lied to his friends about that time when he went mad with power.

He remembered how blood thirsty and enraged with guilt weighed down Duul Aman to madness upon remembered his friend Danyal, who sacrificed his life for him.

Danyal, who was a foreign slave yet closest best friend in the world, looks too like Danny. He never lied when he said he and Danny had been friends since forever.

He knew who danny was danyal reborn the moment he saw that birth marks on his heel, the very same cresent moon shaped mark right against his heel.

He will not fall into the same madness that consumed his past life. He will save his best friend even..

Tucker quietly inhaled finishing the last piece of the ritual as he held mumbled a prayer to Bastet for protection, holding out his hand to Sam for the Specter

"You know what to do if I can't handle it, Sam." Tucker said to her softly.

"Are you sure this will work, Tuck?"

"I'd study this for a long.. long time, I did all the calculations 7 times to save Danny and fixed the portal leaking into our town. I need enough power, or else the ghost zone is going to implode on all of us, taking the planet and this dimension with it."

"And if it doesn't work.. well, it's was great being best friend with you, Grass eater." Tucker wobbly crack a smile. Sam rubbed her teary eyes a bit.

"If we survived this, I'm so shoving you into grass even with reality morphing powers, Tucker."

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iwannaread13

1 year ago

He looks so tired.

He needs some sleep.